Striving For Felicity

Personal Growth, Success + Lifestyle Tips

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22 Productive Things To Do When You Are Bored

Blog, Personal Development

Nobody likes wasting time. That’s why I’ve collected 22 productive things to do when you feel bored or when you want to procrastinate. 

Enjoy!

1. Journal about why you are unfocused

Writing down what’s going through your mind and what led up to that is a great way to eliminate mental distractions.

Once you put all these thoughts down on paper, your mind won’t feel the need to cling to them anymore. They can’t be forgotten when they are written down.

2. Read, delete, answer and sort your emails

Most people’s email inbox is way too cramped. 

It’s time to spend at least half an hour deleting things you don’t need anymore, sorting those you might need again, and answering all emails that still require so. 

3. Move your body (in a new way)

Moving our body in any way is always a good way to pass your time. 

But it can be especially rewarding to try out new sports every time. 

Who knows, you might fall in love with hot yoga, riding a unicycle, or wall climbing.

4. Find and start one new personal development course 

There is always more to learn, especially about reaching your full potential. 

So if you are looking for something to keep you occupied, consider personal development courses. 

There are many platforms where you can find them: Masterclass, Mindvalley, and Skillshare.

5. Get rid of all expired makeup, cosmetics, food products

As embarrassing as it can be to admit that you’ve got expired stuff lying around, it can happen so easily. 

So make it a point to hunt for everything that expired once in a while. 

Of course, there is no need to throw things away that are barely past their expiration date. 

Often enough, the expiration date can be seen as a suggestion, and depending on the product and its storing conditions, you might still be able to use it. 

But make sure to take a look first.

6. Unsubscribe to all email and post subscriptions

Subscribing to something is easy; getting unsubscribed can sometimes take a bit more effort. 

With emails, it’s pretty straightforward as you only have to find the right link at the bottom of the newsletter. 

Post subscriptions are more tricky. Often you can find some general email address on the letter, and then you have to write an email to unsubscribe. 

Read also: 9 Easy Ways To Reduce Your Social Media Use | Tips For A Digital Detox

7. Unfollow or mute social media accounts that do not make you feel good

Social media is a tool you can take advantage of and is not meant to control you! 

Since you surely don’t want to see images that make you feel jealous or insecure, you should review the accounts you follow and eliminate those that don’t make you feel good. 

8. Delete and sort apps on all of your tech devices + update them all

Downloading apps is easy and quick. Now, it is time to sort through the clutter accumulated on your devices. 

9. Plan out your week/month/quarter of the year

Do you know what important appointments and deadlines are coming up? How about recurring payments or birthdays?

These are all things you should anticipate in advance. And while you are at it, you might as well plan some of your goals. 

Read also: 44 Examples Of Life Goals | Life Goals To Set For Yourself

10. Write a checklist for your next holidays

Why worry about what to pack for your holiday every year? 

Create a long list of holiday items once, so you can check it off and pack in record speed next time. 

11. Clean out your wardrobe

Chances are it’s way too cluttered, and you have at least a few pieces you never wear. 

Get rid of them and restore order.

12. Clean out your makeup and wash all your makeup brushes

Do you even use the 100 different eyeshadows and nail polishes? Unlikely. 

Get rid of at least a handful of things you haven’t used in ages. And make sure to clean the brushes you do use regularly. 

13. Review which of your new year’s resolutions you’ve already achieved and set up a plan for achieving the rest of them 

Your New Years’ resolutions will never get accomplished if you only think of them at the beginning and end of each year. 

Make sure to check in with your progress regularly. This can be a productive thing to do when you are bored. 

14. Collect gift ideas for all upcoming birthdays and Christmas

This is one of my favorites on this list of productive things to do when you are bored. 

You won’t be scrambling for last-minute presents if you have a list full of gift ideas.

15. Plan your meals for the next week/two weeks/month 

Trying to come up with meals can take almost as much time as preparing them. 

Save your time by planning ahead.

16. Check the ingredients of your cosmetic products and find healthier alternatives

There are a lot of great tools nowadays that can help you find products without certain harmful ingredients and products that are more environmentally friendly.

