How to stop procrastinating by separating the task from the emotion behind it.
You know that thing you’ve been putting off?
Maybe it’s sending the email, launching the offer, pitching the client, or even just hitting “post” on social media. It seems so simple—yet it can feel so big.
I used to get stuck in that place too. Until I learned something that changed my entire approach to fear and procrastination:
What you fear isn’t the task… it’s the feeling behind the task.
Let’s talk about how this realization can help you stop procrastinating, move through resistance, and finally do the thing that’s calling you forward.
P.S. Prefer to listen? Check out Episode 171 of the Bright Life Podcast: What You Fear is the Feeling.
First: Separate the Task from the Feeling
When I was first starting my business, I’d get completely in my head about tiny tasks—sending an email, pitching a client, or even just posting on Instagram. And if you’ve been there too, I want you to hear this:
Sending an email is just pressing a button on a keyboard.
Posting on social is tapping a screen.
Pitching someone is just saying a sentence out loud.
The task is actually very simple.
What makes it hard is the swirl of emotion we attach to it.
What if they don’t like it? What if they think I’m not good enough? What if I fail?
Once I learned to separate the task from the emotion, it gave me something to actually work with. Because it’s not the action I feared—it was the feeling the action brought up.
Then: Allow Yourself to Feel the Feeling
This part changed the game for me. Rather than avoiding the task and letting anxiety build for weeks, I started giving myself a safe space to just feel the feeling I was avoiding.
Physiologically, emotions rise and fall in about 90 seconds. That’s it.
So now, when I notice fear or resistance coming up, I:
- Sit in a quiet space
- Close my eyes
- Set a 90-second timer
- And just… feel it.
I tune in:
Where is it in my body? Is it in my chest? Shoulders? Jaw?
What does it feel like—tight, hot, heavy, buzzing?
Is there a color or image associated with it?
I breathe into it. I picture love or light going into that space. I feel as much of it as I possibly can.
And every single time, without fail, the wave rises… and then it crests… and it falls.
That’s the moment you realize: you can survive the thing you were so scared to feel.
Once You’ve Felt the Feeling… Do the Thing
If you’ve already felt the worst of what you were fearing?
You’ve already made it through the hard part.
Now the task is just a task again. It doesn’t carry the same emotional weight.
So hit “send.” Post the offer. Make the ask.
And if you still feel a little wobbly? Great. Plan something to soothe yourself after. Take a walk. Draw a bath. Call a friend. You don’t have to STAY in the emotion forever. You have tools to come back to center.
Why It’s Worth Doing Anyway
Here’s the final thing I remind myself of when fear starts whispering in my ear:
Why am I doing this in the first place?
- Because I want more freedom
- Because I want to serve clients I love
- Because I want to grow a business that lights me up
- Because I believe there’s more for me
Fear will show up on the way to your next chapter. But so will your courage.
So don’t make yourself wrong for feeling nervous or stuck or scared.
Just ask yourself:
- What is the simple task?
- What is the feeling I’m afraid to feel?
- Can I give myself 90 seconds to move through it?
- And what’s waiting for me on the other side?
There’s a reason this next step is calling to you.
It’s part of your becoming. Part of your next level.
And fear is just the threshold to cross through.
You’ve got this.
💛 Let me know in the comments: What’s one thing you’ve been putting off that now feels just a little more doable? What feeling were you actually fearing? I’m cheering you on—always.
More to Support You in Your Brightest Life & Biz
✨ Discover Your Passion: This free workbook will help you uncover your passion and purpose—whether you’re looking for more joy or fulfillment, to reignite your spark, or to turn your passion into a business. Get instant access >
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