Cara Stein
" Cara Stein is an idealist who has stopped trying to play it cool. She's the author of five books, including How to be Happy (No Fairy Dust or Moonbeams Required), Getting Unstuck, and Finish and Publish: Write the Book You've Always Wanted to Write. Her peeves include chipmunks, fakery, and the word "peeve." "
Why we procrastinate: 3 Tips on How to Stop Procrastinating and Stay Out of Your Own Way
When I was in grad school, my toilet was the cleanest it’s ever been. That’s the power of procrastination: even cleaning the bathroom seemed more enticing than working on my dissertation. Yet I finished. Here’s what I learned.
1. Stop fighting against your procrastination.
This may seem counterintuitive, but one major cause of procrastination is feeling intimidated by the project or task. If we struggle and beat ourselves up for not having done it, that only makes us feel smaller and the task larger.
You may have heard the saying, “what you resist persists.” That’s especially true with procrastination. The more you focus on what you haven’t done yet, the worse you feel about yourself, and the fewer mental resources you have available to do what you set out to do. This can easily become a paralyzing downward spiral.
Instead, look for ways to build your confidence. Look for wins. Point out things you have done. Show yourself that you can do this, too.
2. Understand why you procrastinate.
It’s tempting to think we’re crazy, stupid, or bad when we put things off. I see the consequences, yet I’m still not taking action, so there must be something wrong with me. Right?
Actually, no. One of the most helpful books I’ve ever read was The Now Habit by Neil Fiore, because it pointed out that procrastination isn’t crazy at all. We often get rewarded for it. Here are a few ways life trains us to procrastinate:
• Sometimes procrastination pays off. How many times have you had a dreaded task get canceled or end up not needing to be done after all? How many times has someone else come along and done it for you? In school, how many times did a snow day save your bacon when you hadn’t studied or done a project?
• For the perfectionists among us, waiting until the last minute gives us a built-in excuse if our work isn’t all we hoped it would be: I could have done better if I had more time.
• Some people need a little adrenaline to be able to focus enough to work. For those people, procrastination gives them deadline pressure to generate that adrenaline.
Once I saw the reasons behind procrastinating, I was able to stop beating myself up and making it worse. I also realized that I’m in control. Now that I understand what I get out of procrastinating, I can make a conscious choice: do I want to keep gambling and giving myself outs? Would I be willing to trade those payoffs for a more peaceful coexistence with my work?
3. Start with the smallest possible step.
Procrastination thrives when you look at a whole mountain of work and feel like you can’t possibly do it. Instead, take the smallest piece you can possibly do, and do that.
Here are some good first steps:
• Make a list of everything that needs to be done on this project.
• Gather the tools and materials you’ll need to do the work (or maybe just one category of tools or materials).
• Brainstorm ideas for how to approach the project.
• Make a few sketches.
• Write an outline—or just a list of topics.
• Do 20 minutes’ research.
These are all great procrastination-breakers because they’re small enough that it’s obvious you can do them, and they help build clarity for your next steps. They set you up for success.
You can do the same thing if you get stuck in the middle of the project. One of the best tricks I’ve found is to set a timer for 20 minutes, and commit to total focus on the work until the timer goes off. A 20-minute block is short enough that it’s clearly doable and the end is in sight, yet it’s long enough to get some traction and start feeling good about the project again.
Bonus tip: Consider not doing the thing you’re procrastinating.
Many times, procrastination comes from fear and resistance, but if we overcome it and do the task, we’ll be much happier. In those cases, it’s worth pushing through.
But other times, we procrastinate a project because we don’t believe in it and don’t want to do it. In those cases, it’s better to make a conscious choice. If you choose not to do the project after all, be honest with yourself and those around you, and admit that you’re not going to do it. That takes courage, but the peace you’ll gain is worth it.
Here’s to mastering procrastination, so you can do what you want to do!
For a funny look at what holds us back, check out the parody magazine I made to call out the gremlin voices in our heads.
" Kristin Stone is a life-long learner who loves writing, dancing, running, making things with yarn, being a mother, and exploring how the spiritual intersects with the material. You can read more of her work at LifeLearningToday.com, LightandJoyDesigns.com, and RunningZen.com. "
Kristin Stone
3 tips on how to stop procrastinating and cause self-improvement.