17. Search for things you didn’t even remember you owned and get rid of them if you won’t use them from now on

Getting rid of stuff is easy once you’ve forgotten that it even existed in the first place. 

18. Collect new journal prompts that inspire you to write every day

One of the biggest hurdles with journaling is always asking what to journal. 

Prevent that obstacle by preparing a list of journal prompts to come back to if needed. 

Read also: 22 New Moon Journaling Prompts + New Moon Affirmations

19. Review your existing supplements and get yourself different ones if needed

Do you already take supplements? If so, were there any problems? Do you need to adjust your routine? Now is the time to do so!

20. Sort your songs into playlists

It’s time to go through your songs and playlists. Are there any songs you should throw out? Or maybe some of them are in the wrong playlist.

Take some time to sort through it all.

21. Create a signature you can be proud of

Maybe it’s just me, but I’m agonizing over my boring signature every time. 

It would be really useful if I would just sit down and create a proper one.

22. Start a side hustle

It doesn’t even matter what exactly you do. As long as you are sure you can find the interest and dedication to commit yourself to it for at the very least 6 months. 

Which was your favorite idea? Are there other productive things you like to do when you are bored?

We’d love to hear from you!

Until next time, Felicity Seeker!

Productive Things To Do When You Are Bored

33 Comparison Quotes To Stop Comparing Yourself To Others

Blog, Mindset, Personal Development, Quotes

Do you ever feel the urge to compare yourself to others? It’s only natural, but it can often leave you feeling worse than you did before. That’s why using inspiring comparison quotes can help you recognize the importance of focusing on personal growth rather than comparisons.

How do not compare yourself to others

Reading inspiring comparison quotes is great and all that. But only doing that will rarely be enough to stop your habit of comparing. 

So what to do when everyone else seems smarter, prettier, more successful, happier, and wealthier than you?

Easy, you simply need to stop giving yourself material to compare yourself to. 

Social media can be a major trigger for comparisonitis, so if you’re feeling overwhelmed, consider taking a break from it for at least two weeks.

Commit yourself to a digital detox for at least two weeks. Chances are you will find yourself much happier at the end of this time and won’t even feel all that eager to get back into the toxicity of social media. 

Read also: 44 Confidence Quotes For Women | Quotes To Make You Feel Confident

Read also: 44 Motivational Quotes And Background Images

Comparison quotes

1. “When you are content to be simply yourself and don’t compare or compete, everyone will respect you.” ― Lao Tzu

2. “A flower does not think of competing to the flower next to it, it just blooms.” – Zen Shin

3. “I’m losing myself trying to compete, with everyone else instead of just being me” – Demi Lovato

4. “Comparison is a slippery slope to jealousy.” – Danielle LaPorte

5. “I love the word ‘rare’ and I want everyone to find the power in what makes them rare. We all need to embrace our uniqueness, stop comparing ourselves to others, and love ourselves more.” – Selena Gomez

6. “Comparison with myself brings improvement, comparison with others brings discontent.” – Betty Jamie Chung

7. “Everyone grows at their own pace, and you shouldn’t compare yourself to anyone.” – Manny MUA

8. “I generally find that comparison is the fast track to unhappiness. No one ever compares themselves to someone else and comes out even. Nine times out of ten, we compare ourselves to people who are somehow better than us and end up feeling more inadequate.” – Jack Canfield

9. “A noble man compares and estimates himself by an idea which is higher than himself; and a mean man, by one lower than himself. The one produces aspiration; the other ambition, which is the way in which a vulgar man aspires.” – Marcus Aurelius

10. “Instead of comparing our lot with that of those who are more fortunate than we are, we should compare it with the lot of the great majority of our fellow men. It then appears that we are among the privileged.” – Helen Keller

Quotes About Comparing Yourself To Others

11. “Personality begins where comparison ends.” – Karl Lagerfeld

12. “I always compare myself to what I did last, so I’ve got to try and beat what I did last. I’m always upping my own bar.” – Adrian Younge

13. “Compare yourself to yourself and say, ‘How can I be better? How can I be the real me?'” – Carson Kressley

