213: How to Stop Procrastinating Right Now: Turn 'I'll Do It Tomorrow' Into Immediate Action

How to Stop Procrastinating Right Now: Turn 'I'll Do It Tomorrow' Into Immediate Action

Tired of telling yourself "I'll do it tomorrow" while important business tasks pile up? Procrastination isn't about laziness - it's about having the wrong mindset tools. In this episode of The Overwhelmed Entrepreneur, Cindy Gordon reveals why your brain says "I'll do it tomorrow" and shares her Instant Action Mindset Method for turning procrastination into immediate momentum.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why procrastination is an emotional regulation issue disguised as a productivity problem
• The neuroscience behind why thinking about challenging tasks activates your brain's pain centers
• How "I'll do it tomorrow" is actually your brain's attempt to avoid emotional discomfort
• The Reality Check Pause that helps you identify what you're really avoiding
• The Two-Minute Truth Test that breaks through catastrophic thinking
• How to use micro-actions to trick your brain into starting without completion pressure
• The 2-minute rule that removes the barrier of perfectionism

Perfect for: Female entrepreneurs who struggle with procrastination on important business tasks, business owners who avoid challenging projects, overwhelmed professionals tired of the "I'll do it tomorrow" cycle, and anyone ready to turn avoidance into immediate action.

Episode Highlights: "Procrastination isn't about being lazy or lacking willpower. It's about having the wrong mindset tools for the job."

"The anticipation of doing the task is almost always worse than actually doing it."

"You don't need more willpower to stop procrastinating. You need mindset tools that help you move through discomfort instead of avoiding it."

Resources mentioned:

• The Reality Check Method
• Instant Action Mindset Method
• ExclusivelyCindy.com
• @exclusivelycindy

Stop saying "I'll do it tomorrow." Start taking action on what matters today.

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Connect with Cindy Gordon - Reality Check Method Coach for Overwhelmed Entrepreneurs:

• Website: ExclusivelyCindy.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/exclusivelycindy/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@cindygordon

