Beat Procrastination…Today not Tomorrow

Five Tips to Beat Procrastination
Procrastination is something that everyone struggles with, I know me personally this was one of my biggest issues, and I still struggle with it from time to time.  Why do it now if I can do it later?  That type of attitude is the beginning of the end when it comes to getting any type of work done whether it be work or chores. I soon woke up to the fact that to be more productive means that I have to stop the procrastination.  Dont let procrastination ruin your thought process.  It can be a silent killer.

Why does a person procrastinate?  One of the main reasons is the “fear factor.”  The fear of failure is why alot of people procrastinate.  If they dont put any effort into anything then they can never lose right?  You have to understand that failure is going to happen so it’s best to fail at something that you can learn from so you can get better at it. 

Totally opposite of fear of failure is the fear of being successful.  Thats odd, wouldn’t I want to be successful?  Some people see being successful as having the bar set real high for yourself therefore you have to keep up or maintain that certain level of success and it can become a chore.  The pressure of being successful can cause you to stop work and procrastinate.

Another cause of procrastination is stress.  A person will think it is easier to just hide a problem and not deal with it than taking the problem on and meeting the challenge head first.  The stress of having to take that task on will cause you to procrastinate in cause leading to more stress.

Here are some ways to change your mindset and beat procrastination.

1.  Make a list.  When I worked for corporate America alot of my day I felt overwhelmed and at the end of the day I had no idea what I had done that day.  So I started to make a list of all the things I had to do that day. Every report, every task, every meeting I would put on this list.  I would add deadlines on the list so it could be prioritized.  Every time I finished a task I would cross it off.  It’s good to look at your list throughout the day so you can have a sense of accomplishment and by the end of the day you can see the progress you have made in  your day and know that you have done something productive with your day.

2.  Work hard, play hard!  I think this was a chore value at one of my old jobs.  You know the saying “all work and no play.”  You have to schedule some downtime in your day to just take a break and relax.  When you are working you will sometimes find yourself thinking about taking a break and doing something else with your time.  Well it’s okay to take breaks throughout your day.  Make sure you get up and walk away from your work so you will feel refreshed when you get back.  Be sure to schedule out these breaks so you dont find yourself thinking about the break while you could be working which henders productivity.  This way you can stay focused on your work.

3.  Don’t overload your work schedule.  If you have alot of things on your plate then just the thought of doing it will cause you to procrastinate.  Only put as much on your schedule as you can handle so you wont find yourself losing your mind trying to complete everything.  You are more productive when you can easily manage your task and you will not have a problem with missing your deadlines.

4.  Find coping mechanisms. As I said earlier stress can lead to procrastination.  You have to find ways to destress yourself before it effects your work.  You need to find ways to relax, you can learn things like different breathing techniques, join your local gym, take a walk around the block anything that relaxes you and your body and mind so you can take on your work with a refreshed feeling. 

5.  Stay organized.  Another thing I learned in the corporate world is that if you are not organized you will not be productive.  My desk used to be full of piled up paperwork, folders, sticky notes everywhere and every morning when I would walk in it just made me not want to do anything because I didnt know where to start.  So I got organized and developed myself a system for my daily task.  Without organization and a system you will not be able to find the file you are looking for or article you were suppose to write instead you will find yourself procrastinating on finding that information causing less productivity.  Keep your desk neat so you can easily find what you need at the right time.  

Use the above tips to help beat procrastination.  Procrastination comes from within you and your mind so remember it can be beat if you work at it.  Doing so will increase your productivity and help you to be more successful on a daily basis.