And when you tried everything?

That’s an excellent question - What is left to do when you tried everything?

You’re not going to like my answer, so stop reading.

If you’re still here well done, you know you’re trying to take a shortcut to nowhere.

“I tried everything” is the typical quote I say to my coach when I want her to jump right into the nitty-gritty of my procrastination.

Correct - Procrastination or laziness when I’m at my worst.

Think about it each time to say: “…But I’ve tried everything.” Did you really? I challenge you to find one more thing you have not tried because it is too expensive, too risky, too uncomfortable, or my favourite… not enough time!

I don’t know why, but an example always comes to my mind: Writing one blog post a month. Honestly, I’ve tried everything!!

In fact, I haven’t as if for example I sat at my desk until the blog post is written I would come up with a 500-750 words blog post each week if needed, and it would not take more than a few hours to start with and then maybe just a couple of hours (Yes! Practice makes perfect and, in this case, more manageable!)

However, to avoid the fear of not being a good blogger and being judged for it, I prioritize many other things far less critical. I let them get in the way, just for the sake of having a ‘good excuse’.

This is the typical mechanism used for procrastination: bury your essential task, goal, dream under a pile of non-essential things to validate whatever negative thoughts you wrapped your dream in (i.e. I not good enough… I don’t have the confidence, I don’t have enough money, etc.…)

The first step towards removing, what I called in the previous paragraph, the pile of subconscious non-essential things, is to remember the reason for wanting this precious thing in the first place.

Hint: You don’t have to justify anything to anyone so whatever you want will be yours.

Then think about what you tried so far and recognize that you haven’t tried everything. At that point, you can list down all the ways you can make a dent at progressing.

The secret I should not reveal as it is the essence of coaching is: take one step at the time. Take the time to break down your project into bitesize tasks – Plan your road.

I’m not saying make a full-on business plan if it’s not your style. Bullet points, if that’s what works for you, are perfect. This is your project at 100%, nobody is watching.

Once you have your plan in the format that works for you, associate timelines to each line and start your way towards realizing your project.

Don’t forget that the road is bumpy, so when it gets tough, pause, acknowledge, take a break and start again.

Review your progress frequently while making sure you always remind yourself of the reason this project is important for you (double the time on this on tough days).

The idea is to put the appropriate plan in place to make it achievable. It’s not this big scary project anymore. With the step listed in this post, you have a path to lead you to achieve your project that might be a big dream!

I want you to use this recipe over and over to grab every single item you have on your bucket list and become the accomplished person I’ll personally admire.

If you want more details on any of the point, you know where to find me so never hesitate to get in contact, I always have time for people who try.

picture Ahmed Zayan