“To get rid of weeds, you must get at the roots. To fix a problem, we must understand and change the causal conditions.” - Kristin Stone
Procrastination is a real bugaboo in our results-driven society. There is so much pressure to do, produce, make, deliver and so on, that our minds become overloaded with “must do’s” and “should do’s” and of course the really dreaded “have to do’s.”
With all this pressure to be doing all the time, the natural reaction is to run away from it all with procrastination.
Pressure to constantly be productive is the root.
Procrastination is the weed.
So how do you remove the pressure then?
1. Reduce Your List.
Be more choosy about what you do. Take a look at your to-do list and evaluate it. Start by writing out your top priorities in life. That might look like:
a. Strong family bonds
b. Raise healthy well adjusted children
c. Enjoy and do well at my career
d. Have experiences: A, B, and C
e. Be healthy, rested and happy
f. Enjoy life
g. Material Things I want: X, Y, and Z.
Then for each item on your list, ask yourself “what would happen if I removed this from my list? Does it tie in critically to my priorities?” Some things really do need to get done. You must eat. You must get the most important things done at work. You must care for your children. Those stay. But do you have go to every social event you are invited to? Do you have to work every after hours event your boss asks of you? Are your hobbies no longer enjoyable because you have too many or you’ve made them more complicated than they need to be? The only things that should be on your list are things that relate back to values, experiences, or life-sustaining activities that are important to you.
2. Spend Time Being.
Being is the antidote to Doing. The more time you spend Being, the more rejuvenated you will be for Doing. “Being” boils down to experiences where you are able to let go of everything you hold so tightly in your mind. Of course meditation is an obvious one. And yes that’s a good one. But approach it from the standpoint of Being, not Doing. Just experience it, don’t “do” it. Other things that could fall into this category would be
a. listening, dancing or creating music
b. hobbies of any sort
c. Walking in nature
d. Anything where you can lose yourself in a meditative or joyful state.
How much time should you spend Being? Some every day. Make it part of your routine, either morning or evening and also any time you need a mental break. Even 5-10 minutes can work wonders!
3. Change Your Perspective.
When we think of our tasks, what we think of is “task,” “work,” “drudgery” and so on. Our mindset is fighting against our goals. We need to turn our thinking upside down: When thinking of your tasks, focus your mind to visualise the results you’ll get and how that links back to your priorities. Use an enthusiastic imagination. See and believe that doing the task will be easy and fun. Allow for that possibility. Allow yourself to have fun with even the most difficult of tasks. Visualize a positive result that contributes to your life goals, your main priorities. Then just get started! It’s all about your mindset! Make it work for you!
Bonus Tip:
Just Do a Little Bit. Often the hardest part of doing a task is just getting started. Make a deal with yourself to just do one part of your task. Once you do that you’ll have just enough momentum to keep going!
Dr. Victor Schueller
" Dr. Victor has authored two books on the topic of wellness, having applied the same principles to maintain a healthy work-life balance; building a thriving career while also enjoying the love of his wife and two lovely daughters. "
When it comes to overcoming procrastination, I've found it helpful to keep lists to manage my tasks. Then, I can assign the tasks a letter, marking them as an "A" task for those that are urgent and important, and a "B" task for those that are not urgent, but still important. Then, for those tasks that are neither important nor urgent, I mark those as a "C" task. Things that can be delegated are marked "D," and those which can be eliminated altogether get marked as an "E," or simply removed from the list. An "A" task always comes before starting a "B," and those always come before a "C," and so on. It's always helpful to do the most unpleasant task first so that it's out of the way and everything else is easier by comparison.
I utilize email tools to help manage my tasks and put off procrastinating, as well as to help me set aside the non-urgent tasks that are competing for my attention. I use a combination of Inbox by Google and SaneBox. The combination of the two allows me to "snooze" emails and have them come back at another time, mark emails as complete, and obviously, delete the ones that I don't need anymore. The dynamic duo helps me organize my emails into folders that allow me to quickly navigate through the important and non-important emails. I especially like that I can "train" SaneBox to handle emails from the same sender the same way in the future as well as dumping things in a black hole if I don't want to get emails from a particular sender anymore.
