35. Game-Changing Gifts for the Procrastinators in Your Life ($45 and Under)
Gifts that give clarity to recovering people-pleasers
The single most important skill to master in life is to stop letting other people manage your time. Good thing that’s a gift you can give.
Bet you didn’t know that, huh?
I didn’t.
Saying yes to everything creates pile-ups and burn out.
The hearts of procrastinators and people-pleasers are in the right place — they don’t want to let people down.
My life changed when I stopped trying to manage others’ experience of me.
Wilderness emergency medicine taught me more about pressurized decision-making than any other aspect of my career. My journey with sobriety taught me more about ownership and prioritization than any job I’ve ever had.
As did the gold-mine of information I began consuming at 19 from thought leaders like Simon Sinek, Adam Grant, Tim Ferriss, Brené Brown, Gabor Maté, Angela Duckworth, Rich Roll, Michael Gervais, Mel Robbins, the Gottmans, and so many more.
Enforcing your boundaries will give others the gift of clarity as a byproduct.
That’s the core skill. Easy peasy, right? Well…
Yes, and no.
Fear not, the list below includes a collection of the best tools I’ve used (and still use) as a professional procrastinator and people-pleaser in recovery.
They help with strengthening fundamentals like:
Using rituals to anchor your day — priming your brain for action by reinforcing consistency (think getting coffee at the same place before work or going for a walk at the same time to break up the day).
Deciding in advance what to fail at. Getting to everything on your to-do list is a myth. Choose what to drop or life will choose for you.
Focusing on only one big thing at a time rather than trying to do it all. Writing down the single biggest thing you can COMPLETE for the day, and making it your number one focus.
Game-Changing Gifts for the Procrastinators in Your Life You, Fellow Procrastinator
Personal Productivity
Fidget Spin Ring (stainless steel) | $19.99
Discreet Metal Fidget Spinner | $21.99
Loop Noise Sensitivity Ear Plugs for Social Gatherings & Conversation | $35.95
Active & Gym Accessories
Nalgene Wide Mouth Water Bottle | $17.95
Bottle Belt (clip a carabiner to it without breaking the lid) | $6.49
Thera Cane Massager | $34.95
Black Diamond Spot 325 Headlamp | $42.95
PICSIL Condor Grips (no hole) for cross training and weightlifting | $42.95
Desktop Accessories
Fake Eucalyptus Plants (mini) | $3.50
USB C to C Fast Charging Cord (100W) | $4.50
Fast Wireless Charging Pad | $12.99
Travel Therapy Light | $19.99
On-the-go Tabletop Bag Hanger | $14.99
Desktop Backpack Hook (clamp-on) | $25
Nordik Desk Mat (leather with non-slip cork) | $23.97
Notebooks, Planners, & Organization
A5 Medium Hardcover Notebook (numbered, dotted pages) | $25.50
A5 Bullet Journal Edition | $31.50
A6 Hardcover Pocket Notebook (numbered, dotted pages) | $19.50
Pen Loop Holder for Notebooks Journals Planners | $8.99
Gold Foil Stickers for Planners, Journals, and Calendars | $11.99
Rite in the Rain Clicker Pen (weatherproof metal) | $21.48
Fisher Space Pen Bullet Pen (capped with clip) | $29.02
Stainless Steel Metal Ruler (6 in) | $2.39
Books
Chatter by Ethan Kross | $15.69
→ The voice in our head, why it matters, and how to harness it.
Finding Ultra by Rich Roll | $10.81
→ Rejecting normal to find a path worth taking.
Atomic Habits by James Clear | $13.79
→ Small steps daily to go farther than sporadic leaps and lulls.
Feel Good Productivity by Ali Abdaal | $15.31
→ Ditch ordinary methods for ones that get sh*t done, again and again.
The 4 Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss | $10.78
→ Reimagine, rebuild, and redefine your day to day work life.
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho | $16.19
→ Your path of self discovery can only be found by going.
Designing Your Life by Bill Burnett & Dave Evans | $11.91
→ Reshape what you see as possible for yourself.
Millionaire Fastlane by MJ DeMarco | $20.66
→ Rewire how you think about financial security.
The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber | $14.89
→ Throw out broken business systems to grow without overwhelm.
The War of Art by Steven Pressfield | $17.86
→ Resistance will keep you from your goals if you let it.
Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman | $11.82
→ Productivity is about prioritization not pace.
The Myth of Normal by Gabor Maté | $13.85
→ Your biology is impacted by the way you think.
Slow Productivity by Cal Newport | $12.12
→Play the long game on time invested.
Leadership and Self Deception by the Arbinger Institute | $17.96
→ Boxing yourself in damages your growth more than anything else.
Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert | $10.06
→ Creativity sought is only as beneficial as your willingness to act on it.
Shy By Design by Michael Thompson | $21.34
→ Curiosity is your most powerful tool for connection.
Million Dollar Weekend by Noah Kagan | 17.99
→ Cut through the bullsh*t with a step by step playbook for execution.
24 Assets by Daniel Priestley | $15.17
→ Step by step guide to building a digital, scalable, and valuable business.
The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin | $19.25
→ A guide to fulfillment from a legendary music producer.
Born to Run by Christopher McDougall | $11.44
→ Finding purpose, and unknown super-athletes, in the Leadville 100 mile race.
Bonus Gift Ideas
Peak Design Tech Travel Pouch | $59.95
headspace Meditation App | $12.99/mo or $69.99/year
Verilux HappyLight | $69.99
Some is better than none, done is better than perfect, and perfect is the enemy of good.
Overjoyed, overcommitted, overwhelmed, overrun. That’s the pattern of the procrastinating people-pleaser. You can be the superhero who disrupts that pattern.
If you give a moose a mindset, he’ll probably read Atomic Habits…
If he reads Atomic Habits, he’ll have to read Four Thousand Weeks.
And, if he reads Four Thousand Weeks, he’s sure to read Slow Productivity.
It’s me, I’m the moose. Now, my approach looks something like the following:
If I protect my sleep, I’ll get to start my day earlier.
If I start my day earlier, I’ll get to go to the gym and write.
If I go to the gym and write, I’ll get to build momentum.
If I build momentum, I’ll get energized for work.
If I’m energized for work, I’ll get to prioritize my focus.
If I prioritize my focus, I’ll get more done.
If I get more done, I’ll get to carry less stress.
If I carry less stress, I’ll get to enjoy my non-work hours.
If I enjoy my non-work hours, I’ll get better sleep.
If I sleep better, I’ll get better health.
The items included in this gift guide help me bring this mindset to life. I hope they help you and the procrastinating people-pleasers in your life, too.
Merry Clarity!
onward.
-dmac
Thanks for reading Unobstructed!
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