Your Joyful Order With Leslie Martinez

#90 Joyful Productivity: Overcoming Procrastination with Coach Arial Adams

• Leslie Martinez • Season 5 • Episode 90

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Discover the secrets to transforming procrastination into joyful productivity with Coach Arial, a transformational life coach, high school teacher, and fitness instructor. Gain insights into the emotional roots of procrastination and learn how addressing these emotions can lead to a more fulfilling and efficient life. Coach Arial sheds light on "active procrastination" and the adrenaline rush it can bring, while also challenging the notion that thriving under pressure is sustainable or healthy. Together, we unpack how aligning with your core values can turn daunting tasks into meaningful, manageable actions, reducing shame and self-doubt along the way.

In our engaging conversation, we reveal powerful strategies to combat procrastination, including time management techniques and the significance of discipline. Through relatable examples and personal stories, you'll learn how small, consistent actions can cultivate personal growth and accomplishment. With practical tools like time blocking and the Pomodoro method, we explore how discipline acts as a positive force that fosters confidence and facilitates the pursuit of both personal and professional goals. Embrace the balance of structure and spontaneity as we redefine discipline not as a burden, but as a liberating framework for success. Let this episode be your guide to finding joy in productivity and overcoming procrastination with heart and soul.

Connect with Coach Arial:
IG: https://www.instagram.com/your.habit.homegirl/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_mUsFU5nI8Dba1If_MyGXA


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  3. Gain Focus – Prioritize what truly matters and eliminate distractions.
  4. Break Barriers – Overcome obstacles and replace limitations with confidence.

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Connect with Leslie:

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Email: lmartinez@yourjoyfulorder.com
to schedule- Speaking Events, Interviews or Life Coaching Sessions

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Speaker 1:

This month, we'll be diving into how we can pursue our goals and manage our time in a way that not only gets things done, but also brings us joy and fulfillment. Joyful productivity isn't just about crossing things off of your to-do list. It's about creating rhythms and routines that fuel your passion, that keep you motivated and lead to long-term success and lead to long-term success. We'll explore how to shift our mindset around productivity and embrace discipline while finding joy in the process. This month is jam-packed with some incredible guests Y'all. I have some great guests lined up for this topic, all sharing their wisdom on joyful productivity, and today we are kicking it off with my girl on joyful productivity. And today we are kicking it off with my girl, coach Ariel. Coach Ariel is a transformational life coach. She is a high school teacher God bless your soul, girl and she's a fitness instructor who is going to help us to break down why we procrastinate and how we can overcome it by embracing discipline and celebrating small wins.

Speaker 2:

Hey everyone, I'm Leslie Martinez and you're listening to your Joyful Order podcast. Each week I will bring you joyful stories that will motivate and inspire you and, at the same time, bring order to your everyday life. Let's just say the show will be a mixture of preaching and teaching, with a kick of motivation from your girl here. Welcome to your Joyful Order podcast.

Speaker 1:

So let's get started by welcoming Coach Ariel to the podcast. Yay, ariel, thank you so much for being here Y'all. I just have to give a quick background with Ariel. Ariel and I go to the same church and we connected in a small group and we both realized that we have so much in common. Not only were we educators, not only are we life coaches, not only did we grow up in the same area, go to the same college like there were so many things that her and I connected with where I was like Ariel, I think you're like my sister from another Mr Kind of hair, because we just have so much in common.

Speaker 1:

So I knew off the bat that I had to have Ariel on the podcast. And what better way to kind of talk about this topic of procrastination, ariel, I was sharing with you before we hit record here that this topic of procrastination, I've talked about it a couple of times and it is the most highly downloaded episode that I have had in all of them on the topic of creating healthy habits and combating procrastination. So I wanted us to dive into this conversation and have the listeners have a different perspective from a different coach, saying the same thing, probably, but enlightening this rough conversation of procrastination. So, ariel, why let's just? Let's just dive right in here.

Speaker 3:

Let's really just dive in.

Speaker 1:

So I want you to tell me why do you think people procrastinate, and why do people procrastinate even when they have clear goals.

Speaker 3:

What do you think? I actually have two reasons, and one of them I feel like it may be something that you've already shared or people have heard, and another one might be surprising. It's kind of been based on my observation as a teacher. So the first one, the most obvious one, is that you know, whatever task it is that you are attempting to do or putting off, more than likely it's activating some sort of negative feeling within you, right? And so the root of that is that you are feeling something negative and you're just simply trying to avoid it, right? I mean, it's such a human thing, like we don't want to feel negative, we don't want to feel shame, we don't want to feel embarrassment, we don't want to feel inferior, right, we don't want to feel that angst about whatever that task is. So you know, we just put it off, put it off as long as possible, and more than likely that only builds more anxiety and you know, it kind of just prolongs that feeling of whatever it is. You know, so often it can be like, you know, you're avoiding stepping on the scale because you're ashamed of the last week you had, or you're avoiding checking your bank account because you already know, you know you haven't been, you know on your budget. So it's really just that emotion that the task causes within you and a lot of times we need to dig a little deeper. Productivity tools are great and I will always recommend them and I live by them, but a lot of times there's something deeper there that's connected to the task.

Speaker 3:

I would watch my students and of course, part of my role as an educator is not just to teach the content but to teach them work habits right Over the years. I would ask you know, students who are very capable, you know, very intelligent, very, have so much potential, but they would wait to the last minute and then produce word that's subpar. And I would ask and inquire. And a lot of them said that they get some sort of adrenaline rush from doing it at the last minute. And listen, I cannot, I cannot identify it because that is not my testimony, that's not giving me an adrenaline rush.

Speaker 3:

You know like I'm very much a planner, but I would just like watch them and so I, you know, when I got my life certification, I started reading more and doing more, and I that there's this, there's this thing called active procrastination, which I did, I was not aware of. I didn't know the actual term, but yeah, it's like this, this push that they, this adrenaline rush or the excitement or something, some sort of achievement that they feel from waiting to the last minute and feeling so successful that they've achieved it, kind of like an ego blue, ego boost and maybe even like an addiction to that, that rush, which, in my opinion, I feel is still unhealthy. But you know, it may not necessarily be that you're avoiding it. It just made that be, that you're just excited for this like new thing, and that could be another reason as well.

