{"id":29046,"date":"2021-12-20T12:00:59","date_gmt":"2021-12-20T17:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/coachingfederation.org\/blog\/procrastination-how-a-coach-can-help\/"},"modified":"2021-12-20T12:00:59","modified_gmt":"2021-12-20T17:00:59","slug":"procrastination-how-a-coach-can-help","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/coachingfederation.org\/blog\/procrastination-how-a-coach-can-help\/","title":{"rendered":"Procrastination: How a Coach Can Help"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cI\u2019ll do it later. No. Really. I will.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWhy do it today when I can do it tomorrow.\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, things came up.\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI got so much done today! But no, I didn\u2019t get to that\u2026.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Just do it already!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Well,\u00a0if it were that easy, then\u00a0we wouldn\u2019t see so many clients seeking coaching services for help combatting\u00a0procrastination.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So how can a coach help when a client\u2019s goal is to address their procrastination?<\/span><\/b><\/h2>\n

Sure,\u00a0we can explore techniques like tomato\u00a0or Pomodoro\u00a0timers, urgent\/non urgent matrixes, focus sprints, eat a frog. And yes, what needs to get done may get done\u00a0but if we stop at this surface level coaching, chances are the issue will persist.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Why? Because the issue behind the issue has not been addressed.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In this article I invite you to\u00a0take a\u00a0look\u00a0at procrastination through\u00a0a different lens. I\u00a0will\u00a0borrow\u00a0the theory\u00a0and concepts\u00a0of Cognitive Behavioral\u00a0therapy\u00a0to<\/span>\u00a0explore how a\u00a0coach\u2019s understanding of\u00a0these concepts\u00a0can be a powerful resource to help clients.\u00a0We\u2019ll also look at\u00a0two\u00a0exercises you can use with your clients.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

First, let\u2019s define Cognitive Behavioral Therapy:\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

According to the Beck Institute<\/a>, \u201cCBT is based on\u202fthe\u202ftheory that\u202fthe way individuals perceive a situation is more closely connected to their reaction than the situation itself.\u201d<\/p>\n

Next, understand the behavior. <\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

To help your\u00a0client\u00a0work\u00a0toward implementing long-lasting behavioral change, you need to dig.\u00a0DEEP.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Why?\u00a0Because generally speaking,\u00a0people\u00a0don’t procrastinate\u00a0in actual avoidance of\u00a0the task at hand.\u00a0Many factors lead to procrastination, and\u00a0while there is not usually a single cause, there\u00a0is a common denominator:\u00a0It is not the task itself.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The task is neutral.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What leads to procrastination is\u00a0the judgment\u00a0of\u00a0the task and the associated thoughts and emotions that go with it\u00a0(reaction). If\u00a0the\u00a0task\u00a0is perceived\u00a0to be unpleasant, unnecessary,\u00a0etc.,\u00a0it\u2019s more likely to be associated with emotions like fear, causing the client to avoid or delay doing the task.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In other words, your client is trying to avoid the negative feelings that they have associated with the task, not the task itself.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Underlying unpleasant thoughts and emotions can occur for many reasons,\u00a0including:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n