How to Stop Procrastinating in 30 Days with Paty Johnston

Welcome back to the Pauline Chilton Show, where we explore the best of Tampa's real estate lifestyle and everything in between. In today's episode, we have a special guest, Paty Johnston, a coach who teaches people how to stop procrastinating in 30 days. 

Thank you for joining us on this show and please tune in to the next episode of the Pauline Chilton Show, where we explore more of what the Tampa Bay area has to offer. I'm your host, Pauline Chilton, a licensed real estate broker associate in the state of Florida with Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Florida Properties Group. 

I'd love it if you would follow me on Instagram @RealPaulineChilton for more content, check out my blog posts on the show's website at thepaulineshow.com, where you can find this episode in written form.

Listen to the show wherever you get your favorite podcast. And until next time, take care.

Transcript

E 1 S 2 - Interview with Paty Johnston - 4-27-2024

Pauline Chilton: [00:00:00] Welcome back to the Pauline Chilton show, where we explore the best of Tampa's real estate, lifestyle and everything in between. In today's episode, we have a special guest, Paty Johnston, a coach who teaches people how to stop procrastinating in 30 days. Paty, tell us about yourself, things that you would like to share with the audience to introduce yourself and help them get to know you a bit. 

Paty Johnston: Yes. Hello, Hello, Pauline. It's so good to be here. It's such an honor. Great to have you. I couldn't wait for this. So my name is Paty, Johnston. Everyone, I'm a coach and I was actually born a procrastinator, . I have trained people from more than 30 countries all around the world.

And people come to me and they're like, oh my goodness, Paty, your life's so amazing. But they don't know how much I struggle growing up because every, my favorite word used to be, oh, manana [00:01:00] I'll do it tomorrow. I'll do it next week. Oh my goodness, my next year is gonna be my next best year. But I kept doing the same thing, which was not doing what I was supposed to be doing.

And I was born in Columbia. If you've noticed, I have an accent and my...

Pauline Chilton: Beautiful

Paty Johnston: Thank you. I didn't think so for a long time. I'm very proud of that now. And my parents are amazing people. They're very disciplined. They're very clean. They never fail appointments. And my sister, she thinks she's perfect, but she's not perfect.

She's almost perfect. And I was like the opposite. I grew up, my room looked like a tornado had gone in. I would forget my homework every day. I would do a lot of things that my parents would, you know, not agree. You know, like you would say you would go here and you didn't. I was late everywhere. And [00:02:00] my dad especially used to be like, Paty, I don't see a future for you.

I really have no idea what's gonna happen with your life. And I remember just one time we're having dinner And I had a glass of milk and I used to be very very clumsy And I would spill my drinks very very often and then I guess that day he was so tired. He's like Paty, I don't see how you're gonna survive in life.

I hope you get a good husband someday Oh my goodness, Pauline, that crush my soul, right? I was like, there's something really wrong with me. Why is it that I keep saying things that I'm gonna do and I still don't do them? And on top of it all, I got pregnant when I was a teenager. Mm-Hmm... So my parents almost died.

Like, oh my goodness, now you ruin your life forever. And I believed it until I came to the U.S. My son was three as a single mom, [00:03:00] and I decided it was enough. Because for me, my life was not where it's supposed to be. Like, I knew I had, like, 100 percent potential. But I was not even fulfilling half of it. And I thought, there has to be something I can do.

So I started studying psychology, just to fix myself. And I discovered that procrastination is not linked to lack of time. We all have time. 

Pauline Chilton: Right. 

Paty Johnston: But procrastination is directly linked to emotion. Procrastination is directly linked to emotions. Things like fear hold us back. Being overwhelmed. I used to wake up every morning and I'm like, Oh my goodness, I have so much to do.

So I would do nothing. Or something that was not meaningful. 

Pauline Chilton: Right. 

Paty Johnston: Because procrastination is basically an avoidance strategy. You're avoiding pain. [00:04:00] You're avoiding fear, you're avoiding all the negative feelings that you're experiencing. So I created a system and one of the things that I did, I focused for 30 days on me.

And after 30 days, I'm like, Oh my goodness, I'm ready. So I opened my own company. I had $2,000 saved. Somebody said, Oh, I have a company for sale. It's $2,000. I'm like, deal. I'm going to buy it. And I sold that company 18 months later for $500,000. 

Pauline Chilton: Wow. That's amazing. 

Paty Johnston: Oh my goodness, Pauline. I couldn't believe it.

I've never seen that much money all together. And you know, a single mom, immigrant, with no money, ADD. I discovered that I have attention deficit disorder, uh, with mild dyslexia. And I had a successful business. So I decided to open [00:05:00] my second business, which was real estate. So I started investing in real estate.