Speaker 1:

That's a really good observation and, being having been a teacher also high school teacher also I can't agree with you more and you know that is actually something that I have never brought up to the audience before. I think that type of adrenaline boost is the type of procrastination that both of my sons deal with. They lag and lag and lag and then they're pulling like all-nighters and I'm like I knew about this. For how long, like why are you waiting? Oh, mom, I'll get it done. And then and it drives me batty, ariel, because my kids who I I hate to see them fail. Like you don't want to see your child or your students fail, right, you want to set them up for success. You want them to not have to experience that stress or that anxiety. So when my boys would do that, they would get A's on their papers, like so for them, like they were still getting great grades, you know, coming back, they just keep doing it and I'm just like it baffles me because I'm like, see for them, they haven't experienced that failure part of it.

Speaker 1:

And my oldest kid, he's a, he's a second year in college. My youngest is a junior and like it's, it still happens, you know, and I see it, and my youngest is probably the worst of it. He waits for the. I mean talk about the last minute. It is due like in an hour and he's still there, like, and then I I'm on him and I'm like you know, screaming and telling him all these things, and then he's like bam, a plus, mom, bam, you know. So I'm like I can't be mad about it.

Speaker 1:

So, I've gotten to the point now where I'm just you know what, let it be. If that's the type of stress that you want to live under, let it be. It's not healthy, it's not long lasting, but if that's the season that you want to be in right now, yeah, and I kind of want to give a word of caution.

Speaker 3:

So again, even though I've noticed that this active procrastination is actually a thing like I had to look it up and I learned about it I feel like it is more common in, you know, teenagers or young adults, because as we get older we have way more to lose. There's too much on the line and there's too many other stressors in our life for us to do that. So I have found when working with my clients is that it's usually more of the avoidance of feeling as an adult. It's usually just you're trying to avoid feeling this after vaccination thing. I mean it could be that could be the case for an adult. It's usually just you're trying to avoid feeling this affliction thing. I mean it could be that could be the case for an adult, but I mean we already have so many other stressors that's not fun for us, like it's not fun waiting to the last minute to do something and it's that's not really enjoyable.

Speaker 1:

Yes, no, I definitely definitely agree with that. Now, in your experience, Ariel, what emotions have you seen working with clients, even just your students? But what are some emotions that tend to drive procrastination the most? Oh, that's a good one.

Speaker 3:

I think a lot of it is some sort of shame or inferiority, like the ability, the thought that they cannot do it. That seems to be the underlying root of something. You know, I use the example of the scale. So I'm a fitness instructor and me being a fitness instructor is actually what drove me to be a life coach, because I was noticing like, hey, my clients would come to my class and they loved it, and it's just only one hour a week, but it's what are you doing? Every other, you know the other hours, and so that really made me curious and so I want to become a life coach for that.

Speaker 3:

But the shame, like I said earlier, the shame of, you know, stepping on the scale or trying to put on those, it's just, it makes you feel less than right. So, or with my students, it's, you know, a project is coming up and they just feel like they're, they don't have the skills to do it, you know, or they don't have clarity, they're not sure where to start, and no one likes feeling like that. I mean, we're all human, yeah, like that. So it really does take some self-reflection getting to the root. You know, as an adult therapy adult therapy, for sure therapy to get to that root, to figure out why am I having such a hard time addressing this thing?

Speaker 3:

And then from there it's like the more you're in practice of addressing it, the easier it gets. You know, and I know that sounds so cookie cutter and it's like you just gotta do it, you know, but honestly it really is like the more you're like I want to get on that scale every day, no matter what you know, and you're not going to attach any emotion to it, you're just going to ignore where you are. You know, or you just commit to I'm going to tackle five emails a day, you know, because sometimes the feeling of overwhelm is also a thing, you know. It's like I don't even want to look at my email right now because I know I have so many that I can't get to, so I'm just not going to do any. Okay, well, if you just say I'm going to do five a day and just let it be, and the more you're in that practice, the easier it gets.

Speaker 1:

Yes, yes, I, I always say something is better than nothing. Yeah, even if it's just one, like one email a day, one task on your to-do list, whatever small thing that you can do to move that needle forward, to take a step to help that goal to get done. Like we look at things so long-term, you know, like we were trying to eat the elephant all at once, right, and it's like no, it's just one little bite at a time. And I think a lot of it also comes with just lack of patience. Like we want it now, we want the goal, we want the notoriety, we want the accomplishment now.

Speaker 1:

And, yes, a lot of it are those emotions that are tied with it. And, yes, a lot of it are those emotions that are tied with it. But a lot of it also is just, we don't want to go through the process of doing it. It's like, no, we want to go from A to Z without going through the rest of it. You know, we just want to get there immediately, and that is something that I have learned as a coach, working with clients also.

Speaker 1:

But it is things that I struggled with too. I struggled with procrastination a lot and it all came down to. I realized it was emotions, it was my self-doubt, it was my feeling of unworthiness, it was me questioning, like, am I smart enough? Am I wise enough? Like why me, god you know? And it really took battling those emotions for me to say I can do this. You know I. I know how to break a goal down, I know how to get from point A to point Z. I know that it is a long process, but why can't I just get past like that? I can do it.

Speaker 3:

Right.

Speaker 1:

And it it just took battling those emotions, and people want to avoid their emotions. You know, we've we've grown up in a culture that we have been taught to just suppress our emotions. You know, cover them up, sweep them under the rug and let's not discuss it. You know, cover them up, sweep them under the rug and let's not discuss it. You know, suck it up buttercup yeah, that whole smile through the pain kind of thing, you know, and fake it till you make it just. You keep going and, however, when it comes to dealing with like hard emotions, sometimes you just got to do it. Ariel gave some great advice as far as like learning to self-reflect through journaling and then also therapy and coaching. Right, yeah, she helps with all of that too. Touching upon you know, we gave some reasons as to why people procrastinate. What are some steps that people can take to really address it a little more effectively?