14. “You can’t compare an apple to an orange. It will cause a lot of self-esteem issues.” – Craig Sheffer

15. “I don’t really compare myself to anybody but just try to be the best I can be.” – Marcus Mariota

16. “Envy is ever joined with the comparing of a man’s self; and where there is no comparison, no envy.” – Francis Bacon

17. “Comparison is a very foolish attitude, because each person is unique and incomparable. Once this understanding settles in you, jealousy disappears.” — Osho

18. “Don’t compare yourself to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.” – Regina Brett

19. “The more you focus on you, the better you become.” – Doe Zantamata

20. “Dear YOU, don’t compare yourself to ANYONE. Your Unique Self is empowered, powerful, and unstoppable! Your uniqueness is what makes you incomparable! Don’t underestimate the beauty of just being YOU.” – Stephanie Lahart

21. “Your life is controlled by what you focus on.” – Tony Robbins

Quotes About Comparison

22. “We’re only envious of those already doing what we were made to do. Envy is a giant, flashing arrow pointing us toward our destiny.” – Glennon Doyle Melton

23. “My goal is not to be better than anyone else, but to be better than I used to be.” – Dr. Wayne Dyer

24. “Just look at yourself in the mirror and focus on what you need to do to get better.” – Choo Freeman

25. “When you are content to be simply yourself and don’t compare or compete, everyone will respect you.” – Lao Tzu

26. “Don’t focus on the competition, focus on ways to make yourself better.” – Hopal Green

27. “Don’t compare your beginnings to someone else’s middle.” – Tim Hiller

28. “Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.” – Anne Lamott

29. “Try not to get lost in comparing yourself to others. Discover your gifts and let them shine!” – Jennie Finch

30. “Let people do what they need to do to make them happy. Mind your own business, and do what you need to do to make you happy.” – Leon Brown

31. “Comparing yourself does more damage than any other self-destructive habit.”― Sarvesh Jain

32. “I learned long ago to focus on things you can control and don’t even pay attention to things you don’t.” – Bryan Cranston

33. “Real change will come when you focus on yourself.” – Ritu Ghatourey

Quote About Comparison by Sarvesh Jain
quote about comparison by Leon Brown
quote about comparison by Ritu Ghatourey
quote about comparison by Bryan Cranston

Things to compare yourself to

If done right, comparison doesn’t have to be something bad.

Comparing yourself to the right things can motivate you to push just a little bit more and achieve even bigger goals. 

As the comparison quotes mentioned, it can be very effective to compare yourself to your past. 

It gets you focused on what you can do instead of what you can’t. 

It also shows you a pace of growth that’s realistic for you. After all, it’s not fair to compare your business success to someone who has been around entrepreneurs their whole life. 

Friends you grew up with can also be a helpful comparison, as they often come from similar backgrounds and have had equivalent experiences.

If one of your school friends is now traveling the world, you might want to reach out and ask them how they did it. If they can, so should you. 

And lastly, it might also work well to compare yourself to nameless faces. 

I enjoy Pinterest more than Instagram because it has the same inspiring images but no real people connected to them. 

Seeing someone with a great car, house or vacation makes me want to have that without feeling envious of this random person. 

I’m curious, do you often compare yourself to others? And if so, in what way – looks, money, success, grades, relationships? 

If you are determined to focus more on yourself and less on others, comment ‘Better Than Yesterday’ down below. 

Until next time, Felicity Seeker! 

The Entrepreneurial Mindset | 7 Tips For An Entrepreneur Mindset

Blog, Business, Mindset, Success

Success is 80% mindset and only 20% strategy. So how do entrepreneurs think differently than most people? Here are 7 tips for an entrepreneur mindset.

Read also: 10 Signs You Are Entrepreneur Material

Read also: 36 Entrepreneur Quotes That Will Inspire You To Succeed

1. There is always a way to improve something just a bit more

Entrepreneurs know there is always a way to improve something just a little bit more. 

Just think of all our technological advancements over the last decades. 

We are proven wrong whenever we think the technology can’t get smaller, faster, more durable, or cheaper. 

