Procrastination is an extremely common problem, and every one of us will have experienced it! You know that you have to get something done, but you will do anything to avoid actually having to do it. I'm not one for doing housework, but when I had to study for exams, I was more than happy to clean the oven or defrost the fridge.
Here are 7 tips that I personally use to avoid the pitfalls of procrastination.
1) Early in the day, write down a maximum of 5 things that you absolutely must do today. By writing them down, you will see exactly what you need to do. Having various tasks swirling around in your head won't help you get anything done!
2) Restrict your list to 5 tasks. Anymore than that and you just won't know where to start.
3) Look at the list and decide on 3 tasks that you will be able to complete quickly and without too much effort. Normally, you would be advised to do the hardest tasks first. But think about it. If you procrastinate with the hardest tasks, then you won't complete anything on your list!
4) When you complete a task, take great pleasure in striking it off your list. Take a couple of minutes "out" to congratulate yourself on completing it. Feel really positive about your accomplishment, no matter how small or trivial the task was.
5) For the "harder" tasks on your list, you must look at these in a positive way. If it is something you really don't like doing, imagine that the task has been completed, and reflect on how great you will feel once it has been done. See yourself striking the task off your list, and congratulating yourself for completing it.
6) Having a sense of accomplishment will make all the difference when tackling your next task. The problem with procrastination is that if you don't complete anything on your list, then you miss out on this wonderful feeling. Get your first task done and your feelings of accomplishment will snowball as you continue to tackle more items on the list.
7) Sometimes tasks just have to be done, whether you like to do them or not. This is where you really just have to get on and do it. Besides the wonderful feeling of accomplishment (which will be greater the more you hate the task!), you will be rewarded by the benefits that completing that task will bring. Before starting the task, decide on an additional reward that you will give yourself when it is completed.
Procrastination prevents us from achieving the things in life that will help us grow and to reach our full potential. Enjoy the challenge of completing your daily tasks and congratulate yourself on achieving so much that day.
As you continue to achieve more and more, procrastination will soon become a thing of the past!
Jan calls herself a "Positive Thinker & Achiever". Through her writing, her workshops and speaking engagements, she encourages others to live more positively, with the ultimate goal of achieving "Positive Happiness".
She is currently developing a number of CDs and DVDs to motivate and encourage people to make positive and worthwhile changes in their lives.
Visit Jan's web site at http://www.powerpositivenow.com
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