I became a Realtor and back then my broker said, Oh, Paty, it's going to take you a long time to do well in real estate. Because in Tampa alone, back then there were 44, 000 Realtors. 

Pauline Chilton: Wow. 

Paty Johnston: So he is like, it's gonna take you a long time. Well, he didn't know I had a system already. So on my first year, year number one, out of the 44,000 Realtors in Tampa, I got ranked number 10.

Pauline Chilton: That is amazing. 

Paty Johnston: I couldn't believe it. I was selling millions of dollars and it was then when people started coming to me, Realtors especially, back then saying, "Oh my goodness, Paty, tell me the secret of your success." And I would say, "Oh, I created a system based on emotional intelligence." [00:06:00] I was able to master my emotions in a way that they will not block me anymore, and that I would do the things that I was supposed to be doing that led me to success.

So that's how I became a coach. And that's why I have a program, How to Stop Procrastinating in 30 Days. 

Pauline Chilton: That's great. So what are some of the common reasons people procrastinate? 

Paty Johnston: It's, most of them are emotional. Fears. Fear of failure. Fear of success. I used to think, oh my goodness, what if this grows a lot and what am I going to do with my son?

What, how's my life going to change? So fear of failure, fear of success, fear of judgment. I remember thinking, what are people going to think if I don't succeed? What are people going to think if I make a phone call to them? They're going to think I'm very pushy. They're going to reject me. So fear is a big one.

Anxiety, feeling of overwhelmed, especially in the real estate world, you have so [00:07:00] many things at the same time that you need to handle, you know, new clients, past clients, you know, showings all of those things. And I used to feel very overwhelmed and that would hold me back. Uh, feelings of anger and resentment.

It's hard to understand, but those negative feelings start accumulating in our hearts, and that shows in our daily actions. So, sometimes a child with trauma, I don't know you, but I didn't have the perfect family. And a lot of the things that I experienced growing up, and a lot of the things that were told to me growing up stayed in my heart and in my mind for a long time. 

Created doubt. Created self doubt. And the self doubt would show in my results. So that's some of the main reasons that are definitely emotional. 

Pauline Chilton: So, Paty, tell us, [00:08:00] what can people do to overcome those fears, fear of rejection, fear of failure, fear of success?

Paty Johnston: So that is the million dollar question, right?

Because we've heard before from other coaches and books. It's like, no, you just need to buy a calendar and then just make things happen or have a to do list. And then just go through your to do list. Reality is if you don't feel like doing it, you will not do it. So the key to it is to work on the why those feelings are showing up.

And then in the past, we were told a big lie, that if you have a high IQ, you know, intelligence quotient, then you're going to succeed. It's like, Oh, this kid is very intelligent, so he's going to make it. But actually, it's been proven that success comes 85%, not from IQ, but from EQ, [00:09:00] and EQ stands for emotional intelligence.

And emotional intelligence is simply to be aware of your emotions and to be able to regulate your emotions. So that's why I created a program on 30 days. Because during 30 days, first we need to find why. Let's say I have a fear of rejection. Where is that coming from? Is it from, you know, parents that didn't accept me?

Is it from kids that bullied me growing up? Is it from my own self doubts. So until you find the real reason why you're experiencing those negative emotions, you cannot change it. You cannot change what you are not aware of. So increasing emotional intelligence is key, starting with finding out the why behind those negative emotions.

So it's a process and it can be done in 30 [00:10:00] days. 

Pauline Chilton: Okay. So I have another follow up question to that. What about people who are afraid of making mistakes? How can people overcome their fear of making a mistake? Because in real estate or any other industry people are probably thinking, Oh, I don't want to do something wrong. 

Paty Johnston: Yes, because the consequences.

Pauline Chilton: Right.

Paty Johnston: The consequences can be financial. Like oh that you have a penalty, or the clients are going to think badly of you and they're not going to recommend you they're going to say bad things about you. So I know it's very valid because I experienced all of those fears and more. The answer is exactly the same.

It's basically You To find the why behind that fear. Most people think, Oh, it's just get over it. It doesn't work like that. Until you find the why that fear is generated, where is it coming from? It's only then when we can work [00:11:00] specifically on that so that you can heal and be able to overcome it. So it's not like, just think positively.

You know, and don't get me wrong. I've heard, you know, it's good thing to have a positive and healthy mindset, 

Pauline Chilton: Right.

Paty Johnston: But that doesn't make a difference. You need to actually go and find the real reason why so that you can address it. I actually had an uncle that had a headache for 40 days.

Pauline Chilton: Okay, 

Paty Johnston: And we're like go to the doctor go to the doctor.