Once upon a time, one computer took up an entire room, and nowadays, we walk around with high-tech computers as our wrist watch. 

The same goes for every other field imaginable: medicine, education, traveling, science, entertainment, etc. 

The entrepreneur mindset searches for even further improvements where others are content with the newest upgrade. 

2. Good ideas that nobody cares about are useless 

Plenty of people have brilliant ideas. Some of these people turn their ideas into businesses. And many, if not most of them, give up because their idea didn’t turn into the business success they expected. 

Why is that? 

In simple terms: Great products without customers to buy them are doomed to fail. 

Sometimes the lack of customers stems from an actual lack of market. This was, for example, the case with VR glasses. It took quite a couple years for them to actually start selling. At first, they were unique and interesting, but few people had much use for them. 

Another thing that can cause a lack of customers for your product is a lack of advertisement. 

Many newbie entrepreneurs have this phantasy of developing a good product, and then masses of customers will suddenly find them out of nowhere, eager to buy. 

For 99.9% of businesses, that’s entirely unrealistic. 

In the vast space called the world wide web, it takes effort to stand out. 

You must market your business and products effectively and patiently in multiple places to gain your first customers. 

Only then does your business get the chance to stand out from the rest? 

To summarize, having an entrepreneurial mindset means only starting a business with a potential market and planning extensive marketing. 

3. Keep going; you could be on the brink of a breakthrough

In the book “Think And Grow Rich,” there is this story about gold diggers that sold their gold mine after finding nothing. The guy who buys the mine is fortunate and almost immediately hits upon the gold. 

The lesson is clear: Don’t give up; success is closer than you think. 

Entrepreneurs often experience doubts and uncertainty because they tread on territory few have explored before. 

Few people who start a business do everything right the first time around. But, more often than not, it takes many tries and changes in strategy for a business to work out. 

Having an entrepreneur mindset means being prepared for these hurdles. 

That way, you won’t fall into despair and give up like so many others.

4. There is no failure, only valuable lessons

Another mindset shift of entrepreneurs is perceiving perceived failure as a valuable lesson. 

After all, with the knowledge you have gained in the process, you are already better set up to try again and this time more successfully. 

So channel all of your frustration and disappointment into analyzing what went wrong and planning what you should do next. 

5. There are endless business opportunities; I just need to look for them

Many people complain that all the good business opportunities are already taken. They look at google, apple, Netflix, uber & Co. and can’t imagine what more the world could need.

They lack creativity and a sense of business opportunities. 

This sense can be developed through learning and thinking about starting a business. 

It might take you months or years, but the more you engrain the entrepreneur mindset into your head, the more opportunities you will find. 

Remember that there are countless opportunities for you to find; you only need to look for them. 

6. How can I make my money work for me?

Most people trade their time for money; some work their 9-to-5 and are paid hourly. 

Others are their own boss and offer their customers massages, haircuts, or coaching. 

All those people have an upper limit to how much they can earn with what they are currently doing. 

After all, there are only 24 hours a day. So even if you’d want to, you wouldn’t be able to work much more than 12 hours a day repeatedly. 

So the only way to raise your income in your current job would be by raising the hourly rate of what you earn. That way, you can increase your income level by level while still having your upper time limit. 

However, there is an even more effective way that will increase your earnings exponentially.

And that is by making your money work for you. Entrepreneurs invest their money into the stock market, real estate, and businesses and get steady returns.

This way, their income keeps growing, and they have all the time in the world to enjoy it.

7. Only do what you’re brilliant at; the rest should be delegated as soon as possible 

Yes, entrepreneurs are resourceful and take pride in figuring out how to start a successful business. 

However, they also know that this pride in figuring things out on their own must take a backseat if they want to achieve great things. 

It’s like the saying: If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together. 

So as soon as possible, you should delegate the tasks that you truly dislike and those that you don’t excel at to others. 

That way, you will free up your time to spend on the things that make you stand out from others. 

These were the 7 tips for an entrepreneur mindset.

Do you already have a business, or do you dream of starting one? If so, what kind of business do you (want to) have?