Speaker 3:

people can take to really address it a little more effectively. Some tips I feel like on a macro level I feel like a broken robot because I feel like this is my answer to most questions, but I'm always going to encourage my clients or friends whoever's listening to get connected to their core values, right. So, like macro level, the more you're in tune with your core values and the more you've established that and the more you are connected to it, the easier your decisions in life are. And I'm not saying that means you're all your decisions are easy. It just makes it easier because you know what you stand for, what you're trying to, cetera. Now, that's getting connected to your core values, is so much easier said than done.

Speaker 3:

But I would say, like on a macro level, it really does help kind of streamline your three month goals, your weekly goals, your daily goals.

Speaker 3:

Right, because if your core values you know, if you're you want to be financially literate or you know, then you are going to prioritize your budget and so that means you're not going to procrastinate the beginning of the month setting up your budget, sending your tithes or whatever. It is Right Like you're not going to procrastinate that because you're so connected to that view and it's going to be easier to do that, regardless of how you might feel a little, I guess, embarrassed about your budget from the month before, right. And so, yeah, I use that example a lot. You know, obviously, my example. You know people know me. I love fitness, so for me, being healthy and fit is one of my core values, so you'll never see me procrastinate that. That will always be a priority in my life, no matter how I'm feeling. My decisions are easy when it comes to that. So I feel like that's one way I would say just to start big, get connected to your values and then see how you can align your decisions with them and move those decisions to the front.

Speaker 1:

That's the top priority, yeah no, that is perfect, ariel, because I think there's a lot of listeners that they don't even know what their core values are. Yeah, like if you were to sit down with someone and have them say, okay, what are your core values? Can they write them out, like you know automatically, right, or is that something that people are going to struggle with? And I think people need to know and understand too that your core values can change over time too.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, um, I know my core values have changed over time and now that my kids are older, you know, I mean my children have always one of my core values is family, for sure, and that has always been with my boys, spending time with them, being at all their sporting events, making sure that, you know, me and my husband have time together, like all of that. Now that they're getting older, more of that family time is just me and my husband connecting, because my boys don't, you know, they're in college and the other one, he's like see a mom and dad, like right with't you know they're ones off in college and the other one he's like see a mom and dad like.

Speaker 1:

I don't want to hang out with you, you know. So it looks different, but the core value is still family and if that's just time with me and my husband now, or if it's time with me, my husband and my boys, like, it looks different. And then once what used to be a core value for you can change and God can shift that. You know, in different seasons that you're in and all of that. So I think, re-evaluating your core values, maybe even every year, you know, as you start your year off, you know you create your vision boards or your goals for the year, really re-evaluating whatever my core values for this year and how am I going to align myself up with those, to fulfill these goals and these intentions and to not procrastinate.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, I have a couple of tips for like a more micro level as well.

Speaker 1:

Okay, yes.

Speaker 3:

No, go for it, girl, go for it. But first I want to share when you were speaking kind of gave me this, I guess an example or an experience that I had with a particular client and how core values can really help you identify. Like the surface level is you're procrastinating, okay, cool, what's beneath that? So you know, I worked with a lot of career women and you know, this woman just at one point was just so overwhelmed with the work emails it was literally the work emails she just was like I can't do it, you know, I'm procrastinating, I'm behind on work, et cetera. And once we started talking about her core values, she realized that at one point she was a career woman, she was ambitious, she wanted to climb the corporate ladder. But things should shift it, you know. And so that was part of the reason where she's like I'm not really that excited about this job or this career, you know. And so that's part of partially why she was procrastinating. It wasn't giving her joy anymore, it wasn't, it wasn't her jam for that season in her life. Right, so that's an example of how exploring your core values can really help you identify, like why you're procrastinating and maybe you shift or maybe you pivot and you turn or you push through it and you say, okay, this is what I want and I'm going to start implementing more tools to do better, I would say on a more micro level, as far as addressing procrastination, obviously, addressing your time management skills, right. So just getting a good grasp on how you're spending your time, taking inventory, you know, really getting clear on where your time is going and taking a look at that and figuring out what you can cut, what you can add, et cetera. So that would be my first step.

Speaker 3:

So, if we're just talking like on a micro level, another one would be accountability, of course. You know like whether that's a life coach, whether that's your spouse, whether that's. You know, like whether that's a life coach, whether that's your spouse, whether that's. You know. Friend group if there's a task that you're not excited about doing, you know, make it fun, get it, get with a group of girls and get to it. You know, my first five years of teaching the essays oh, my goodness, I could not right. It was so overwhelming. So I had to get teacher friends like all right, y'all, let's just get together for an hour and see how many essays we can think through. And, yeah, I think those would be the my top, top tips Time management, accountability and make it fun.

Speaker 1:

That's so good. Now I want to go back. You kind of spark something that I'm like, oh, we got to touch upon this because, how you were saying, like this client wanted to had a goal of climbing up the corporate ladder. And oftentimes, like we create, we have a goal right, like that goal is for that season. But we think sometimes people get caught up in thinking that that goal is a lifetime, like especially big goals when it comes to career, business, education, like all of that.

Speaker 1:

Right, you go to school, you go to school to become a teacher, and then you feel, or you're like, stuck in that for the whole rest of your life, like, oh well, I only know how to be a teacher and I can only be a teacher because that's what I went to school to be, same with, you know, climbing up the corporate ladder. Well, I went to school to be an accountant or whatever and I'm going to work my way up. And then you realize this job sucks, business sucks, I don't want to do this anymore. But then they feel stuck because it's well, that's what I went to school to do and this is all I've learned to do, there's nothing more to it and it's just that endless cycle of being unhappy and being stuck. Who said you have to be a teacher the rest of your life? Who said you have to be an accountant and climb the corporate ladder Like we evolve and I go, I think, back um.

