As an aspiring online entrepreneur or affiliate marketer, you’ve likely experienced the frustrating grip of procrastination at some point. Despite your best intentions and the potential for success, that nagging voice in your head can (and I’m guessing often does) convince you to put off crucial tasks, leading to missed deadlines, lost opportunities, and a sense of stagnation.
I get it, and I’ve been hearing it from many. Given my work in ‘NeuroChange’ over at Abundant Mind, and our writing at Plasticity Portal, we know a thing or two about how you can conquer procrastination, and rewire your brain for online success.
Something I feel we should get out of the way at the very beginning; the root cause of your procrastination lies not in any sort of laziness or a lack of desire on your part – as is often discussed (or pushed on you by someone taking a shot at your inability to take action). It does lie, however, in the complex interplay between different regions of the brain.
The battle between the limbic system; which craves instant gratification, and the prefrontal cortex; which is responsible for rational decision-making, often results in the limbic system’s dominance, leading to your procrastination.
Fortunately for you, there’s a solution to this neural tug-of-war: harnessing the power of neuroplasticity!
Neuroplasticity is the brain’s remarkable ability to adapt, change, and rewire itself in response to experience and learning. By understanding and leveraging this process, you’ll have the opportunity to overcome procrastination and cultivate productive habits that will propel your online business or affiliate marketing ventures to new heights.
Rewiring Your Brain for Action
One of the keys to conquering procrastination lies in rewiring your brain’s neural pathways. When you engage in activities that challenge your brain, such as learning a new skill or tackling a complex task, the brain responds by creating new connections and strengthening existing ones. This process is the foundation of neuroplasticity, and it can be leveraged to overcome the limbic system’s pull towards procrastination.
One of the most effective ways to harness neuroplasticity is through the formation of productive habits. When you consistently engage in activities that support your goals, the brain begins to automate these behaviours, making them easier to maintain over time. This is where the power of neuroplasticity truly shines for you – by creating new neural pathways and reinforcing them through repetition, you can train your brain to prioritize action over procrastination.
As a NeuroChange Practitioner, I’ve helped individuals, including online entrepreneurs and affiliate marketers, unlock their brain’s potential and overcome procrastination through the principles of neuroplasticity. By guiding them through targeted exercises and habit-building strategies, I’ve witnessed firsthand the transformative power of this approach.
And not only does this help in releasing the grip of inaction through procrastination, and it can also help in overcoming self-doubt, and self-esteem issues that play directly into anxiety and fear; which are the other side of why we’re so comfortable in procrastination.
Two Paths to Procrastination Wins
I’m going to walk you down two paths to winning out over procrastination in this short section; Simply taking immediate action, and building out habits that reshape your neurology.
Taking Immediate Action
One of the coolest, and admittedly quite effective strategies for overcoming procrastination and cultivating productive habits has to be Mel Robbins’ renowned “The 5 Second Rule: Transform your Life, Work, and Confidence with Everyday Courage”.
The premise – which I love, and use, as I’ve read this book twice now, is a simple yet powerful technique; when you have an impulse or instinct to take action, you must physically move within 5 seconds, or your brain will talk you out of it.
Her ‘5 Second Rule’ works by interrupting the brain’s natural tendency to hesitate and create excuses (which is is where the fear comes from that I’ve mentioned above). As Robbins explains – and even mentions again in “Kick Ass with Mel Robbins: Life-Changing Advice from the Author of “The 5 Second Rule”;
“Hesitation is the kiss of death. You might hesitate for just a nanosecond, but that’s all it takes. That one small hesitation triggers a mental system that’s designed to stop you.”
By counting down from 5 to 1 and immediately taking the first step, you can bypass this hesitation and transform your thoughts into tangible actions.
Incorporating the 5 Second Rule into your daily routine (which, in essence, becomes it’s own neuroplasticity exercise) can be a game-changer for overcoming procrastination. Whether it’s getting out of bed in the morning, as she based this on – and first began using it herself, she writes, starting a difficult task, or pushing through social anxiety, the 5 Second Rule provides a simple yet effective framework for disrupting negative thought patterns and propelling yourself into productive behaviours.
By pairing this immediate action-oriented approach with the long-term habit-building strategies outlined earlier, you can create a powerful synergy that rewires your brain for success in your online business or affiliate marketing ventures.
Practical Neuroplasticity Exercises
The second, as you would expect from me (both given my training, and given I rarely believe there’s ever only one answer or route to change for any one person), is to put neuroplasticity into practice and conquer procrastination by incorporating a few consistent exercises into your daily routine.
For some of you – those who have taken or are enrolled in ENERGIA VITA’s 172 day ‘Habit Revolution Challenge’, you’ll recognize bits and pieces, and you can allow these to coincide with wherever you are in the Challenge. If you’re not yet part of the Challenge, you can use these as a guide in getting started in finding your quick motivation beyond the fear or anxiety that straps us down in procrastination:
- Goal-setting and Task Chunking: Break down your larger goals into smaller, manageable tasks. Things you can take even the smallest, yet immediate action on. This not only makes the work feel less daunting but also allows your brain to experience the satisfaction of completing small, incremental steps, reinforcing the habit of taking action.
