Stop procrastinating and get more done today!

 

I'll bet there is something, right now, that you've been putting off. You might even be reading our site to avoid it.

Procrastination is extremely common.  Many professionals admit that they procrastinate on completing projects and some people procrastinate so often that it's a serious problem. If procrastination is such a serious problem why do we procrastinate?

The most common reasons people procrastinate are fear, self doubt, irrational beliefs and poor organization. To make matters worse, procrastination can increase those feelings of fear and doubt leading to more stress and more procrastination!

How to overcome procrastination

Plan your work and work your plan

Create a list of all of the things that you need to accomplish and put a date next to each item.  Estimate the amount of time that you need to complete your project, then double that time so you don't find yourself rushing due to an unforeseen hiccup. 

Break it up

A new project can be stressful and intimidating.  One of the easiest ways to overcome this is to break the project up into smaller tasks.  For example, if you need to create a presentation for work you might break it up into several smaller tasks such as identifying the subject, creating an outline, collecting content, filling out slide, fine tuning the details.  This will seem much more manageable than creating that big presentation by itself.  

Schedule focus time

Find time on your calendar, every day, where you can focus on what you're trying to accomplish.  This may be a 2 hour block of time or 15 minutes.  The important thing is that you've set aside intentional time. This will force you to sit down and work on your goals even if it's just for a few minutes.  The momentum you create in this time will help keep you on track to achieving your goals. 

Manage your environment

Do you get easily distracted in your work environment?   Help yourself achieve your best work by eliminating distractions. If you have the ability to change that environment do so.  Turn off your phone's notifications, close your email and chat apps.  Put on headphones and your favorite playlist.  Eliminating distractions from your workflow will help keep you focused on the task at hand. 

Reward yourself

Working hard without reward is not a recipe for success. Stop to celebrate the milestones along the way. Whether that means playing a quick game on your phone, drinking a coffee or going for a run these small rewards can be big motivators to keep you on track.

Wrap up

Breaking out of the habit of procrastinating isn't easy.  In fact, breaking any bad habit is hard. Use the tips within this guide to help you overcome your fears of failure, insecurities about your abilities and achieve your best results.  If you want to learn more about overcoming procrastination check out most recent Holiday Reading List for a recommendation of Atomic Habits

How do you deal with procrastination?  Tell us more in the comments below!