Speaker 1:

I was just having a similar conversation with another guest on the podcast and we're talking about how you know, seasons change and at any time God can close a door for you. That he's like oh, you're done. You're like, you're done there, you're done being a teacher. Ariel, you're going to go and you're going to preach now. Gonna preach now. You know, um, leslie, he did that with me. You know, leslie, you're done teaching in the classroom. Guess what?

Speaker 1:

you're gonna go start your own business now you know, you're gonna start a podcast, leslie, you're gonna, you're gonna release journals and I'm just like what? What? God, wait a minute. Like what, how is all this connecting, you know? But God can close doors and shift you at any given time. Whatever hat, whatever title you are wearing, can be taken away from you. Like that, right, and think of like the disciples. When you look at the Bible, you think of the disciples.

Speaker 1:

So you have Matthew, who was a tax collector, peter, who was a fisherman, and Jesus was like you're no longer fishing, you're no longer collecting, you're going to come with me and I'm going to teach you how to do ministry basically, and these guys, you know, all those disciples, came, they all had their traits, you know, one was a carpenter and one was a doctor and, like all this stuff, they all picked up and said, okay, we're going to follow you. Yeah, and they follow Jesus. And they weren't collecting, they weren't fishing although Peter did fish, but you know what I mean Like they shifted where they were going. Yeah, god can do that to us in a heartbeat.

Speaker 1:

And I think oftentimes people get caught in just that cycle because they're like well, god, this is what you had me do, especially when it comes to anything that you've had to go to school for, right, right, we spend thousands, I mean some hundreds of thousands, to go to school and become a doctor, you know a teacher. And then it's like, oh, god's like, you're not teaching anymore, you're not going to teach that way anymore, we're not going to be in the classroom, you know. So, learning to just really trust God, I think, and the process is huge in that, and learning to discern the direction that God is taking you also, and that's where the procrastination can bottle down, because you're, you're filling this tug in your heart that you, god's calling you to something else. That doesn't make sense, right?

Speaker 1:

you're like logically it doesn't yes it just doesn't make sense and you're like, but no, god, wait a minute, this, no. But that's where just being so fine-tuned with God and understanding his word and having that discernment just goes and that. But we procrastinate those emotions because we don't want to believe it. We don't want to believe that God is taking us here or that he's closing that door.

Speaker 3:

You know that was so good, leslie.

Speaker 1:

Yes, thank you, Thank you, yeah, no, but like you triggered that, yeah, because I'm like God can close these doors at any time, and he's done it with me. Like I literally walked away from a job in a matter of a week where I felt God like tugging on my heart and I'm like, but God, I have nothing on the other side, like, what is this like? And it was, it was simply an act of obedience. You know, for me, that's how it was. I'm not telling anybody to go quit your job tomorrow. Right, it's, it's using that discernment, you know Now, did I procrastinate? Oh heck, yeah, I had that nudge to quit my job like months before I actually followed suit. But then it was like God lit a fire under my butt and it was like, okay, I have to actually do it now.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, everything you just said was like so spot on. But I just came out of a pretty difficult season and I think one of my biggest takeaways from that season was to like not hold on to something. I know you, I'm sure you've had this metaphor analogy the white knuckling.

Speaker 1:

White knuckling.

Speaker 3:

I know you, I'm sure you've had this metaphor, analogy, right White knuckling, white knuckling, yeah, so you're holding on to something so tight that God can't give you more, because you're just like this, is it? This is all I've ever known, like you were talking about your career, right, and like my skills, these are the skills that I have, this is what I can contribute to the world and I just can't let it go. But, but it's like you know, once you surrender, and like you say, there is a lot of procrastination because it's fear.

Speaker 3:

But once you surrender you know, like you said, you know the disciples still use their skills. They just use it in different ways. You know you're still a teacher, just not in the traditional classroom. So yeah, when you said that, I was like, oh, that's great, that is another reason to procrastinate, because you know we're working in there. Sometimes we're fascinated because you know we're working in there.

Speaker 3:

Sometimes we're working in I don't want to say the wrong way but we work in a way that's not most effective for us, and so sometimes the work we need to be doing is praying, fasting. When you're getting that tug, you're like, ok, let me take a, let me take a beat and really hear what the Holy Spirit is wanting me to do.

Speaker 1:

You know, yes, yes, so good, ariel, yes, all of that. I can't attribute more to that. And you know it's crazy, even being where I am now, like I just in my journey my audience knows a lot of my my journey as far as going from um working in ministry, teaching like I've always been a teacher and, like you said, I'm still teaching now, just in a very different way. And when I look back at all my experience and all my jobs that I have had, I see why God had me there in those seasons to do what I'm doing now. If.

Speaker 1:

I wasn't teaching three-year-olds Bible scriptures, I wouldn't be having this conversation with you gaining the confidence, gaining the skills, gaining just the knowledge of learning to break the Bible down to teach a three and four-year-old, you know there, you can do it anywhere right. Exactly, and not having the fear of talking in front of people, of using my voice. You know, I mean, you know, girl, talking to a classroom of high schoolers is probably, if not worse than talking with three year olds like a four year old. Yeah.

Speaker 3:

I honestly, I feel like I can do anything Honestly if you can manage teenagers, teenagers, yes, yeah, yes.

Speaker 1:

And I mean I. I have been fortunate where I literally have dealt with birth through seniors in high school, like I was changing diapers in the nursery, teaching seniors, giving them AP tests, like all of that. So come back now where I'm like God, I get it, I get why you had me everywhere, because I would not be the person that I am now, I would not have the skills that I have now, I'm not have the confidence and the wisdom that I have now If I wasn't changing diapers with the baby or prepping kids to take an AP exam. You know, yeah, so good. Well, now I want us to shift a little bit on this topic of discipline, because procrastination I think another aspect of it is people that lack discipline. So, ariel, how does embracing discipline, um discipline and small wins also, how does that help us shift our mindset to build momentum to avoid procrastination?