Finally, the last thing I do to manage my time (this includes avoiding procrastination) is the most important tool I use for managing everything I have going on. People wonder how I can get so much done in the same 24 hours that we all get in a day. I'm a dad, a college instructor, volunteer for a kids' theatre group, and I am also in the process of opening up a brick-and-mortar wellness center. Throw on top of that reading a book or two a week, meditating, and sleeping, and it's clear I have a lot to manage in a small amount of time.
This most important tool for time management is being ever present of how my time is not my time and how my work is not my work. It wasn't until I put my attention squarely on my relationship with God, and doing work for the glory of God that I was able to harness the supernatural ability to complete an enormous amount of work with a limited amount of time and keep it all together. My will is God's will, and God's will is my will. Through the strength of God I find all I need. Finding God, I find all things through God. I've been able to develop a present-moment awareness and mindfulness where I fully concentrate on one thing and one thing only. I imagine that I only have one hand and can only pick up one "thing" at a time. I know I have a lot of balls that I find the need to juggle, but I can only hold one at a time. So, task by task, one by one, I only handle one thing at a time. This helps me prevent overwhelm and it also keeps me moving forward with an honest and realistic expectation of what I can accomplish in my day.
" Jessica DeBry shows women how to quit the job they hate and build a business they LOVE. Jessica is the Founder of SHEclub Monthly and an Online Business Mentor. "
Jessica DeBry
How many times have you had good intentions of starting and finishing something, but before you know it, the day has passed you by and you got nothing done? As a self-proclaimed procrastinator, I know EXACTLY what it feels like to tell yourself that you’ll “get to it tomorrow” … while in the moment you may get a little relief, in the long-term, procrastination can be a business and dream killer. Here’s my 3 tips on what to do to stop procrastinating and finally get stuff done.
TIP #1: Change Your Environment
Feeling mentally stuck at your desk? Change it up! While I love my home office, I have plenty of days where I find myself getting distracted in my regular environment (and getting lost in the endless sea of silly cat videos). If you can relate, you need a change of scenery. Grab your laptop and head to new spot, like a local coffee shop, a park picnic table, or even at your kitchen counter. You’ll be surprised at how much a change in environment will spark your concentration to the task at hand.
TIP #2: Batch Your Time
If you’re struggling with when to actually start and finish a task, it’s time to start batching your time. As a business owner myself, I look at my day in two-hour increments, or batches of time. For each time batch, I give myself only one task to focus on. For example, from 8-10am, I focus on one thing, like writing a blog post, or planning my social media calendar, etc. The key here is to stop the overwhelm (this is the feeling that feeds into procrastination), and batch your time so it’s more actionable and approachable.
TIP #3: Start Big, Work Small
This tip applies specifically to planning. Here’s the thing … you probably have BIG goals for your life and business. And you should! All great endeavors start with a dream of big change. But when it comes to actually approaching your daily tasks, you’ve got to work small.
You may feel like you have no clue of how you’re going to achieve the goals you have for yourself. And that’s why you’ve got to break it down! Start first by writing out the big GOALS for yourself. Then, explore into what PROJECTS you’ll need to complete in order to reach those goals. From there, break down the projects into TASKS.
Goals ==> Projects ===> Tasks
By breaking things down into smaller chunks, you can tackle your tasks and finally STOP the procrastination cycle.
Phil Newton
"Phil Newton is a freelance software developer from North Carolina."
Break large tasks into smaller, actionable steps
Starting any large job can be overwhelming. It's easy to procrastinate when there seems like far too much to do.
A good first step is to break down the task into smaller and smaller pieces until you feel comfortable. Even if the task is relatively simple, dividing
things up can help get over the initial hump.
The tasks don't have to be major parts of the project, and depending on the work required,there's usually no need to break every single thing down at the start either. Overly-complicated planning is another way to procrastinate on getting
started.
A useful rule of thumb is to make each step a specific question that can be answered with a "yes" or a "no" to signal if it's done. "Organize notes" isn't as clear as "gather my notes for project X into a folder".
Use time boxing
Time boxing is the process of setting aside a set amount of time to work on a task. It doesn't have to be a large amount of time - sometimes working just 15 minutes is enough to break the deadlock and start making progress.
If I've been procrastinating on something for a long time, I'll deliberately keep the time short to get things going. It can be tempting to set aside a couple of hours, but this can make it harder to start as it looks like "plenty of time".