Until next time, Felicity Seeker!

Tips For An Entrepreneur Mindset

How To Raise Your Vibrations For Manifestation

Blog, Boss Lady, Personal Development

Manifestation requires you to embody the energy you wish to attract. To do so, you need to learn how to raise your vibrations. Here are 9 tips for doing so.

Read also: 33 Affirmations For Gratitude

Read also: 55 x 5 Manifestation Technique | What It Is + How It Works

1. Consume high vibe content

In the informational age, content is king. But not every content is the same.

While reading your school books and watching the news are both important, they will rarely raise your vibrations. But, more often than not, they will exhaust you mentally and emotionally.

On the other hand, positively inspiring content like personal development podcasts or day-in-the-life vlogs will uplift you. 

It will spark new ideas, make you smile, or even give you a new drive to pursue your goals. 

This is the neglected power of the content we consume. So take care and be mindful when choosing your next source of entertainment. 

2. Surround yourself with nature

Nature is the embodiment of life, vibrates at a high frequency, and inspires similar energetic levels in us. 

You don’t have to like every type of nature. Some people enjoy a nice walk at the beach others like to track through the woods. 

Maybe you connect with nature while you visit the botanical gardens or water your plants. 

Just make sure to surround yourself with nature’s high vibration, which is guaranteed to impact you as well. 

3. Find your jam and dance

There is just something joyful about dancing. 

It doesn’t matter if you are dancing in a club amid a crowd, dancing sexily in front of your mirror wearing lingerie, or jumping through your room utterly silly. 

Moving your body to the music will raise your vibration. It’s almost impossible to keep feeling a low vibe if you are dancing to the right music. 

You don’t have to stand up and dance if you feel uncomfortable doing so.

Moving your upper body while sitting on your chair is already plenty powerful. 

But remember, there is a reason life coaches like Tony Robbins make you stand up and jump around in their events. 

It changes your physiology and, as a result, your psychology. 

And once you pull the stick off your ass, it is also plenty of fun. 

4. Visualize your goals coming true

Daydreaming is great! At least as long as it doesn’t distract you from taking action in real life. 

If done right, you can use daydreaming to intentionally manifest your dream life. 

One reason is that visualizing your goals coming true will give you the motivation to push through the uncomfortable tasks. 

Furthermore, a study has shown that athletes who spend most of their training simply visualizing their success got better results than those who spend all their time on physical training. 

Isn’t that insane? You can outperform your competition by training your mind!

But then again, it does make sense if you think about it. Visualizing your success raises your vibes, and the higher the energy you embody, the better the life you attract. 

So start visualizing more!

5. Choose a high-vibe environment

The right environment can make a big impact on your energetic state. 

You want to surround yourself with things that are on a higher level than your current reality. 

The more often you find yourself in such an environment, the more normal it will feel, and as a result, your standards and your reality will elevate to match it. 

But which environments will raise your vibrations? Here are a couple ideas: 

  • Book pretty hotels – allow yourself to consider the aesthetics of your accommodation just as much as its practicability. Should money not enable you to do so, consider shortening your holiday in favor of upgrading your hotel. 
  • Go window shopping in boutique shopping districts – you don’t need to buy anything. Simply walking through high-end outlets will make you feel more at home there.
  • Purchase luxurious stationery – you don’t need to buy everything at once. Instead, you can slowly but surely switch out your stationary over months or years. 
  • Try out different spots in the library to find the one that makes you feel happiest. 

6. Do something new

The excitement and pride of having made a new experience can raise your energy visibly. 

The challenge is not getting stuck in a routine so much that doing something new becomes a rarity. 

You need to block time in your schedule for trying out new things. It doesn’t matter if you do so once a week or once a month. 

What matters is that you regularly gain some new experiences because an endless routine will slowly but surely lower your vibrations.

7. Create a vision board on Pinterest

Pinterest is full of inspiring images that make you imagine your dream life. And it lacks the social component of Instagram, which often causes low vibe comparisonitis in the users. 

Therefore Pinterest is perfect when you want to raise your vibrations. 

Simply set a timer and scroll through it for a few minutes, pinning any picture that draws you into your vision board. 

