“After all…Tomorrow is another day.”
Scarlett O’Hara
If you’ve found yourself putting off important tasks over and over again, you’re not alone. In fact, many people procrastinate to some degree – but some are so chronically affected by procrastination that it stops them fulfilling their potential and reaching their goals.
The key to controlling this destructive habit is to recognise when you start procrastinating, understand why it happens and take active steps to manage your time and outcomes better.
What is Procrastination?
In a nutshell, you procrastinate when you put off things that you should be focusing on right now, usually in favor of doing something that is more enjoyable or that you’re more comfortable doing.According to psychologist Professor Clarry Lay, a prominent writer on procrastination, procrastination occurs when there’s “a temporal gap between intended behavior and enacted behavior.” That is, procrastination is occurring when there’s a significant time period between when people intend to do a job, and when they actually do it.
Here are ten ways to overcome procrastination
1. Write down a list of all the projects you have put off.
2. Prioritise them by date you need to have them completed.
3. Decide what needs to be done first and DO it!
4. Divide a big project into manageable parts and tackle one a day.
5. Get a timer and set it for 15 minutes. Focus on that one part without allowing yourself to get distracted.
6. Get someone to help you get started.
7. Find an accountability partner and report your progress.
8. Make a game out of it and have fun!
9. Celebrate progress and keep going.
10. Set a fake deadline before the real one.
My best advice would be to get stuck in and do whatever it is you’ve been putting off doing. In my case it would be a pile of paperwork that needs to be filed for our tax return. Going to get it done now!
If you have some more tips to overcome procrastination, please share in the comments below.
Have a good day!
Liesl