Make time for organization
I often find that when I'm procrastinating it means I don't have a clear enough picture of what I need to do. I might have do some research, read over more notes or just sketch out some ideas to clarify what the outcome should be.
Other times I'll already have the information I need, but if it's not organized where it should be it's off-putting to have to dig around for it.
Setting aside some regular time for organizing projects helps me to keep on top of things. I'm much more likely to start working if I know I can grab a folder with everything I need instead of having to search for things first.
Bonus tip: The two-minute rule
If a task comes up during organization that is going to take less than two minutes, do it there and then. Small jobs have a tendency to pile up and this rule helps to keep on top of them.
" A Transformational Teacher and HealerMaria Erving is the creator of mariaerving.com membership site where she writes about spiritual and personal growth, transformation of consciousness, self-awareness, intuition, energy, and flow. "
Maria Erving
The 1 reason most people procrastinate is indecisiveness and ‘waiting’ for something to happen, that’s what is hindering spiritual and personal growth.
So my three tips on how to start moving in a direction of growth and progress are:
1. Realize that you only have this One Life.
This is it my friend. You only get one shot, and you don't have all the time in the world.
It's time to change and make your life as great as it can be, and when you embark on the journey of personal growth, your life will change too - for the better!
You will experience more of the good stuff in life, I promise you that.
Don't wait another day, begin Now.
Remember; One Life. This is it. Make it real good.
2. Start doing and taking action right away.
Many times people watch a lot of YouTube videos, they listen to lots of Podcasts and read a lot of books and so on, but without implementing what they have learned.
So make a list of the things you need to do and want to do and then start doing them.
Get clear about what direction you want to go and think seriously and deeply about what that new path requires from you in terms of taking action.
And then start doing the things on your to-do list, one step at a time.
3. Stop comparing yourself with others and where they are in their personal growth.
Looking at what everybody else is doing is taking away energy from what your real focus should be on, which is You.
Focus on doing You and doing you really good.
The journey is all about the inner work, and not about acquiring a lot of information and looking left and right to see what everybody else is doing and where they are in their growth.
Keep your attention on You and the areas in your life where you can grow, evolve and improve yourself and your life.
Coming back to tips number one and summing it up;
This is your One Life, really let that sink in.
Let it motivate you to start using your time and energy wisely so that you can grow and evolve into the person that you are meant to be.
A person who is confident and happy, and who live their life with a great sense of purpose and meaningfulness.
Holly Worton
" Holly Worton helps women entrepreneurs dissolve their visibility blocks and limiting beliefs around money and success so that they can take easy inspired action and grow their business to new heights. "
My “thing” is mindset, so I'm going to base my top tips around procrastination and self-improvement from a mindset perspective. When you find yourself procrastinating, it can be really helpful to dig a bit deeper and look at why you're avoiding that activity or task. Getting to the root of the issue can make it easier for you to take action and get things done...and do a little self-improvement work in the process! Some people are really good at just pushing through the procrastination and getting things done, but that just doesn't work for everyone.
1. First, determine whether this is something that you absolutely have to do yourself. Is there any way you could outsource this to someone else, or get help with it? Sometimes, it's easier and more efficient to actually get someone else to do the task for us.
2. Assuming this is something you've got to do yourself, here are some questions to ask yourself: Why are you procrastinating on this? Is there something that you're afraid of? Do you think that whatever you do won't be good enough? What's stopping you from getting this done?
3. Once you're really clear on what's keeping you stuck, look at the other side of the coin and see what you need to believe about yourself in order to stop procrastinating and take action. Do you need to believe that you are good enough? That you're smart enough? That you have the confidence to do it?
4. Sometimes, understanding the root cause of the procrastination is enough to help people actually start taking action. Often, we need to do a little more work, what I call deep mindset work. This is something that you can do on your own, or with someone who specializes in this type of work. I always recommend working at the deeper levels, and shifting things at the subconscious and energetic levels. There are all kinds of techniques that can help with this; PSYCH-K®, EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique), NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming), hypnotherapy, etc.
5. Take action! Even when doing mindset work, we absolutely need to take action in order to tell our minds that we're serious about making change. However, once we've done the work to shift our beliefs around an issue, taking action is usually much easier.