Speaker 3:

Oh, this is so good. Okay, so discipline is like one of my favorite words Okay, it's so good. How does embracing discipline help us shift our mindset? It allows us to see discipline as a good thing. You know the back me being an English teacher, right off the back you feel like discipline has a negative connotation, right, so we associate negativity with discipline. However, you can reframe our mind and say, like you know, discipline is a, it's a tool, it's a skill that we can develop that will make us so gritty and so resilient that oftentimes that grit and resilience is the win. Like you know, I'm going to use like a fitness example because I feel like it's very relatable.

Speaker 3:

Everyone has a fitness or health goal, but it's, like you know, when you're living the healthy, active lifestyle as opposed to just, oh, six weeks, I want to get fit for this event, the lifestyle itself you find so many wins within that the discipline to eat something or not eat something, train or not train, whatever it is right. The wins are like that dopamine release of checking the box. That's the win. Now, of course, of course we want to like look good, right. But when you embrace the discipline mindset, it's like, oh, I feel so good, I got my workout in like I win, that's a win right there, you know. And then, of course, you know the latter. But I do feel like a lot of times, especially in today's culture and you touched on it earlier is that we just kind of live in a microwave society where everybody wants everything quick and technology has allowed us to access everything so quick.

Speaker 3:

So teaching discipline and teaching via positivity, discipline is more challenging. It is. I mean, I don't have kids, I don't have kids, but I've been a teacher for 15 years and I've seen how difficult it is for students to embrace that discipline and just be okay with the process and adopt a growth mindset, right, and to feel like their wins are in their effort. The win is the effort, right? So if you are a C student and you earned a B on a quiz, so if you are a C student and you earned a B on a quiz, that's great.

Speaker 3:

But really what's great is the 30 minutes of time that you put in right. It's like the effort is the win, and so I don't have a solution. I don't know, but I do see that it is so much more challenging for students, for young adults, to learn this discipline. As for me, I grew up playing every sport known to man, and I was a college athlete. So for me, I've always felt like it was my superpower. Like people ask how are you so disciplined? It was just a gift from God, I don't know. So in working with my clients and working with my students, I really am trying to get them to have that growth mindset and give them a win for the effort, the effort to win, you know.

Speaker 1:

That's so good. Yes, and you know, one of the things that I think I have found like, particularly with high school students, one I cannot encourage people enough, like, if you have a kid, get your kid involved in some kind of activity, sport club, something, because discipline comes in, that Just showing up, yes, discipline of conditioning of you know, all of that that comes in, like I've seen it in both of my kids and they both have been involved in two very different types of sports and activities and the discipline that is required to compete at the level of what they do, it's just, I mean, it's very different now than when it was, I mean when I was in high school, and I'm sure it was different for you then, also, cause it's it's very competitive now. I mean, you, you have high school students that are, um, you know, being scouted to come play on teams and stuff. And you know, my, my boys are at a very competitive, driven, um sports school that are just keep like ranking higher and higher and higher. So the competitiveness is there, but the discipline required to play at that level is immense, you know, and one of the things that I I love about the school that my boys are at is that they emphasize discipline in the classroom, they emphasize scholars and athletes and that you're a scholar before you're an athlete.

Speaker 1:

And I think, when looking at just everybody in general and looking at how that discipline carries into our everyday life of like scholar versus athlete kind of mindset, you know, but looking at it from we're a child of God first and like so what? What is God, what is God's calling on us that we have to fulfill first, like we're first a child of God? Yeah, and if we are a wife, a mom, a teacher, you know like we have to put things in order to be disciplined. It just. We can talk about this all day long. Hold on, let me reframe and switch us in another direction, because I still want to talk on this topic of discipline, but I don't. I don't want to go too off of the road here. I want to come back because I want to give the listeners practical tools. So what are just some daily habits that you recommend for people to build discipline, gradually, slowly?

Speaker 3:

Sure, I have, I have four. Okay, yeah yeah, so the first two I live by all day, every day. You know me personally if you follow my social media. This is what I do all day, every day. First thing is eat the frog, right, eat the frog um, which apparently Mark Twain I'm an English teacher, mark Twain was attributed to that. I didn't even know.

Speaker 1:

Know that, but oh, I didn't know that either. Yeah, I read the book.

Speaker 3:

Okay, yeah, yes, Okay, so eat the frog. Is this concept of you know tackling the most difficult task first, or at least as soon as possible. Do that task as early as possible in the day, before your brain even has time to catch up with how much you don't want to do the task. You know I do that often. I also do I do a brain dump and a time block. I encourage my clients to do a brain dump in the morning. However, some people are better at brain dumping at night, just to kind of clear before they go to sleep. Whenever you need to do it, do it, but basically you're just getting all of the tasks, all of the thoughts out of your head and onto paper. I recommend paper. I'm old school Fact Tano.

Speaker 3:

If you want to put it in your phone, that's fine. However, you know, with a phone there's so many distractions. So I'm always going to encourage you to. You know, brain it up. You know how many emails, how many phone calls. You know what I mean. Like, okay, you got to cook, you got to work out, you got to pay this bill, whatever. Get it on paper. And then from there, time block, right, so I'll just set up. Okay, this is how much time I have today, I'm going to give 30 minutes for these emails. Whatever I get in 30 minutes is what I get, and that doesn't have to be anything fancy, it doesn't have to have crazy stationery right on a paper towel, just get it out of your head. Get it out of your head.

Speaker 3:

Then there's also this matrix, which you can easily find online. It's the urgent, important matrix. Again, google it. But it really does help you prioritize what are the most important tasks that need to get done. You know that's another form of brain dump, I would say, but this is a more structured way for you to visualize everything that needs to get done and put it on paper and then work from there, because oftentimes you know the things in our head. Everything seems so important, like it's life or death, like it has to happen right here, right now, when in reality some of it, most of it, can wait right. Put it on the paper and you figure out what do I need to get done right here, right now? Where can you go? You know, to tomorrow or next week.