Additionally, you could take some time in the evening before going to bed and taking one more look at your vision board. 

That way, your dream life images will be at the forefront of your mind while going to sleep and settle deeper into your consciousness. A perfect way to boost your manifestations. 

8. Meditate

Meditation creates peace of mind. After meditating, everything gains a bit more clarity and seems more doable. 

It’s a very effective tool against anxiety, stress, doubts, and other negative emotions. 

Meditation doesn’t directly create joy and happiness. Instead, it creates a balance that feels like gratitude and serenity. 

However, dispensing the negative emotion will help elevate your energy levels. 

So meditate, even if it feels boring or impossible in the beginning. Just keep at it, even if just for a couple of short minutes or with the help of guided meditation. 

9. Allow yourself to feel low vibe and neutral

I know, this seems counter-intuitive, considering this is supposed to be all about how to raise your vibrations. 

But hear me out.

Many laws of attraction gurus make it seem like manifesting is all about being a high vibe. They make it seem like every negative thought or emotion could cause your reality to become worse. 

That’s not true at all!

Life is about balance; there is no good without the bad, no light without the dark. 

Nobody sane can maintain a high vibe state 24/7. 

People who’ve tried to do so often report having really low lows between those long highs. 

All you need to do energy-wise to manifest successfully is to get into the right energetic state every now and then. 

A couple of short reminders throughout the day are enough. You could, for example, commit to being a high vibe on your way to work or while you brush your teeth. 

But there is absolutely no point in despairing over feeling a bit lost and frustrated for a couple hours. It happens to us all. Feeling the entire emotional spectrum is what makes us fully functional humans. 

Trying to be ‘perfect’ will only sabotage yourself. 

These are all of my tips to help you raise your vibrations. 

Which one do you want to try out the most? 

Also, do you have any additional tips to recommend? As always, we’d love to hear from you. 

Until next time, Felicity Seeker!

How To Raise Your Vibrations For Manifestation

22 New Moon Journaling Prompts + New Moon Affirmations

Blog, Boss Lady, Personal Development

Ready for the next moon phase? Here are 22 New Moon journaling prompts and affirmations to try out. 

Read also: 9 Fun Ideas To Start Journaling Daily | How To Start Journaling

Read also: 33 Things To Do That Your Future Self Will Thank You For

What is the spiritual meaning of the New Moon?

In astrology, the New Moon phase of the moon cycle is known as a time for new beginnings. 

It’s the first quarter of the moon cycle and, as such, a time to set new intentions and tackle new projects. 

As the moon waxes over the following weeks, you will feel drawn to working towards a goal and bringing it to some sort of completion during the full moon. 

Moon rituals for the New Moon phase

Many people have found great joy in using rituals to align themself with the different moon phases. 

Often because they seek to boost their manifestations but also because it simply feels good to be aligned with nature and its cycles. 

Here are some New Moon rituals you might want to practice: 

  • Set goals for the upcoming moon cycle and visualize them
  • Take a cleansing bath with candles to renew yourself 
  • Lovingly clear out space in your home for a refreshed feeling 
  • Create a new vision board or update your current one 
  • Do some scripting about what you want the following weeks to be like 
  • Find or create affirmations that vibrate with the energy you wish to embody during this cycle 

New Moon Journaling Prompts

1. What goals have I been putting off for far too long?

2. What would I do differently if I started the project I am currently working on right now? 

3. Is there any way to tweak my current methods or my direction into something that feels more aligned?

4. What do I want most in life currently?

5. Who do I feel jealous of and why? 

6. What three small steps could I take this moon cycle to get what those people have? 

7. What hasn’t been working for me in the past cycle?

8. Can I substitute this thing? Can I live without it entirely?

9. How do I want to feel at the end of this moon cycle?

10. How is my menstrual cycle aligning with the moon cycle? 

11. What energy do I want to embody for this cycle?

12. What’s going to be my mantra for this lunar cycle?

13. What have I accomplished to get to where I am today? 

14. What uncomfortable tasks did I finally get out of the way during the last cycle?

15. What is my biggest fear regarding my goals? What routine can I establish to deal with this fear (meditation, visualization, books on mindset, etc.)?