" Melissa is Co-Founder/Owner @BubblrMedia. She is currently hosts or co-hosts three live streamed shows. "
Melissa Reyes
1. Keep it simple.
I use one word to focus on for the whole year (for 2018 mine is ACTION) and every time I begin to lose sight of my goal or get distracted, I remind myself of my focus word. I even wear a bracelet with my word etched on it. I have a mantra, "Take Action", that I say every day. This one word reminds me that nothing will stand in my way of attaining my goal.
2. Stay centered.
I call myself back to the moment. When I realize I am procrastinating, I call myself out. Being mindful is about living in the moment. Procrastination is dwelling in the future, putting something off, over-thinking it, analyzing, over-planning, avoiding, whatever. When I realize I am doing it, I center myself on the task at hand and simply do that. I am in control of the now. Procrastination is a mind game that I don't play.
3. Celebrate every win.
I don't wait until I achieve the big hairy audacious goal. I celebrate every chance I get. Making every day a celebration makes life fun and enjoyable. We procrastinate sometimes because we don't want to do the hard work it takes to get to the good times, so make every day good and there will be no reason to procrastinate. Find the good in everything. Be grateful for every moment and procrastination won't get in the way of success.
Nikos Alepidis
" Nikos Alepidis is a personal development blogger at motivirus.com. His goal is to help and inspire people to become better. "
3 Tips on How to Stop Procrastinating and Cause Self-Improvement
If you want to start becoming more productive and bolster your level of success effectively, it is important to know where to start. These simple tips can help you achieve great things in a short amount of time.
1. Reduce Your Stress Level
One of the most common reasons people procrastinate is because they overwhelm themselves with feelings of guilt and other negative emotions that cause stress. When you adopt a more positive viewpoint, you can start getting more done on a regular basis. Don’t waste any time beating yourself up and just get to work.
2. Make a List
Writing down a list of all the things you need to accomplish each day can also help you to get more done. There is nothing quite like the satisfaction that comes from crossing off things you have accomplished on a physical list. This will help keep you motivated to continue plowing through your work. Whether it is on a pad of paper or on your phone, write it down.
3. Choose the Proper Work Space
You should choose the right space to work in each day, as your immediate environment can have a huge impact on how productive you are. Find a quiet and relaxing place to get things done so that you won’t have any distractions. This could be a private research room at a local library or your home office. You will want to think about what kind of space you will thrive in when it comes to getting work done so you can make the right decision.
" I help the overwhelmed create saner, simpler lives. I deliver… Untamed possibility. Breathe easier simplicity. Hope. On the wings of understanding and encouragement. Step by step breaking down from “no way! “ to “why not?”"
Beth Dargis
1) Ask yourself why.
One of the main reasons I don’t procrastinate as much as I used to, is that I’ve gotten into the habit of asking why.
We often know we are procrastinating. But, instead of getting to the bottom of it we make excuses like, “Well I’m just a procrastinator” or “I’m just lazy”.
Firmly held beliefs about yourself are usually easier to deal with than, “I don’t want to be judged harshly with the finished result, so I’ll do it last minute knowing it wasn’t my best work.” Or, “I’m scared I don’t know what I am doing.” Or, “I am overwhelmed by the scope of it.”
Instead of telling ourselves the truth we lie to ourselves when we only admit we procrastinate.
Until we get to the why, it’s harder to overcome procrastination.
Next time you realize you are procrastinating, ask yourself why.
Then you can talk back to your fear, ask for help, break down the project into smaller pieces or try making the task more fun.
2) Ask yourself,“Will I feel more or less overwhelmed if I don’t do anything right now?”
When I ask this I usually know I would get further behind if I continued to procrastinate. I would feel more overwhelmed because more things would be added to the list while I am trying to get out of doing work.
3) Take a few minutes to clean up and prioritize.
Clear off your desk so you can think. Consolidate your to do list. Mark your top 10 to dos. Pick one and start.
Shaun Boyd
" Shaun Boyd is a personal development fanatic that writes at lifereboot.com "
1. Don't overwhelm yourself with everything that comes between now and the finish line for your goal. Focus on the very first step and prioritize what needs to get done or started today. Do this every day. If you do this consistently, you'll establish a habit where you're working towards your goals every day and consequently achieving them slowly over time.