He's like, okay, finally he went and the doctor didn't say oh, I just have some painkillers and you'll be okay. The doctor needed to find the real reason. He had a brain scan and blood work. So the reason is you need to find the why so that you can fix it exactly with emotions. Why is that being generated in your heart?

It's only then when you can be able to change it. 

Pauline Chilton: Okay. What are the kinds [00:12:00] of procrastinators? Is there a certain type that people can identify themselves as, I'm this kind of procrastinator or I do this. So that makes me that. 

Paty Johnston: Yes. It's very interesting because people think, Oh, well I'm a procrastinator period.

But procrastination actually looks very different and there are actually five types of procrastinators. So if you're listening to this recording, see if you can identify yourself with one of them. 

The first one is perfectionist. Oh, I'm not going to do it until it looks good enough, until it looks perfect. So that is actually attached to a fear of being judged. How will I look if I do something? It is not great enough or fear of failure. What if I do something and it doesn't look good? So, uh, that is perfectionism is a big, big blockage. I've had people that have projects forever and they're really good ideas. [00:13:00] Never been launched because they're not good enough. So that's the first one, perfectionist. 

The second one is the daredevil. Oh my goodness, I used to be the queen of daredevils. So the daredevil is the person that has a project for one month and when do they do it? The night before, of course, they pay their bills at the last minute. They're late to every appointment that their devils are the last minute. 

Pauline Chilton: Okay.  

Paty Johnston: And they say to themselves, oh, I just work really well under pressure . That's a lie. So that's the second one. Perfectionist, dare devil. 

The third one is the chicken. Oh my goodness. I love the chickens because they come to me and they're like, Paty, I'm not a procrastinator. Look at me. I'm a doer. I'm busy all day. But the problem with the chickens is that they're really good at doing stuff, but they're not very good at prioritizing. So they keep busy to appease themselves. Well, look, I do a lot. The reality is that [00:14:00] they don't accomplish much. They're busy, but not productive. So that's the third one. 

The fourth one is the ostrich. The ostrich are dreamers. Oh, they hide. Oh, everything's good. I don't want to think about the bad stuff because they're afraid of facing reality. They're afraid of the risks that involve taking action. So they are, they are multimillionaires in their minds. The reality is that they don't do much. They're just hiding. So that's number four. 

And the five is the self saboteur. So self sabotage means you know exactly what you need to do, but either you don't do it or you do the opposite. You don't do it or do the opposite. So basically, you're your worst enemy. 

Pauline Chilton: Mm hmm.

Paty Johnston: Because you're actually blocking your own success. 

Pauline Chilton: And there, you hear that all the time, right? You hear [00:15:00] people say, you need to get out of your own way. 

Paty Johnston: Yes, yes, that's how it looks like. You wake up and you know exactly what to do. At the end of the day, it's like, oh, I didn't have time. Oh, well, what, what do you want me to do?

I couldn't. So we're just blocking sometimes unconsciously our own success. And that's the key. Just go back and do a little heart surgery and reprogramming your brain so that you can actively heal what's there and start taking action. So that's why I'm so passionate about what I do is actually healing, reprogramming your brain and being accountable.

Pauline Chilton: Great great stuff. What role does accountability play in this whole thing about procrastination And overcoming that? 

Paty Johnston: Oh my goodness. Accountability is key. Because I don't know if you've noticed at least that was the case with me I would lie to myself and believe my [00:16:00] own lies I would be like I'm gonna do this. Oh, I didn't do it because, and then I would come with an excuse.

So, I used to be very good of fulfilling my promises to others, but not fulfilling the promises that I would make to myself. So, accountability for me was key, and that's what I do with my own students. If you tell me you're going to exercise every day for 30 minutes, you need to take a picture of your tennis shoes by the park and text it to me. And at the end, show me how many steps you did. 

So, because it's easy for us to say, Oh, I didn't do it. If you're going to follow up with clients, if you're going to go to X amount of networking events a week, then you need to be accountable to me until you get it.

Accountability is key to make sure that a professional, not only is looking at what you're doing. But looking at the things you [00:17:00] didn't do and find the why behind it. Okay, you didn't do it. What's your trigger? What's your excuse? So accountability is key.

Pauline Chilton: Great. Let's talk about some success stories. Do you have some success stories that you would like to share about your clients or people that you've helped?

Paty Johnston: Oh my goodness. I love that. My success stories and I have too many. That's it. Which is a good problem. So every week I get one or two people send me a text message saying, you've changed my life, Paty,. And my response is always, you've changed your life. Because once you come to me, you have made your mind into, I'm going to change.