Speaker 3:

And then the last one this is what I use with my students a lot is the Pomodoro method, because we need brain breaks. You know I use this with my. Well, let me explain what it is. The Pomodoro method is setting a specific time to work, using a timer, eliminating all distractions, saying you're going to commit 25 minutes to work on this task and then you're going to take a break. You're going to, you know, take a break, do something else.

Speaker 3:

What I would say is get up, move, walk around, get some sun if possible, and then come back to it. So I use that a lot with my students because, let's just be honest, being in school for six hours a day is hard. It is hard to jump around from one class to another and take all this information in. Pomodoro Method is something that I really recommend for any student or for a parent who's raising young children or for, you know, any adults who are in that sort of work environment. You know, for me, I'm the leader in my work environment, so when I go to conferences, my brain is just it's just too much. So I don't, so I don't know how people do it in the corporate world where they're sitting in meetings all day, every day. Yeah, that that's too much for me In that environment. I would recommend that you kind of break it up a little bit, so you can really maximize your productivity.

Speaker 1:

Yes, oh, so good Now for all my listeners, if you have been here long enough, if you've been part of the podcast, if you have been part of, like my coaching community and you've sat through a free online course or you've done coaching with me, everything Ariel just said right now is not new news, because everything that you have said I have talked it till I like blew in the face. All of that are ways to stay disciplined and to eliminate procrastination, and oftentimes we give these tools and resources and for my listeners, you're listening and you're like I've heard Leslie say this a billion times. Well, now you've heard Ariel say it and I didn't tell her to say this. We're going just off the fly here conversation, but this is a different coach that is coming from a different perspective, telling you the same techniques that I have shared. Time blocking is huge. The Pomodoro method huge. I do it every day. I set my timer Okay, I got to go at least 60 minutes. Flip my phone around, put it on, do not disturb. I need to flow and get this done.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I am still not the best person. I'm going to admit this. I'm not the person the best person at eating the frog first Sometimes yeah, no, I sometimes I struggle with that, pending what the task is, and I'm just like, oh no, let me just do the easy stuff really quick, and then I have a bigger long gap to, like, eat the frog. You know, and I do have to get better at that because I I know personally that when I eat the frog first, like the stress and the anxiety just goes away right off the bat. Yes, and even as a coach, I still don't always eat the frog first. I still struggle with that. However, these are all that. Y'all didn't hear anything new. Let's just say that. But Ariel is giving you insight into techniques that she has used for herself and for her clients also that work. We're not just telling you this to tell you this. We are telling you this to create the discipline to put these into practice and see how it works for you, right?

Speaker 3:

Yeah, I wanted to kind of. Can I add one more thing? Yes, I kind of wanted to go back to the discipline conversation because when you were sharing, it made me think of, like, the root word of discipline for disciple, right, and obviously so it just made me reflect on my being a disciple, like you know. Unfortunately, I want to come on here and say, like D discipline is so great and it's so easy. It's like you know it, it's not easy. So I think, when you ask about embracing it, I think we just get to say, like you know, it's hard. You know it was hard for them to follow Jesus's ways and to follow what he was instructing them to do. They were confused the entire time and they really had to trust his, his instruction, when nothing made logical sense, you know. And so being disciplined is also art.

Speaker 3:

It's the it's the unsexy side of Instagram. You know it's, it's the mundane. You know you just embrace. Like I'm going to do the same thing every day. I'm going to eat the same thing every day. You know I'm going to take the shopping apps off my phone. You know I'm going to do this thing for a period of time and there's nothing post-worthy about it Like, like, there's no pretty picture, you know. But you know James Clear, the author of Atomic Habits, which obviously he's like my guy he includes the reward at the habit loop, right. So once you're implementing the habits, there's a reward that you give yourself. You know, and that's your, that's your small win, and that may not be Instagram worthy and you just have to play with it. You know, over time maybe you'll get your Instagram picture. You know what I mean. Maybe you'll get your after photo, maybe you'll be debt free. You know, that's it. That may take years, so you just have to just embrace the, the unpleasant side of it.

Speaker 1:

Yes, the mean date, like you said, and it's. It's so hard for people to look at discipline as something fun, right? I know my husband is one of the most disciplined people that I know and I used to think he was boring. He's the person that will eat the same thing every meal, if he, you know, because he's like it's fuel. I don't look at as food or tie emotion to it. It's fuel and I will just eat the same thing every day. He is so predictable.

Speaker 1:

So one of the things that people don't consider with discipline is that it actually gives you so much freedom. So much freedom when you are disciplined every day and you just like okay, I got to do this from 8am to 9am. I'm working out, I'm eating breakfast, I'm, you know, doing whatever, like, I have my morning routine. That is the same every morning. Yeah, it's not Instagram worthy. It is the same thing every morning. Oftentimes, I am doing the same workout every morning. It's nothing new, right?

Speaker 1:

For the month of July, I did like a pushup challenge and I was doing 60 pushups every day. It was amazing, it was, but it was boring. I did it for 30 days, right? Nothing. I mean, it was something new, but it was. It wasn't, and it wasn't so much about like getting guns, it was I needed discipline, like I needed to do something every day and have accountability for it, so that, though, when you create discipline in your life, people don't realize how much freedom yeah, eight by. When you're just so disciplined, you get what you need to done, you are creating more room for freedom, and you're yes, do the things that you want to do right.

Speaker 1:

Yes, yes yes eat the frog first, do the hard things first, and then you get to like how the rest of the day to go.

Speaker 3:

Have enough, you know it eliminates so much brain energy because you already know what you're going to do. There's no question about it. Yes, need that energy for the bigger, the surprise, spontaneous thing that just happened, you know yes.

Speaker 1:

So, ariel, how do you balance the tension between working hard towards a goal and then giving yourself grace when things don't go as planned?