2. Stay organized. Use whatever tools to stay organized that works for you. Maybe it's a whiteboard calendar on the back of your front door. Maybe it's a series of post it notes on your wall. Maybe it's a checklist app on your phone. Whatever solution you choose, it should be something that keeps your to do list visible and organized. Don't worry about how there will be weeks where you're adding more things than you're crossing off -- that's normal. Simply having the list gives you a viewing area to quickly browse through your tasks and select something as your "goal for today" or maybe your "goal for this weekend." As long as you have some kind of system for saving your goals until you've accomplished them, you won't lost sight of them and will achieve them.
3. Don't sweat the small stuff. If something takes less than 5 minutes, just do it now. Send a quick email. Make a short phone call. Process your stack of mail. Collect the trash in your car. When you knock out these small tasks quickly as they come to you, they don't have an opportunity to build up into something bigger.
" Nils Salzgeber is the co-founder of NJlifehacks.com, a popular self-improvement blog dedicated to helping people feel and perform at their best. His approach is focused on helping people build self-discipline, live more mindfully, and commit to lifelong learning. "
Nils Salzgeber
Tip #1: Fix your sleep. Low sleep quality, not being able to fall asleep at will, not being able to get out of bed in the morning – that has always been a massive problem for me personally. If you can fix your sleep, you’ll be ahead of most people. You’ll have more energy. You’ll start the day with a win. And everything will go a lot smoother. Invest some time into reading about sleep optimization.
Tip #2: Use timers to beat resistance. You know you should do something, but can’t get yourself to do it? The resistance – for whatever reason! – is just too high? Then use a timer. Do the dishes for five minutes. Work on your school project for fifteen minutes. Work out for ten minutes. This allows you to focus on the process and removes a lot of the friction to getting started.
Tip #3: Treat yourself with self-compassion, not self-criticism. Stop beating yourself up for procrastinating (or for anything else for that matter). It only makes things worse. Self-compassion – treating yourself with warmth, love, and understanding – is so much more effective. Ask yourself, “How would I try to motivate my kid?” Certainly not by criticizing it all the time, right? Same goes for you.
Best of luck on your journey! :-)
Miriam Ortiz y Pino
" Miriam Ortiz y Pino is a Certified Professional Organizer, Simplicity Expert & Coach, Entrepreneur, Writer, Blogger and Creator of The Streamlined Solution. "
The number one thing you can do to stop procrastinating is to connect what you need or want to do with why you want to do it. What is the big picture vision of how you want your life and work to be? How does this task move you towards that? How will having completed the thing feel? Experiencing the feeling even in your mind will help motivate you to get it done.
Self-improvement happens incrementally. In other words, every little bit helps. If you are having a hard time getting started or staying on task, break it down to the very next step. Determine the easiest or quickest bit to work on. Because our brains like positive feedback, providing yourself with a small win can motivate you to keep going.
Recognize when your procrastination is really your perfectionism getting in the way. Learn to get things done not perfect. Think of it as a form of dosing your energy. Don’t waste energy on stuff that is irrelevant, spend it where you really shine. And some things you have to do anyway, don’t wait for the perfect moment, just do them in the right order.
" Danny Rubin is an award-winning author and speaker on business communication skills. His book, Wait, How Do I Write This Email?, is a collection of 100+ writing templates for networking, the job search and LinkedIn."
Danny Rubin
People procrastinate because they spend too much thinking about what they could do...or should do...or want to do...or need to do.If you start working on the task, there's no time for procrastination. You're now immersed in the job, and your brain is preoccupied with how to solve the challenge(s) before you.
Procrastination also has a mischievous cousin -- it's called "paralysis by analysis." You can spend all day long thinking about what might happen...or what could happen or...you catch my drift.
The reality is you'll never know what will happen until you dive into the work. So often, the outcome will be nothing that you expected. It might even be better than you predicted.
If you chip away at your project a little each day, you won't have time to procrastinate. The idea won't enter your brain. There is always something else you can work on -- another skill to obtain or mountain to scale.
Your mission (or passion project) is too important to sit around and wonder what might be.
