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How to stop procrastinating and do the next right thing

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Well y’all, after 19 podcast episodes, I’m finally feeling like I’m starting to get my feet underneath me and feel more comfortable with this whole podcasting. So, even though it scared me a lot, this is the first episode where I didn’t plan out every word I was going to say.

That’s a big deal for me as one of my big goals for this year is to be as comfortable on the podcast as I am on live video… but I keep reminding myself that it took at least 30-50 live videos before I started feeling confident. So I know it will take time with the podcast, too.

(In full disclosure, it’s good for my pride for me to put out episodes that aren’t at the level of excellence I’d love for them to be because I’m still finding my groove when it comes to doing pre-recorded audio — which is SO different to me than live video! And every time someone writes in about how they don’t like the podcast because they can tell I’m uncomfortable, it’s a good reminder for me to keep persevering and practicing and getting better!)

So I’m celebrating that I took tiny baby steps with this episode and didn’t rely on word-for-word notes as a security blanket! And I hope that someday soon, I’ll be able to record episodes with just a rough outline. Thanks for being on this learning and growing journey with me. Your encouragement and support has blessed me more than you know!

In this episode, I invited one of my very favorite podcasters — Emily P. Freeman — to join me for a conversation about decision-making. We talk about the best antidote for procrastination, how to know what your next right thing is, and why sometimes now is not the best time to jump into an idea you have.

I also ask Emily about her Theme Days and how this practice works out in her life and how it has helped her be a lot more focused and productive.

By the way, Emily’s podcast (that I adore!) is called The Next Right Thing… and her brand-new book with the same title comes out in April. You can pre-order it here.

You’ll want to tune in to this episode where Emily shares the story of how her amazing podcast was actually originally a book idea.

She started working on the book and then realized it wasn’t supposed to be a book; it was supposed to be a podcast. But then, after a number of months of podcasting, she felt it was supposed to be book, too. 

I love how Emily is so honest in sharing her struggles with decision-making and what she has learned in her own life — even in podcasting and writing a book about decision-making!

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In This Episode:

[01:12] – I gave up coffee a few years ago. I know, can you believe it? I share why I gave it up and what I’m drinking instead.

[05:38] – My book of the week is one that I listened to and one that I wanted to jump up and shout “preach it!” multiple times while I was listening to it! (And I’m not a charismatic person; this book was just THAT good!)

[09:20] – Emily Freeman has deeply inspired me through her writings and her podcast, and I’m so honored that she was willing to do an interview with me for this episode.

[11:30] – The Next Right Thing, Emily’s podcast, was originally a book idea. I ask her how long of a process was it for her to decide to turn her idea into a podcast instead of a book? When did she know for sure that it wasn’t supposed to be a book?

[14:53] – Struggling with decision-making? Emily shares some strategies for someone who needs to figure out what the next right thing is.

[17:57] – Emily makes a powerful point that many people would rather make a decision (even a bad one) than live with the uncertainty of not deciding.

[20:36] – Recently, Emily talked about how she structures her week with Theme Days. I asked her to share more about this in detail.

[25:48] – For today’s Q&A segment, I answer a question from a listener about how I got off my allergy medications (and other medications/supplements I was taking for acne and anxiety!).

Links and Resources:

How to Listen to The Crystal Paine Show

The podcast is available on iTunes, Android, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can listen online through the direct player we’ll include in the show notes of each episode. OR, a much easier way to listen is by subscribing to the podcast through a free podcast app on your phone. (Find instructions for how to subscribe to a podcast here.)

Ready to dive in and listen? Hit the player above or search for “The Crystal Paine Show” on your favorite podcast app.

YNAB Platforms

Sponsor Spotlight

This episode is sponsored by YouNeedaBudget.com — the budgeting software we have personally used for the past two years and absolutely love.

We were introduced to this budgeting software by my brother-in-law, Justin, a few years ago. He and my husband, Jesse, are both what I would lovingly refer to as “nerds”.

You know the kind of people… those people who think spreadsheets are fun. And who geek out over features in Excel. Yup, those kinds of people.

While the thought of being giddy about creating spreadsheets is so foreign to me, I love Spreadsheet Nerds because they help keep people like me in line and on track! 

Anyway, it was around Christmas time and Justin started telling Jesse about YouNeedaBudget — what we call YNAB for short. Jesse and I had both heard of this software before, but we had been using Quicken for so long that we’d not considered changing to anything else.

Well, when Jesse saw the features of YNAB, he was intrigued enough to sign up for the free trial. And it was pretty much love at first sight.

Truthfully, I can’t even begin to tell you how often I’ve heard him exclaiming to me, to friends, or just to himself something about, “How cool and helpful YNAB is!”

I’m such a pen and paper and cash girl, but after all his raving reviews, I finally gave in and downloaded it on my phone and had him show me how it works. It’s really, really impressive. I love how we can see exactly how we’re doing in every budget in just one glance.

And since we have multiple budgets for our businesses and personal, it allows us to track them all in one app. Which is so handy!

They usually only offer a 30-day trial, but they are giving you all a FREE 60-day trial so you can really get a feel for it and see how well it works. 

Go here to sign up for your FREE 60-Day YNAB trial.

Note: This post contains affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, we may receive a small commission — at no additional cost to you. Thank you so much for your support!