16. What three things have I learned in the last moon cycle? How can I make sure the lessons stick? 

17. Where have I been holding myself back?

18. How can I gain a new perspective this month? Who should I talk to? Where should I go? What should I try?

19. What do I expect of myself? What do others expect of me? Where do these expectations align, and where do they clash?

20. What are my biggest regrets? How can I make sure not to repeat them?

21. Am I wasting time? Is there something I’ve been unnecessarily procrastinating on? What’s the first step I will take to get a move on it this cycle?

22. Based on what thoughts have I chosen this job/college/relationship/apartment? Can I still agree with this decision? 

New Moon Affirmations

1. I reinvent my life one day at a time!

2. I am stunned at how much I changed for the better in such a short amount of time!

3. I am about to uplevel majorly! 

4. This month will be different!

5. The moon phases support me in my endeavors!

6. I feel aligned with nature’s natural cycles!

7. I have everything I need to get what I want!

8. I am ready for change!

9. I am ready for a new and improved me!

10. I’m in a phase where life flows smoothly!

11. I know what I need to do and how to do it!

Do you feel ready for the next new moon phase? I sure hope so!

These new moon journaling prompts and affirmations should get you settled and ready to rock. 

Do you have a favorite new moon ritual that you like to do?

Please share your ideas with us; we always love hearing from you!

Until next time, Felicity Seeker!

How To Stop Procrastinating | 10 Tips To Stop Putting Things Off

Blog, Personal Development

Putting things off is not only unnecessary but also sabotaging your success. It’s time you learn how to stop procrastinating. 

Read also: 11 Habits That Destroy Your Productivity | Unproductive Habits To Avoid

Read also: 11 Little Things That Show You Are An Intelligent Woman

Definition: What does procrastination mean? 

Procrastination means putting things off in favor of other, less important tasks, even though you could accomplish them immediately. 

It wastes immense amounts of time and causes unnecessary stress. 

Often times people only manage to overcome the urge to procrastinate if the urgency and stress of delaying the task hit a certain threshold. 

By then, they have already wasted far too much time. 

That’s why it’s so important to nip procrastination in the bud as soon as possible. 

Here are some tips. 

How to stop procrastinating:

1. Turn off all notifications

One of the main procrastination triggers nowadays is the constant bombardment with information even when we are not looking for them. 

Notifications are the prime example. They pop up while we are working on a task, catch our attention, and if we don’t have a steel tight grip on our self-discipline they suck us into a maze of distractions. 

And sure, you might argue that you need these notifications to be aware of important messages. 

But be honest, how often was there really a life and death situation that you needed to be aware of right this instant, and how often could you have waited a couple hours without any drastic repercussions? 

Any and all notifications you receive are much more damaging to your productivity than they are helpful to your social life. 

So if you finally want to overcome your laziness, you need to turn those ‘pings’ and vibrations off. 

2. Keep a tally of every hour you spend without falling back on your typical distractions

Keeping a tally or creating a streak is a great motivator to stop procrastinating. 

Apps like ‘Forest’ or a visual streak you keep on a notepad help you build that momentum and keep you engaged during those first few weeks of overcoming your laziness. 

Remember, procrastination is a habit that you can break. After all, you do manage to stop putting things off once the stress gets too much. 

You just need to replace that daunting stress with a more positive motivator to get things done. 

3. Dedicate specific places to your work and your distractions 

Both bad and good habits are easily triggered by certain environments.

For example, if you spend much of your phone time scrolling through Instagram, you will want to open the app whenever you pick up your phone. 

On the other hand, if you have an office or a specific table that you use exclusively for studying, you will find yourself quickly focused as soon as you sit there. 

Use this knowledge and create triggers that will benefit you. 

For example, if you have a tablet and a laptop, you might want to dedicate the tablet exclusively to distractive activities such as Insta, YouTube, or Games. But, on the other hand, your computer should be solely used for work purposes. 

You could also rearrange or redecorate your desk depending on what you wish to do there. 