Speaker 3:

That's a great question. So I am currently knee deep in that, in a recalibration season. Yeah, so, like for most of my adult life, I've been very extreme, super disciplined, super go-getter, super ambitious, super take on everything and just kind of suppress, rest, right. And so within the last year and a half, I am now learning, okay, girl, like, sure, these are all good things, but balance, you need balance. So how am I currently doing that?

Speaker 3:

I am just reframing or restructuring what I consider to be like my superpower. So, being disciplined is good, but I'm reframing it and saying, okay, you know you can be disciplined in getting enough sleep. How about that? How about that? Like you mastered waking up at 5am and getting a two hour workout, but can you be disciplined enough to sleep for one extra hour and get one hour workout, right? And when I tell you that that has been such a challenge, like little things like that, right? Yeah, you know, like little small things where I am trying to be disciplined and slowing down.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, you can take on three projects at once, but can you be disciplined enough to say no to an opportunity that seems really appealing, but you know, right now this is not what you want? So I'm in the middle of that right now and I think my clients are seeing that, my friends are seeing that, and it's a shift, but it's a good shift, because it's still exercising that discipline. But you're, you know putting it, you're doing it in a way that's more in alignment with balance. Right, not allow what I consider to be these good skills and these good traits to become idols, because they can be yeah, they can, yeah, they can be idols, right? So I can say, well, god, you've given me this and you've given me all this and this thing. You know all these skills, I just want to go out and use them for you, but if I'm doing that before I'm checking in with them, it's a no-go right.

Speaker 3:

So, I had to pull myself back and just, you know, spend more time with God, less time taking on projects, you know, more time sleeping, less time creating content you know like, and just be okay with that, because that is the balance that I know that I need right now in my life. Yeah.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, oh, that is so good, ariel. I'm so glad that you shared that, because there is somebody right now that is that go getter, that hustler, that person that constantly needs to be going, going, going, that needed to hear that. Yeah, that is so vital. You know Pastor B. You know Pastor B. Yeah, she has said before God doesn't shout right Like he speaks to us in a whisper. And if we're constantly going, going, going and we constantly have our brain in overdrive and loud, we're not going to slow down or be quiet enough to hear God's whisper in her ear.

Speaker 1:

And sometimes you know, like Ariel, you are in a season right now where God's, you know, maybe telling you to slow down, create some healthy boundaries, find balance, you know. So you're not going, going, going and that's hard for people like it. I was there five years ago and I'm still kind of coming out of that season right now. And it's hard when you are someone that is just goal driven and a hustler, that you're just like no, I need to go, go, go. And then God's just like no, I'm taking it out, you're going here. Yeah, if we're lucky enough. Sometimes it's just like discernment, where we're like wait, I need to stop, I need to slow down.

Speaker 1:

Sometimes there is something that happens yes, that God's just like. You know what? I'm going to put that door in front of you because you just need it right now, and sometimes it's not in the way that we want it to. You know, a health scare, accident, you know, a relationship crisis, like so many different things that can happen, where now we're in this storm and it's like we have nothing else that we can do but other than to rely on God and to just stop. You know, and to just stop.

Speaker 1:

You know and I think it's so important for these listeners to hear that, because grace and knowing, when it is time to just sit, yes, you can't keep chasing God in that hustle kind of mentality, right, and God's not going to shout. You know, the enemy is loud, know, and that's where we have to kind of sit and pick and choose and say isn't my time to sit and be like hear from god right now? Slow down, create those boundaries, or am I in that workforce mode right now where it's like, okay, now god gave me something and I gotta go?

Speaker 3:

with it you, I was just going to bring it full circle and say and don't procrastinate on that either. Right, it's like, like you said, when you feel that tug, don't procrastinate. That's also a form of procrastination I want to caution you against. We want to give you the discipline to slow down when it's time to slow down. Sometimes you get to speed up, sometimes you need to slow down, but yeah, yeah, from personal testimony, when you are putting off something that god has called you to do, whether it's rest or go, is it? Then he'll have to. He'll have to, like you know, yeah, make you whatever it is. And it's like ah, I heard that three months ago, I heard it three months ago.

Speaker 1:

Now I'm here, and then sometimes it happens the way that we don't want it to happen, because God is like forcing it to happen now, you know. So, yes, girl, I can talk to you all day long. Like this topic is just and I know, I know that there are going to be so many listeners out there that are going to be like wow, because this topic resonates so much with so many people. I know that there are so many women that struggle with procrastination, knowing how to go, how to say no, how to stop, how to create boundaries, how to start discipline. You know, and we can talk about this again, like I said so long, but I want to kind of wrap us up here, and I just want to wrap up, get the audience to know a little bit more about coach Ariel, some fun things about you. So, ariel, we know you're a coach, we know you're a teacher, but on a personal level, what is something outside of your classroom, outside of being a fitness instructor, all of that? What is one thing that brings Ariel joy?

Speaker 3:

Dancing, dancing, dancing, you name it. I love it. I love to dance. I love to take dance classes. I recently started salsa classes and I'm loving it. I love country line dancing. I love dance hall. I love dance. I mean, you name it. I love country line dancing. I love dance hall. I love dance. I mean, you name it, I love dance. Oh, I'm having a rough day at work and I have like my little 10 minutes in my classroom. I'm like music on, just dance it off, dance it off.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, that's why I said you're like my sister from another restaurant, mister, mister, because dancing is a form of joy for me also, like I will turn the music on and loud if I'm stressed, if I'm anxious, if anything. I'm like let me just turn a good song on and I'm just like all right, let me just dance it out, dance it out, and, yes, it does so much for you, like it just triggers happy endorphins, like all of that.

Speaker 1:

Okay, so with that that, you love dance. What is the song that just gets you? When you hear it, I mean you're just like, yes, so what's an artist or a song that is on your playlist that just gets you into that joyful mode?

Speaker 3:

So well, I gotta say anything? Beyonce, Okay, so that's just that. Yeah, see, see Anything.

Speaker 1:

Beyonce Again again. Sisters here, okay, yeah, anything.