Reader Interactions

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We love comments from readers, so chime in with your thoughts below! We do our best to keep this blog upbeat and encouraging, so please keep your comments cordial and kind. Read more information on our comment policy.

  1. Julie says

    Excited you are on Stitcher! That will make it easier for me to keep track of your podcast.

    We love ynab. We’ve been using it for 5 years.

  2. Iva @ This Side of Perfect says

    You are slowly coming out of your podcasting shell and I love it! You sound so much more natural when you don’t rely on your notes quite as much. I think we’re all just waiting to hear the Crystal we know and love on IG 🙂

    And thanks to you and a few other mom-peneurs I follow on IG, I found Emily Freeman and I *adore* her. Her podcast is perfect to listen to first thing in the morning as I’m driving to work.

    Keep up the great work!

    • Crystal Paine says

      Oh YAY! I’m so glad I help introduce you to Emily Freeman! I just love her podcast so much!

      And the more comfortable, natural Crystal is coming out of her shell on the podcast… slowly but surely. It took me at least 4 months of daily stories to feel comfortable on IG and a good 50 videos on Periscope to feel really comfortable there, so my hope is that I’ll be there by my 50th episode. 🙂

      It’s really, really different and outside my comfort zone to have headphones on and be talking to a microphone instead of talking live on camera, so thank you for your patience! The other big thing for me is that I want to make sure to bring good, quality content on the podcast. Not that I don’t seek to do that on IG or FB, but I can have a lot more filler fluff and filler words and it won’t bother people, but it would be incredibly annoying to listen to via audio. So it’s a new challenge to become much more polished in my presentation and delivery while doing it with headphones and talking to a mic. 🙂

  3. Julie says

    This comment is about your sponsor…I’ve heard a lot of good things about YNAB! We’ve used Mint for years and it’s been okay but not our favorite (we use it for monthly budgeting, not debt/investing). It was a big deal to trust our bank account info with a company…so we’re hesitant to switch again and give our info to another company. Does this freak anyone else out?? What’s even more scary is having the app on our phones. I’d love to have that info in the palm of my hand but what if I lose my phone and someone else can access that info? Anyone have any advice?

    • Lora says

      I have been using YNAB since the beginning of the year. I read an article comparing it to Mint on the Clark Howard website. I used Mint off and on for a number of years, but was never really happy with it. I also took Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University and attempted to embrace the envelope system, but wasn’t successful since carrying cash just didn’t work for me. After using YNAB for a week, I was sold!

      Their free workshops, their 4 rules, blogs, emails, and being able to embrace the envelope system with or without cash have already given me peace of mind and hope that I am finally going to get my finances on track! The author of the article that I read pointed out that there is a learning curve, but once you get through that you are on your way. I actually see similarities to things that Dave Ramsey teaches, however, YNAB has made them “doable” with the way that I live in this technology driven age.

      You can use the program on a desktop if you aren’t comfortable with using the app on your phone. You can also add accounts that are linked or unlinked so you get to choose if you want your bank information linked to the program. If you don’t link your bank account, you simply input the data yourself–there are classes, frequently asked questions, and customer support to assist you.

      The app is wonderful. I can add transactions as soon as I make purchases–such as logging $25 of gas before I leave the gas station. This allows me to have the most accurate information on what I have to spend and allows me to make wise choices. If you choose to use the app, maybe you could log in and out of it as you need it.

      I have been telling people how great YNAB is just like Jesse. It is true. I even wrote the author of the article that I read on the Clark Howard site to thank him for writing the article that brought YNAB into my life. He asked me to keep him posted on my progress–I plan to do just that.

      Getting a 60 day free trial is awesome. I got a 34 day free trial so anyone signing up here is getting almost twice as long to check out YNAB. If you are concerned about paying the subscription fee once the 60 days are up, don’t be. The program will help you with saving the money and having it ready when the payment is due. I truly believe the money that I spent to continue using YNAB is an investment in me getting to live the life that I was meant to live.

      • Crystal Paine says

        Thank you so much for this thorough response, Lora! I was going to ask Jesse to answer Julie’s questions, but you answered everything so thoroughly that I don’t think I need to!

        Julie: Definitely let us know if you have other questions! Jesse will be talking more about YNAB in next week’s episode, by the way.

      • Julie says

        Wow, Lora!! Thank you so much for taking the time to give me your two cents ;)! I think we will have to give it a try!

  4. Karen Williams says

    Great job! I found this podcast truly inspiring. I just ordered your fabulous Blogging 101 and WordPress 101 courses recently. As a person who has struggled with procrastination for decades, I could so relate to Emily’s counsel. I have begun to use it in my work (giving each day of the week a certain main task focus) and will definitely be using it as I get the freelance writing work off the ground. I also appreciated your share about the importance of nutrition (including plenty of sleep and quality water). I’ve gone quite a bit astray in the last few years with my food choices, so I am taking salad for lunch this year to help get back on track. Many blessings!

  5. Kathy says

    Hi Crystal! I love your ur blog and can’t wait to listen to your latest podcast (I may jump ahead to find out about “Theme Weeks.”)

    You are a really strong writer! I’m wondering if you could refrain from using descriptive language about sticking hot irons in eyes. I probably sound over sensitive, but I have very poor vision and am anxious about whether I will have sight later on. For me and the many others who struggle with sight issues, being flippant about going blind is hurtful. Thanks so much for your consideration!