Ahhh… procrastination. If I am being honest, I will say that I am definitely guilty of putting things off until the last minute. There always seems to be something else that needs doing first, and I will get the other things done ‘later’. But as time has shown me, if I don’t pencil myself and my projects into my schedule, I will be playing catch up. And I’m not alone.
As with all of life’s challenges, the best course of action is prevention. We must take it upon ourselves to allocate exclusive time and energy to projects in order to stay on track and move forward. Establishing and following a timeline can be the key to success, ensuring that the tasks are accomplished on schedule and the goal is achieved. With a deliberate timeline, procrastination can be avoided, and productivity can be increased. The results will be rewarding and the feeling of accomplishment will be great.
By some estimates, 20 percent of people consider themselves to be chronic procrastinators and many more put things off on occasion. If procrastination is getting in between you and your life goals, try these suggestions for getting things done with less delay.
Understanding Why You Procrastinate
You Struggle with Perfectionism
Procrastination and perfectionism often go hand in hand. Are you setting your standards so high that they intimidate you from doing your best? Determine if you’re avoiding important tasks because you’re anxious about how well you’ll perform.
Practice tackling seemingly daunting tasks with a sense of enthusiasm and optimism. If you can’t shake the apprehension that’s associated with certain tasks, try breaking them down into smaller, more manageable chunks. This will help you to keep your focus on the smaller goals and make them feel more achievable. Re-framing the task as a challenge rather than a chore can also be beneficial when it comes to overcoming procrastination and perfectionism. Often, a tendency towards perfectionism can be helped by addressing our deeper emotions and finding balance. Check out this free course on The Emotion Code with Bradley Nelson.
You Struggle to Make Up Your Mind
You might procrastinate because you find it challenging to make decisions. You keep developing more options and telling yourself that you’re doing background research rather than buckling down to more concrete work.
This makes it difficult for you to stay motivated, as you feel as though you’re continually spinning your wheels without making progress. To escape this endless cycle, it’s important to give yourself a limited amount of time to research and make decisions. When the time frame is up–even if you have more questions or think of new ideas–you need to be prepared to take action. This commitment will free you to focus on the next step, leaving all the unknown variables behind.
The Last Minute Rush Gets Under Your Skin
Maybe you’ve become conditioned to the euphoria you feel when working under pressure. You may need to find more productive ways to motivate and reward yourself.
Find unique and creative ways to reward yourself and stay motivated and productive. See my post on how to find motivation in the small things. Think about the activities that make you feel most engaged and energized and come up with ideas to celebrate the major milestones you reach. Whether it’s taking a long walk in the park, buying a new book, or treating yourself to a sweet treat, it’s important to recognize your successes and pat yourself on the back for a job well done.
Change Your Thinking to Tackle Procrastination
Examine the consequences of immediate gratification.
Impulse control often lies at the heart of chronic procrastination. Try asking yourself which activities will contribute more to your wellbeing over the long term. You may enjoy watching several episodes of your favorite TV show back to back when it’s more profitable to spend that time studying.
Release the feeling of dread.
Worrying about a project can often be more unpleasant than just doing it. Try adopting a neutral state of mind when you start listing all the reasons why you put off a project, like doing your taxes. You may be pleasantly surprised at how effectively you can reduce the stress you place on yourself.
Hold yourself accountable.
Take charge of your life by acknowledging your own abilities and making a commitment to give your best efforts to the things you care about. For example, get started today on your resolution to exercise daily rather than waiting until some hypothetical time when you’ll feel more energetic.
Developing New Habits
Schedule your time realistically.
Take stock of how you currently use your time. Calculate how long it really takes you to complete your typical errands compared to the overly optimistic scenarios that keep putting you behind schedule.
Eliminate time-wasters and plan ahead. Prioritize the most urgent tasks, break those down into achievable chunks, and commit to completing only those chunks that are essential to making progress. Create daily, weekly, and monthly goals, and keep track of your progress. You’ll soon get back on track and find that you have gained more time to dedicate to your content creation and other important activities.
Minimize your distractions.
If checking emails and surfing the web are eating up your time, put those distractions out of reach temporarily. See how much more you can accomplish when you focus only on the task at hand.
Set boundaries for yourself to maximize productivity. Turn off notifications, shut down any open tabs that don’t relate to the task you are performing, and set a timer if you need to stay focused. Make the most of your time by focusing on one task at a time. Don’t allow yourself to flit between projects or tasks; stay disciplined and maintain a laser-like focus until the task is completed.
Manage your interruptions.
Some interruptions are inevitable. Remain flexible so you can get back to work quickly rather than letting a five minute phone call turn into a wasted afternoon.
With that in mind, it’s just as important to be proactive in the ways you manage your time and productivity. Establish routines and set boundaries that you’ll stick to. Clarify expectations with those who you interact with and make them aware of how you manage your workflow. Take regular breaks and allow yourself to step away from your desk to clear your mind and recharge. And, if needed, find ways to automate mundane tasks to free up more time for meaningful work. Ultimately, all of these pieces come together to create a framework for success.
Practice with small endeavors.
You can turn almost anything into an opportunity to reinforce your new habits. Wipe down the kitchen counters immediately instead of saving up all of your cleaning for the weekend.
Take a few moments each morning or evening to do one small thing that furthers your goals. This can be anything from reading a business book to mindfully meditating. Putting aside time for these activities can help you stay focused and motivated to take on other commitments. As your new habits become ingrained in your routine, you’ll find yourself feeling more productive and positive – and your work will reflect that!
Reward your progress.
You might procrastinate because it allows you to spend time on things you enjoy more than the things you’re trying to avoid. When you do your grocery shopping before work rather than sleeping for another hour, pay yourself back by serving up your favorite dish for dinner.
