Procrastination

In Who Not How, Dan Sullivan and Benjamin Hardy redefine procrastination as a form of wisdom rather than a character flaw. According to their philosophy, the inability to complete a task often signals that you, as an individual, lack the necessary knowledge, capability, or time to do it effectively. It indicates that your ambition is great, but you are currently not the right "who" for the job. 

Definition of Procrastination

Procrastination is a symptom of focusing on the "how" instead of the "who." It happens because: 

• You have big goals but lack the resources. You want to accomplish something significant, but you feel overwhelmed by the need to acquire every skill and piece of knowledge needed to complete the task.
• You have a limited mindset. The belief that "I have to do this myself" puts an unrealistic burden on you, consuming mental energy and time.
• You're attempting to operate outside your "Unique Ability." Procrastination signals that the task does not align with your unique strengths, talents, and passions. Another person could do it better and with more energy. 

How to Defeat Procrastination

To take procrastination out of the equation, Sullivan and Hardy recommend changing your mindset from "How can I do this?" to "Who can help me with this?"
Recommendations include:

• Find the right "Whos." Identify a team of skilled and passionate people to carry out the tasks you are avoiding. These "Whos" might be employees, partners, freelancers or automated systems.
• Leverage delegation. Effective delegation is the primary remedy for procrastination. This involves recognizing your strengths and weaknesses and systematically handing off tasks that fall outside your zone of genius.
• Use an Impact Filter. You can find impact filter templates online. Spend some time with one. It’s a simple tool that can work miracles, clearly communicating your vision to potential "Whos." Using this filter helps define and articulate key details about a project, including:
  • The project's purpose and importance.
  • The ideal outcome and criteria for success.
  • The best and worst possible outcomes.
• Embrace collaboration. Find the right people and articulate your vision clearly to move projects forward by leveraging their skills, injecting energy and increasing motivation. This shifts you from isolation to collaboration and powerful team building.
• Stop viewing delegation as a cost. Reframe hiring a "who" as an investment that frees your time for higher-value, more enjoyable activities. 
• Rethink procrastination – it’s the who, not the how. As the authors of Who Not How remind us, the greater your ambition, the more you can be affected by procrastination and the more you must control it – the right way.