Stop the Procrastination Game

Posted on June 21st, 2009

Procrastination is the biggest enemy to progress. It causes a person to miss out on key opportunities. People that procrastinate are often considered to be lazy, but this is not always true. What is the real cause of procrastination? Many factors can cause a person to procrastinate – lack of focus, lack of organization, the inability to set obtainable goals, low self esteem and even fear.

We’ve all heard the famous quote, “Why put off till tomorrow what you can do today?” For most people this is all the motivation needed, while others struggle with putting things off for weeks, months and even years. Procrastination does not have to dominate your life; you can overcome it. With focus and a change of attitude, combined with some practical tips and techniques, procrastination can be a thing of the past.

Here are five strategies you can use today to help you deal with procrastination:

Set small goals. Often we can feel overwhelmed with tasks, so we continue to put them off until we are left with no choice but to complete them.

Separate your big project into smaller steps. These should be steps that can be completed systematically one at a time. Make sure your end points are well-defined, tat way you can have a sense of completion – this will keep you going.

Setting small goals will provide you with a continued feeling of accomplishment as they are completed. With each individual success, you feel better about yourself, and this motivates you to continue.

Give yourself breaks periodically – this will allow you to focus on each individual task and takes the overwhelming feeling out of the job.

Avoid distractions. We are all guilty. We get ready to start working and our mind starts wondering, thinking of 10 other things we could be doing. We start checking email, voicemail, then back to email. How long did that take?

Only check your email twice a day instead of every 5 minutes. You need time to focus.

Make sure you have what you need, want or think you need before you sit down to start working. Once you have everything in place – it’s time to concentrate.

Delegate. Don’t create more stress by taking on more responsibility than you can handle. Start giving responsibilities to others. Stress leads to procrastination, procrastination leads to tight deadlines and that leads to more stress; it’s a never ending cycle.

Make a list. Making a list will help you stay focus on what tasks need to be completed. Your list will also serve as a constant reminder of things you absolutely need to do and a great way to avoid procrastination. A small pocket notebook or on occasion, note cards works wonders for list keeping.

Keep a list put your daily-to-dos before you at all times serving as a quick references

Incorporate your small goals on this list. You will have a great sense of accomplishment when you cross off what has been completed. Before you know it, the whole list is marked off!

Shut it down. When you are done for the day, shut your computer down, stop answering calls and put away work related things. If it is possible – don’t bring work home. Tune your brain from work to home. By giving your brain a break, you help avoid over exhaustion and keep your mind fresh for the next day.

Spend time doing something you love. This will recharge your body for the next day.

Pick one or two of these tips and try them out for three weeks. Remember, it takes 21 days to form a habit and if you truly want to stop procrastinating you have to make productivity a habit.

When you have made a habit of one tip, pick out another one, and before you know it you’ll be the personification of productive!

I am a certified Master Personal Growth Coach. I have been coaching women for 6 years in the area of personal growth dealing with self-esteem, self-image and self-confidence. My goal is to help women achieve their dreams and live life to the fullest. www.thetotalmakeover.com

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/coaching-articles/stop-the-procrastination-game-978159.html