Expect some setbacks.
You’re likely to experience some backsliding. Look for the temptations that pull you off course and develop strategies to overcome them. If you feel lethargic after dinner, schedule your toughest work early in the morning when you’re more alert.
Is procrastination a serious challenge in your life? Admittedly, it can be difficult to do things we don’t want to do.
Even when we know that waiting too long will create a lot of challenges, getting started can still seem impossible. Unfortunately, when procrastinating affects your job-related tasks, it can have a negative impact on your professional career as well.
So how can you kick this annoying tendency toward procrastination and start getting them done instead?
Try these strategies:
Schedule when you’re going to do it.
Make an appointment in your calendar for the day and time you’re going to work on the task. This is far more effective than just leaving everything up in the air until the right moment seems to present itself.
Then, schedule just enough time to get started.
A long, unpleasant task can be very difficult to start. Think, “I’m going to work on this for 20 minutes.” That’s easy enough that you should be able to sit down and get busy. Interestingly, once you get started, you’ll probably spend a lot more than 20 minutes on it. Getting starting is the tough part.
* Make it as easy to get started as you possibly can.
Break the task into smaller parts.
Larger tasks can seem overwhelming. By dividing the task into manageable parts, it will be psychologically easier to tackle the project. It’s easier to do 10 small things than one big thing.
* For example, once you’ve done five small things, you know that you’ve completed five things, instead of just starting on the one big thing without deriving any sense of accomplishment. So break that task down into smaller bites.
Which part is the most dreaded part?
Frequently, there is a small part of the task that is really holding you back. Is it possible to get someone else to take care of that part of the task for you? Can you outsource it? Many times, if someone else handles the part you dread, everything else will fall into place.
Pick the best time to do it.
We all have times of the day that we’re better at certain tasks. We have times when we’re better at concentrating, others when we’re more creative, and other times when we have more energy. What’s the proper time for you to tackle the task? Do you need quiet and privacy? Do you need access to certain people?
Get what you need to complete it.
Make a list of the tools, supplies, and resources that you’ll need to both begin and complete the task. It’s hard to get started when you know you can’t get finished.
Reward yourself!
Give yourself a reward for completing the task. You’ve earned it! It doesn’t have to be anything big, but we all like a little treat now and then. A little additional motivation never hurt anyone.
Do you find yourself putting off today’s tasks until the last minute? Maybe you’re waiting for the right mood to strike. Perhaps you’re afraid of failure, or find the work stressful or boring.
Regardless of your reasons, you can find a way out of this negative cycle!
The Feelings That Besiege Procrastinators
Chances are good that you feel guilty when you’re the last one to finish or when you complete something much later than you promised. Maybe you don’t finish at all and just give up when you realize how far behind you are.
Procrastination can lead to depression, especially when your habit of putting things off prevents you from ever achieving goals that are important to you. Watching the success of others who always finish first can make you feel worthless.
As a procrastinator, beginning a task can be the hardest part. These suggestions can help you get started and continue working on your tasks until you complete them.
Ginseng – The Stress Buster, Memory Enhancer, Concentration Booster
An adaptogen (a class of substances that help the body adapt to physical or mental stress), ginseng protects you from stress. This herb also been shown to sharpen memory and concentration. This may be exactly what you need in order to overcome procrastination.
Also, menopausal women may be prone to depression and mood swings, which can hamper their ability to work. Ginseng can help allay menopausal symptoms, which in turn will assist in productivity and reducing procrastination.
Time Management
Procrastinators tend to ignore tasks by pointing to a lack of time. If you feel like you often don’t have enough time to do your work, try these tips on managing your time more efficiently:
1. Prioritize your tasks. Do the most urgent first.
2. Rise earlier so you can get more things done in time. For many, early morning is the best time for working on the most urgent and important tasks. During these hours, your concentration is high and the mind is fresh.
3. Make a to-do list. Post it where you can see it and follow your list.
4. Watch less TV. Keep an eye on how much time you spend on leisure activities such as watching television. Try reducing this time by an hour or two a week. You may be surprised at how much more you can get done!
Focus on Your Glorious Goals!
Always look at the bigger picture – accomplishing your life goals. Let this vision motivate you to work towards your goal each day. Completing one small step each day will contribute to the manifestation of your dreams.
When you feel lazy, remind yourself of what you truly want. Dream about it. See it clearly in your mind’s eye. Feel the elation and satisfaction that comes from bringing these dreams to fruition.
Short List of Tips for Beating Procrastination
* Avoid waiting for the right “mood.”
* Remember that procrastination can lead to depression.
* Avoid allowing fear of failure to overwhelm you.
* Do the “boring” tasks first.
* Take ginseng every day.
* Remind yourself of how completing your tasks contribute to reaching your goals.
* Avoid packing too much into your to-do list for any given day.
* Refrain from assuaging your guilt by doing minor tasks instead of doing the major ones.
* Focus on one task at a time so you don’t scatter your energies.
* Shake yourself out of your false sense of security (that you have plenty of time to start it later) and tackle that task now!
Follow these tips and you’ll no longer have to watch others reach the finish line before you. You’ll feel a sense of great accomplishment, and before you know it, your bigger goals will no longer just be dreams; you’ll have achieved them!
Imagine how much better your life would be if you could kick the procrastination habit out the door. Unfinished tasks have a profound effect on your sense of well-being and peace of mind. Living with the stress that procrastination can cause isn’t necessary. Start using the tips above and remove the challenge of procrastination from your life. You’ll be so glad you did!
Overcoming procrastination will help you accomplish more and feel better about yourself. Devote your energies to meaningful activities rather than trying to avoid them, you’ll enjoy more peace of mind and a richer life.
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