Transcript

0:00

Let me guess what happened last week. You had that important task sitting on your list. Maybe it was updating your website, reaching out to a potential client, or finally recording that course video. You knew it mattered, you had good intentions, but somehow Thursday rolled around and you found yourself saying those four familiar words. I'll do it tomorrow. Sound familiar? You're definitely not alone, and more importantly, you are not broken. Hi, I'm Cindy Gordon, the creator of the Reality Check Method, and a business coach for overwhelmed entrepreneurs. I've built and sold multiple digital businesses, and I have coached women through this exact pattern. Here's what I've learned. Procrastination isn't about being lazy or lacking willpower. It's about having the wrong mindset, tools for the job. Today I'm sharing the mindset shift that helped me turn. I'll do it tomorrow into, let's knock this thing out right now if you want my framework for beating procrastination, plus weekly tips that over 1400 entrepreneurs use to stay motivated and take action. Then you need to get on my email list link in the show notes. So here's what's probably happening in your entrepreneurial life. You start the day with genuine intentions to tackle that important project, but then the easier tasks call your name, you check your email, respond to messages, organize your desk, anything that feels productive, but doesn't require you to face the thing that actually matters. by afternoon, you're tired from all the busy work and that important task starts feeling even more overwhelming. So you tell yourself, I'll be fresh tomorrow morning and tackle it then. But tomorrow morning brings its own urgent distractions and the cycle repeats. You're not avoiding work. You are avoiding the discomfort that comes with uncertain or challenging tasks. Your brain has learned that the I'll do it tomorrow provides immediate relief from that discomfort, but it never actually solves the problem. The truth is procrastination isn't a time management issue. It's an emotional regulation issue. Disguised as a productivity problem. Here's something fascinating about how our brains work. When we think about doing a challenging task, our brain activates the same pain centers that fire when we experience physical discomfort. So your brain literally interprets important projects as a threat to avoid and not an opportunity to pursue. Add that to the entrepreneur reality. Most of the tasks that matter the most in your business, like creating content, sales conversations, or strategic planning, involve uncertainty and potential failure. Your brain much prefers the predictable discomfort of busy work to the unknown discomfort of meaningful work. But here's the reality check that your brain needs. The anticipation of doing the task is almost always worse than actually doing it. That's because your brain is designed to imagine worst case scenarios to keep you safe. But it's terrible at predicting how you'll actually feel when you are in action mode. The key to understanding that I'll do it tomorrow isn't procrastination. It's actually your brain's attempt to regulate the emotional discomfort of uncertainty. Once you understand this, you can use mindset tools to shift from avoidance to immediate action. So here's how to turn the, I'll do it tomorrow thought into, let's knock this out right now. The first thing you're gonna do is take a reality check, pause the moment you catch yourself thinking I'll do it tomorrow. I want you to pause and ask yourself this question. What am I actually avoiding right now? The task itself or the feeling that the task might create. Usually you're avoiding potential failure, judgment, or discomfort of not knowing exactly how something will turn out. Name the real fear, because you can't shift what you don't acknowledge. Step two is the two minute truth test. Ask yourself, if I spent two minutes on this task right now, what's the worst that could realistically happen? Not the catastrophic story your brain creates, but the actual realistic outcome. Usually the worst case is that you make some progress and you learn something about what you need to do next. That's not scary. That's useful information. The final step is the immediate micro action. Instead of committing to finishing the entire task, commit to the smallest possible step that you can take in the next five minutes. Open the document. Write one paragraph, make one phone call, send one email. I think you get the idea. The goal isn't completion. It's momentum when you start. Once you start, your brain often realizes the task isn't as threatening as it predicted, and you naturally want to continue. So let me give you some practical steps to make this work in your everyday life. First, create what I call a micro action list for your most avoided tasks. Instead of update website, I want you to write, change the headline on the homepage. Instead of writing, create marketing strategy. Write down, brainstorm three content ideas. The more specific and smaller action, the less your brain will object. Second, use that two minute rule. Strategically tell yourself if you only have to work on the avoided task for two minutes, then you stop guilt free. This removes the pressure of completion and tricks your brain into starting. Most of the time, you'll find yourself continuing past those few minutes because starting was the only real barrier. And finally, celebrate your micro progress immediately. Don't wait until the project is finished to acknowledge your effort. The moment that you take action on a previously avoided task is recognized as a win. This trains your brain to associate action with positive feelings instead of stress and overwhelm. Here's what I want you to remember. Procrastination isn't a character flaw that disqualifies you from entrepreneurial success. It's just your brain trying to protect you from discomfort, but it's using outdated survival strategies that don't serve your business growth. You don't need more willpower, better time management, or perfect conditions to stop procrastinating. You need mindset tools to help you move through discomfort instead of avoiding it. When you understand that, I'll do it tomorrow is just a fear. In disguise, you can choose immediate action. Instead, your business needs you to stop negotiating with discomfort and start creating despite it every time you choose. Let's knock this out right now over. I'll do it tomorrow. You are literally rewiring your brain for success. This instant action approach to beating procrastination is important because when you stop running from discomfort and start moving through it, everything becomes. Possible. If you want more strategies for turning procrastination into immediate action, follow me at exclusively Cindy on Instagram for reality checks that actually work. Now, go choose one thing that you've been avoiding and take the smallest possible step on it today. And remember, friend, you've got this, Thanks for spending these few minutes with me today. Remember, overwhelm isn't permanent. It's simply your brain's way of saying pause and take a little reality check. If this was helpful, you'll love my weekly email tips where I share the systems that keep me and hundreds of other entrepreneurs on Track Link in the show notes. If you got value in today's episode, please share it with another entrepreneur who needs that reminder. If you're loving the show, I'd be so grateful if you could leave me a quick review. It helps other overwhelmed entrepreneurs find us. Make sure you hit subscribe so you never miss your weekly dose of clarity. For more resources and to connect with me, visit exclusively cindy.com. Until next time, remember you've got this.