- Time Management Techniques: Experiment with methods similar to the Pomodoro technique, which involve working in focused 25-minute intervals followed by short breaks. This can help train your brain to maintain concentration and overcome the urge to procrastinate.
- Mindfulness and Meditation: Practices like mindfulness meditation, which we help people with over at our Abundant Mind Coaching portal have been shown to increase grey matter density in the prefrontal cortex, the region responsible for decision-making and impulse control. This can help you become more aware of your thought patterns and better equipped to resist the temptation to procrastinate. It also helps you be more ‘here and now’ or ‘in the moment’. And that state of presence, if you will, removes you from what’s causing you fear or anxiety in taking action.
- Physical Exercise: Regular physical activity has been linked to improved cognitive function and increased neuroplasticity. Incorporating exercise into your daily routine can help boost your energy, focus, and overall productivity. Physical activity is also that; activity. And so, when you’re otherwise sinking in the procrastination quicksand, getting that body of yours moving not only tells your brain that moving or activity is welcome, it also typically clears your mind of the anxiety we’ve discussed holds you back in fear or any variety of overwhelm.
- Learning New Skills: Challenging your brain by learning a new skill, such as a programming language, a musical instrument, or a foreign language, can stimulate neuroplasticity and provide a sense of accomplishment that can counteract procrastination. Now, this means taking action, yes, which is the opposite of what you’ve been doing; but this action or activity might also be something that is more personal or private, and so finding you’re able to take that first step may come more easily.
By consistently incorporating these neuroplasticity exercises into your daily life, you’ll be rewiring your brain to prioritize action, overcome procrastination, and cultivate the productive habits necessary for online business and affiliate marketing success.
The Power of Consistency and Accountability
Here’s the thing; rewiring your brain through neuroplasticity exercises is not a one-time event. It requires consistent practice and repetition. As is the foundation of our work in NeuroChange, embracing a ‘growth’ versus ‘fixed’ mindset – where you see challenges as opportunities for brain growth, is crucial to maintaining the motivation and discipline needed to overcome your debilitating procrastination.
Additionally, building a support system and holding yourself accountable can significantly enhance the effectiveness of your neuroplasticity exercises. Consider joining an online community, finding an accountability partner, or enrolling in a program like the Habit Revolution Challenge by ENERGIA VITA, where you’ll receive guidance and support in developing productive habits, and you’ll have the option in sharing with other Challenge Members; past and present, through the Group Chat inside the Challenge.
Overcoming Plateaus and Setbacks
It’s important to note that the journey to rewiring your brain and overcoming procrastination is not always linear. Even kicking into gear after counting backward from 5 to 1 isn’t always going to be as automatic, nor as smooth one a particular day as it may have been the day before (or after).
You may encounter plateaus or setbacks along the way, where progress seems to stall or even regress. When this happens, it’s crucial to remain patient and persistent.
A great strategy in overcoming plateaus is to mix up your neuroplasticity exercises, trying new activities or approaches to keep your brain engaged and adaptable. Additionally, seeking support from a NeuroChange Practitioner, like Yours Truly, can obviously provide valuable insights and personalized guidance to help you navigate these challenges, but I believe in you – with or without my direct involvement. Take action.
Embracing a Neuroplastic Mindset for Online Success
By understanding the neuroscience behind procrastination and harnessing the power of neuroplasticity, you can unlock your brain’s full potential and achieve remarkable success in your online business or affiliate marketing ventures.
In running with Mel Robbin’s ‘5 Second Rule’, you can do a quick ‘nothing to see over here’ with one hand of your mind, and allow the other hand to grab hold of action and get you moving before the other hand even realizes what happened.
Likewise, adopt a growth mindset, consistently engage in neuroplasticity exercises, and surround yourself with a supportive community. With dedication and persistence, you can rewire your brain, conquer procrastination, and propel your digital entrepreneurial dreams to new heights.
Hey, I’m passionate about empowering individuals like yourself to overcome the obstacles that hold them back, whether it’s procrastination, lack of focus, or any other cognitive challenge. That’s why I do what I do here in entrepreneurship, through our mind work, and in health over at our virtual Clinic.
By combining the principles of neuroplasticity with practical, actionable strategies, I’m hopeful we’ve helped you find a path to transformation of your mindset, and a vehicle for achieving your online business goals.
If you’re ready to take the next step in your journey towards online success, I encourage you to get curious, and explore other resources and coaching opportunities. Follow along over at our other sites mentioned above for additional actionable neurology, or grab the latest book on taking action (and hey, if you find a great one, please come back and post it to the comments below so that we can all take a look!).
Together, we can unlock the full potential of your brain and unlock the path to your digital entrepreneurial dreams. Let’s go!