So I've seen things from I'm going to lose weight and I've been trying to lose lose weight for years and they come and they start from zero, lose five pounds in the first week or 12 pounds in the first month. And this is not a weight loss program. But once you take action, you see the results. [00:18:00] Same with money.

And I know how tough it is in the real estate world. I know I've lived through it. But there are ways actually to double your income, triple your income. I had one lady actually in Tampa that came to me. She's like, I'm about to quit, Paty, because this is not working for me. I need to make money to live.

And 10 months later, her income was 600 percent more. 

Pauline Chilton: That's amazing. 

Paty Johnston: Are you sure it's not 60? She's like, Oh, Paty, it's 600. So it's absolutely amazing because. Once you unblock your heart, once you unblock yourself, then you actually see the results. So I've seen it with health, people being healthier, eating better, losing weight, with business, making more money.

And I've seen it in the personal life too, because we can actually procrastinate in our relationships. Either staying for too long [00:19:00] in relationships that are not healthy for us, or not actively looking for relationships we want to have. I actually have a lovely lady in Tampa and she's like, Oh my goodness, Paty, I'm really good at my business, but I'm very lonely.

So we did take one action, accountability, and she reached out to a guy that she thought it was perfect for her. He had not done it out of fear of rejection. Guess what? He got married one year after. 

Pauline Chilton: Oh, that's great. 

Paty Johnston: So I just love to hear success stories because people actually change their lives. When they decide they want to change and it's just a blessing for me that they come to me so I can help out.

Pauline Chilton: Great. What are some words of advice or encouragement that you have to offer to someone who is wanting to change their lives, who wants to take that next step and overcome procrastination to move forward toward their goals? 

Paty Johnston: Yeah, so we're living [00:20:00] in an age of social media, which I love. But it can be dangerous because a lot of the times they are like dream it and you will achieve it. Oh, it's just a matter of having a big dream and don't get me wrong dreams are good. Like I dream a lot but reality is action brings abundance. 

Pauline Chilton: Action brings abundance. 

Paty Johnston: That is it. You can have big dreams, but if you don't take the action, you're gonna stay there forever. You're gonna be disappointed in yourself. So, action brings abundance. So, if you're listening to this and you're like, oh my goodness, I'm not where I need to be.

Health wise, financially, in business, or love, or whatever area or everything. You know, sometimes they come like, Paty, my house is a mess. My desk is a mess. My house is very unclean. So, if you have in your heart, it's time for me to change, reach out. Your action might be reach out to somebody that would help you.

It's very [00:21:00] difficult to do it on our own. So, call me. I love to help people, you know. I'm not charging if you want to just talk to me. We'll give out my phone number at the end. But, one action at a time will take you where you want to be. Action brings abundance. 

Pauline Chilton: That's so, so amazing. I do want to ask you to share with the audience how they can find you, how they can get ahold of you or reach out to get your services, whatever they would need to do to connect with you.

Paty Johnston: Yeah. So you will notice, you know me by now, believe, but I am, I love people and I love personal services because I don't like to just go live through a click. So I want to connect with you. So if you want to change, if you want to talk to me and you want to create a plan of change, you can text me. I love text messages.

You can text me at 813 789 [00:22:00] 1097, 813-789-1097. Please tell me your name. Tell me I'm in and tell me where you came from. Say Pauline brought me here. So I know it's, you know, you heard of me here. Send me a text message. If you want to check what I do and my website is stopprocrastinatingtoday.com. StopProcrastinatingToday.com 

And because we were talking about the types of procrastinators, I have a proposal, Pauline. If you want to, we can just put like a link with a quiz. If you want to find out what type of procrastinator you are, just click on it and find out the quiz. And if you want to talk about it after, then just set up an appointment with me.

Pauline Chilton: Great. I will put that link on the website. Any links that you have to share that I can share with the audience on how to get ahold of you will go into the blog post on the website. So just to [00:23:00] close it out right now, I just want to say thank you so much, Paty, for being here today.

And to the audience, thank you for joining us on this show and please tune in to the next episode of The Pauline Chilton Show. where we explore more of what the Tampa Bay area has to offer. I'm your host, Pauline Chilton. I'm a licensed real estate broker associate in the state of Florida with Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Florida Properties Group. I'd love it if you would follow me on Instagram @realpaulinechilton for more content. Check out my blog post on the show's website at thepaulineshow.com where you can find this episode in written form. And as mentioned, I will put links to any of the websites or social media sites that Paty is willing to share with us.

And listen to the show wherever you get your favorite podcast. And [00:24:00] until next time, take care!

https://stopprocrastinatingtoday.com/

https://stopprocrastinatingtoday.com/quiz/