You could also wear a certain pair of glasses whenever you wish to go into ‘nerd-mode.’ 

There are honestly endless possibilities that you should play around with. 

This fun method can truly help you to stop procrastinating. 

4.Set realistic expectations 

If you have unrealistic expectations, you will end up disappointing yourself repeatedly. 

How are you supposed to get motivated to tackle your to-do list if you already know you won’t be able to get it all done?

This creates a spiral into procrastination. 

Don’t make that mistake; instead, set no more than three achievable goals for the day. 

Should you get them done earlier, I am sure you’ll easily find other things to fill your time. 

5. Start small

Overwhelm is one of the biggest triggers for procrastination. If we don’t know where to start, it is only natural not to start at all.

To combat this tendency, you should break down your tasks into the smallest actions you can take to get closer to your goal.

For example, you might struggle to do your daily workout. No problem! Let’s commit to putting on your sportswear first. Done that? Great! You are allowed to pat yourself on the back. 

Next, let’s roll out your workout mat and sit down. Done? Alright!

Then how about finding a suitable workout video on YouTube. After that, aim to complete the first exercise and, if you’d like, maybe the second. 

And once you feel like you can’t keep going, do just one more to feel extra proud of yourself. 

And that’s it! You’ve overcome the urge to procrastinate one tiny step at a time. Congrats!

6. Use an accountability buddy 

Procrastination is mostly broken when bad feelings about putting something off hit a threshold. 

An accountability buddy can help you reach that threshold much sooner, drastically decreasing your procrastination time. 

Traditionally, an accountability buddy is a friend who checks on you and keeps you responsible. 

However, you can also make people your accountability buddies without them knowing. 

Just declaring your goal to get something done by a certain date to others will make you fear embarrassing yourself in front of them. In an urge to avoid this embarrassment, you will pick up your slack and get things done. 

This declaration can be especially powerful if you dare to do it in front of a whole crowd, for example, through social media. 

7. Use the 5-second-rule

You know exactly what you need to do. Don’t even pretend you don’t. 

You don’t end up doing these things because you allow yourself to contemplate if you should do it now or later. 

The longer you allow this indecisiveness to go on, the harder it will be to make the uncomfortable but better choice. 

Why are you making your life so hard? 

All this time you spend contemplating the ‘when’ and ‘how’ you could already be making progress towards finishing the task. 

That’s why Mel Robbins’ 5-second-rule is so powerful. 

The five seconds you spend counting down between realizing you should do something and actually doing it are not nearly enough time to lose yourself in a spiral of indecision. 

Before you know it, you will already be kneedeep in the task, and at that point, it takes far more energy to stop than to finish up. 

8. Do the most daunting task first

My favorite way of procrastination is doing something else work-related, even though it is not nearly as important as the task I should actually do. 

That way, I avoid feeling lazy. However, it doesn’t keep the panic at bay once the pressure rises on my procrastinated task. 

Don’t allow yourself this kind of pseudo-productivity. 

Instead, force yourself to do the most uncomfortable and disliked task as soon as possible. 

9. Organize to avoid overwhelm

Another thing that can lead to you putting things off is a feeling of overwhelm. After all, not tackling a task is much easier than trying to figure out how to unravel a confusing mess. 

In those cases, it can be worth it to take some time beforehand to bring order into the situation. 

You need to identify the urgency and importance of the task and your first step. 

For example, writing your Bachelor thesis is very important but depending on how early you start, not very urgent yet. 

Your first task could be to read about the topic so that you can create a rough outline for your work. 

Now, you can get started more easily. 

10. Just get started!

One group of people – besides the perpetual lazy – that often end up procrastinating are the perfectionists.

In their quest to do everything perfectly, they plan and prepare and research and, in the end, waste all their time doing anything but the important things. 

This might apply to you without you even realizing it. 

So, force yourself to get started as soon as you have an idea for what you should do first.

Do you think these tips will help you to finally stop procrastinating?

If you are ready to sit down and hustle, comment ‘Let’s Get it!’ below. 

Until next time, Felicity Seeker!

How To Stop Procrastinating