Speaker 3:

Beyonce, for sure, right. But when I work out in the morning, I listen to all gospel music and let me tell you that is top tier dopamine release, right yeah, working out in the gospel music together is like chef's kit. So, uh, currently what's on my playlist literally every day is goodbye. Yesterday by elevation worship, oh my gosh, it just does something for me. The lyrics. I feel like I'm just coming out of like a valley season. So the lyrics are just so on point for me and I literally blast it every single day.

Speaker 1:

So, oh, I love it. Elevation is like my jam right now too, girl they can't miss. I have like the thickest worship playlist right now on my Spotify that has a lot of it is elevation, but I have that. I've been in that season right now too where that playlist like almost every day. I right now too, where that playlist like almost every day, I'm just listening to it and I'm just like I got it, I got it yes.

Speaker 1:

All right, and then, lastly, ariel, what is a book that you would recommend to the listeners? And it doesn't have to be on this topic of you know all of that, but what is the book that you would recommend?

Speaker 3:

Okay, I'm going to cheat a little bit, because I have two books. Okay, yeah, that's fine. Okay, so me being a habit coach, I'm 100 gonna recommend atomic habits, right? I read it 500 times forward and backwards and it's so practical. Um, so that is number one. But what I got into recently this year, as I said, I was kind of transitioning and I'm just trying to slow down, trying to be more in tune with my emotions is the garden within. Yeah, I feel like you talked about this recently, or you must have posted about it.

Speaker 1:

I posted about it because I finished it and, oh my gosh. Ok, hold on. Where are we? I'm going gonna do a whole episode of this and when the listeners are listening to this, I don't know where it's at in the lineup.

Speaker 3:

so I did a podcast about it or I have a podcast coming up, okay, oh, well, yes, yes, go listen to her podcast and then go buy this book and I've deep. I mean, the way she blends the psychology and the bible together is masterful. It it is so good, um, it's so confronting as well, like I feel like, oh gosh, girl, you call this for me, you know, I mean, but yeah, this has been my jam, it's really really good, yeah it's so good so I listened to the audible and then, after I listened to the audible, I bought the book, because I'm like I have to go back and highlight all this stuff.

Speaker 1:

I took so many notes on my phone from it when I was listening. I'd be out on my walks like my dogs tugging at me and I'm like, no wait, because I was doing my audibles on my walk and I'm like, yeah, I gotta get those notes. Or I just literally would stop, let her sniff, or whatever. And I'm like, yeah, I got to get this notes. Or I just literally would stop, let her sniff, or whatever. And I'm like typing my notes page because there was so much goodness in that book that I did an entire podcast episode about it because it was that amazing.

Speaker 3:

Yes, the way you listen to that podcast, yeah listen to that podcast.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, it's so good. Well, Ariel gosh, thank you so much for your wisdom, Thank you so much for your insight, Thank you so much for just reiterating to my audience what I have said time and time again. It's like the mama bear has brought in that special, you know, beautiful, flashy guest that comes in and they tell them the same thing that they said, but then now they're like, oh, I get it. And I know I'm going to be like I've said that like five times to you already on Ariel, because oftentimes it just takes a different perspective, a new voice, to come in and really just emphasize what you know I've been saying for a long time. But it's, it's just a fresh voice and a fresh perspective. So thank you for just bringing that newness, that fresh perspective of you know this topic and I know so many women are going to find so much value in it. So, as I actually, before we officially wrap up, can you just let our listeners know where they can find you?

Speaker 3:

Yes, yes, I will share, but I also want to say thank you for having me. I feel so honored. This has been such a great conversation, so thank you for inviting me. Yeah, you can find me at two different handles. So I have a dance fitness business called Dance Rhythm Fit, so you can go to Instagram, dance Rhythm Fit or YouTube and Dance Rhythm Fit and you'll see like dance fitness videos if you just want to work out in your living room. As far as my lifestyle and life coaching, it's your habit homegirl and that find on instagram, your habit homegirl or on youtube, your habit homegirl, and I'm doing like, like teacher vlogs there. So that's kind of like the direction I'm going in, because I have a lot of teacher friends who want to know how I do it all, so so, so, yeah, come on over, be my friend, then let's have some fun.

Speaker 1:

Yay, Thank you so much. Now y'all, you really have to go follow her. Ariel is so much fun to follow on social media. She, she makes me tired and if you follow me, like I have, people tell me, girl, you do so much, You're always doing hiking and dancing and this and that. No, Ariel makes me tired. So if I make you tired, Ariel's going to make you exhausted, because I see what she does and I'm just like whoa, this girl, she has too much energy, but she's so fun to follow. She shares her. I love watching her blogs, her wisdom, um, and her dance videos too. Like we. I told you before we we got to hook up. Girl, I need to come to one of your dance classes for sure. I've watched, I've done, some of yours on um YouTube. I'm not going to lie, I couldn't. I couldn't hang the whole the whole your whole session, your whole YouTube.

Speaker 1:

Gotta work your way up, yes.

Speaker 1:

I was like after like 10 minutes I'm like, oh no, I got to change it Cause I was like gasping for air. But so I gotta work. I gotta work my way up to come to one of your like Zumba classes or something. So thank you so much, Ariel. But as we wrap up today's episode, I just hope that you're walking away with some practical tips and some fresh insights on how to tackle procrastination and really truly embrace a more joyful approach to productivity.

Speaker 1:

Remember that discipline isn't a bad word. It actually is a really good word that will give you so much freedom and discipline. That only equals freedom, but it also brings joy. And also remember that it's not about perfection. You got to give yourself grace. It's about making just little small steps forward and celebrating those wins along the way also. So, Ariel, again thank you for sharing your wisdom, your experience, with us today. If you're feeling inspired to take action, start by just identifying what might be holding you back and use the tools and strategies that she shared today to move forward with confidence. So be sure to tune in throughout the rest of the month, as we continue our topic of joyful productivity, We'll be diving in deeper onto how we can live a productive, purpose-driven life. Thank you for listening and until next time, keep chasing joy.