Ursula Preiss
1. Start any activity with setting a timer. If 25 minutes is too much, set the timer for 15 minutes or even 5 minutes. For activities like my yoga practice that usually lasts 90 minutes I set a timer, too. The limited time makes any activity more doable. It intensifies the given time. Setting the timer is the beginning. It's like ready, steady, go.....
2. Plan your activities the evening before. Plan what you want to do, when you start this activity and how long it will last. Start with the next tiny step. Don't discuss anymore if you want to do this activity or not. Don't doubt about your decision. Just go for it.
3. When a task is done, cross it out from your list. To write things down is important. Look back and enjoy the success. Take a break. Appreciate what is done. This helps to get going the next time when a 'difficult' task needs to be done.
" Phil is founder of Self Development Journeywriter. "
Phil
1. Break your tasks down into smaller bits - Large tasks can feel overwhelming and demotivating. Break down what you have to do in the day, week, and longer into smaller chunks.
2. Reward yourself - Who doesn't like a reward or something special to work towards, right? It requires some self-discipline, but jot down a bit of paper what you're going to buy yourself when you get some certain tasks done and keep it as a motivating reminder.
3. Stop trying to be perfect - This is the one tip I always give people that makes them stop and think. Are you procrastinating because you're waiting for that perfect moment, or because you don't think you can do the task good enough? Stop overthinking it and just do it!
Arman Assadi
" Arman Assadi is the co-founder & CEO of Project Evo. "
1. Answer-Procrastination = Laziness + Indifference. You can remedy this by having a clear, definite aim and nurturing a clear vision for yourself. I talk more about this formula here.
2. You can't rely on willpower alone. Forcing yourself to build a new habit is sometimes very difficult. What's easier is changing your environment to nurture the change you want to see and understanding how these feedback loops work.
3. Stop being afraid. Most poeple have a subconscius fear of improving and ending their procrastination for very complex reasons, usually these are distilled down to a fear of success or failure. There's nothing to be afraid of and the journey will be worth it. You have one chance, one life.
" Don writes for, Breath of Optimism, a personal development site that helps readers to be the best person they can be in this life. "
Don Dulin
My tip to stop procrastinating is to trick myself into action. If I have something I don't feel like doing, I just tell myself to work on it for 5 minutes. After all, something is better than nothing, even if just 5 minutes. What ends up happening though is that I never stop at 5 minutes. Once I get going, I keep going. It's just getting over the hump of actually starting. The funny thing is, I know that when I tell myself to work on something for just 5 minutes, I'll keep working on it longer. But for some reason, the 5 minute time frame gets me to start taking action.
Justine Froelker
" Justine is a Licensed Professional Counselor and a Certified Daring Way™ Facilitator with over 18 years of experience (based on the research of Dr. Brené Brown). "
1. Structure and schedule your day with balanced grace. I schedule my self-care time and my work time. I also schedule my white space and nothing time.
2. Do it. Do it again. And, do it again. New research shows it takes 66 days to develop a habit. Just get it done, action will always kill fear.
3. Ask yourself what the story you are making up. What is holding you back? How are you standing in your own way? Then rewrite that story and let it go.
" Prolific writer, author, and coach, Oliver JR Cooper, hails from England. His insightful commentary and analysis covers all aspects of human transformation, including love, partnership, self-love, and inner awareness. With over one thousand seven hundred in-depth articles highlighting human psychology and behaviour, Oliver offers hope along with his sound advice. "
Oliver JR Cooper
If someone is in a position where they are unable to take action, I would say that it might be a good idea for them to look into if they actually want to do it. Through taking this approach, they may find that it is not something that really interests them. Now, if what they want to do does interest them, they could think about what will happen if they don’t take action. By focusing on the bad things that might happen, it might give them the emotional fuel that they need to get things moving. Along with this, they may find that what is taking place within them is stopping them from taking action. For example, they may believe that it is not possible for them to achieve something, which will hold them back. It will then be necessary for them to change their outlook and to realise that nothing happens overnight. When they change how they view what they want to achieve and focus on taking one step at a time, it might allow them to move forward.
Shannon Kaiser
" Shannon Kaiser is Best-selling author, entrepreneur, writer, teacher, life coach. "
“Tap into your inspiration. When you are inspired you are motivated from within and things become easier. Find what inspires you and follow that passion daily."