Newsletter 10 - Procrastination

A coach helps their client become more aware of their reasons for procrastinating, their motivation for change, and discover strategies to transition from procrastination to progress.

Coaching can help with procrastination in several ways

(although keeping in mind that everyone is different. This is not a solution fits all and coaching is always personalized):

• Accountability (to yourself): A coach can hold you accountable for your actions and make sure that you follow through with what you say you will do. This can help keep you on track (and reduce procrastination).

  
  

• Goal setting: A coach can help you to set goals and create a plan to achieve them. This can help break down large tasks into smaller, more manageable ones, which can reduce overwhelm, reduce stress and increase motivation.
  

• Time management: A coach can help improve your time management skills, such as prioritizing tasks, creating schedules, and minimizing distractions.
  

• Addressing underlying issues: Sometimes procrastination is a symptom of underlying issues such as self-doubt or fear of failure. A coach can help you identify and address these issues- which can help reduce procrastination in the long term.

For me working with a coach changed everything. I progressed in my Spanish beyond my wildest dreams. It didn't happen overnight though. I first had to figure out how I learned best, why I was procrastinating, what my profound motivation for learning Spanish was.

I found out for example that I can't be bothered to learn anything unless I have a specific goal, a deadline and most importantly in my case, accountability. I need someone to remind me of why I'm doing what I'm doing and where I'm going with that. I've worked with people who feel very pressured by goal setting and accountability.

So…

Coaching can be helpful in providing accountability and support if you struggle with procrastination. In working with a coach (such as me), you can identify the underlying causes of procrastination and come up with strategies to overcome it. I can also help you set realistic goals and create an action plan to achieve these goals. All of this can help increase your motivation and thus reduce procrastination.

However…

There are many other ways of dealing with procrastination - specialized websites, self-help books, anti-procrastination platforms, time-management techniques, goal-setting strategies. Ultimately, it depends on you and what works best for you.

What's really wonderful about language is that it's ubiquitous; just remember, learning a language is not an obligation, it's first and foremost a way of communicating and discovering other cultures. You just have to find the form that suits you best.