7 Quick & Easy Ways to Avoid Procrastination

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

Why Procrastination Sucks For Business

Let me just start off by pointing out the obvious. If you want your business to stay alive you must work on it and find out exactly how to become a great entrepreneur. You can research about how to do this online with eBooks or guides. The time to act on it is NOW. Simply put, the more work you put into your business the more results you will get out of it. You own the business so you are the spark of energy that must keep selling quality products or services to a good amount of customers. So stop putting it off and find out what you need to do such as get traffic to your website or whatever. You might even have to make sure that the content in the business looks promising and delivers. Put yourself in the customer's shoes for a second and ask yourself if you would buy through this business.

Here are some great solutions to get more ambition and energy to run your business smoothly. If you feel as though you are not motivated enough to do some work then find a way to get that drive in you. Find out what other successful business owners have that you don't and motivate yourself to get it. Maybe you would one day like to live in a mansion with a sports car. Maybe you just want that incredible feeling of success and financial freedom so you won't have to work harder later in life. Remember the more work you do now the less you have to do later. Keep your eyes on the prize, typically money, and do whatever it takes (unless it is robbing a bank) to get it. Also make sure that you care of yourself and your health. It is not just about making money it is about being responsible. Fix any problems you may have personally.

The time to act is now. Now go out get inspired and succeed.

http://RJgoldrush.com

Procrastination - The ALIBI Maker

Lesson 4: Overcoming Procrastination (Excuses & Alibis)

lesson 1 was about Y.O.U Your Opportunities Unlimited,
lesson 2 was about T.H.E.M They Help Economics Move,
lesson 3 was about your T.O.O.L.S Timing Opportunity Open Mind Liquidity System.

It appears that now we are ready to move forward, well not quite. You see even with everything intact you can still find ways to procrastinate. Lets take a little time to address your procrastination. Everyone experiences some form of procrastination in various degrees almost every day. You are not alone. In fact you are surrounded by people that procrastinate constantly. It is almost as if it is a corporate culture to some respect. However, the D.R.E.A.M makers and G.O.A.L oriented have learned to tame or at least tune down that habit of doing nothing.

Procrastination is when you find yourself making excuses or like I like to say an A.L.I.B.I for not taking action. As adults we always answer to our higher selves when we make a decision to put it off until tomorrow. You convince yourself first or at least try to that it can wait or thats not high on my priorities list. You know that list that you haven't written down yet, the one in your head. After we replay and rehearse our A.L.I.B.I which by the way has a couple of meanings Always Losing In Building Investments or Always Losing In Building I, we know exactly who to talk with that wont put any pressure on us to move forward in our GOALS. Sometimes you are just tired, you worked 50 plus hours this week not including travel time, you just need to rest. Well Aren't Losers In Bed Idle. Another alibi Ok.

What is important? Living day to day because it is safe to at least know... well maybe feel... that we can count on our company to continue to pay us when in reality we really dont know anything about their accounting or financial intelligence. You better not even ask if you want to keep your job. You are just the first, second, or third level in your companies pyramid... oh I mean hierarchy.

Maybe you are just afraid to fail, that can really increase your procrastination power. Looks good on paper, appears to may work, but think of the million things that you didnt think of that can cause you to fail. How are you going to reach that many people, who are you to take on such a BIG undertaking, yaa daa yaa daa yaa daa blah blah blah STOP IT! This is the kind of self talk and things that you have heard that you need to apply that A.L.I.B.I to. Action Leads Interest Bringing Insight.

You see if you take action things will be revealed to you that will lead to your success and next level. Failure is not an option, just a course you may take on the road to succeeding. Something that you build from because All Losses Instructively Build Intuition. The intuition you may need to know when something is just quite not right. Bottom line... take action. Be strong. ThinkBIG and become F.R.E.E Financially Ready Enjoying Everyday... someone has to.

http://www.KennethBlake.info Where Your Success Makes Us Successful....thinkBIG...http://www.thinkBIGclub.com

Defeating Procrastination

Are you finding yourself procrastinating when needing to get something done? Why are you procrastinating? Let us start by defining what procrastination is. A common dictionary defines procrastination as postponing or delaying needlessly. To me, procrastination is a choice that we consciously or subconsciously make, based on how we are focusing on the effects of a particular action needed on our behalf. If we are focusing on why we don't want to take action in that moment, we will put off taking action and thus, procrastinate!

How can we defeat procrastination? How long does it take? I believe that we can break through procrastination and create the results we want now, rather than later - or how it usually gets...much, much later!

So, how can we do this? We can break through procrastination easily and consistently by consciously focusing on the positive thoughts and strong positive feelings we will get by taking action and more importantly, the strong negative thoughts and feelings to not taking action, or in other words "the consequences." We usually do more to avoid the negative than we do to gain the positive, so the negative aspect of what can happen if you don't take action will drive your motivation to act.

Whether it's paying the bills, taking out the trash, painting the kitchen or going to work on that report your boss wants, by focusing on the positive side of completing these tasks, as well as feeling the effect of the consequences that can come to pass if you do not complete the task(s), can help drive you to take immediate action.

So why does this work? The key distinction to make here is that we procrastinate in a given moment in time because of the meaning we attach to taking action. If the meaning we are attaching focuses on why we don't feel like it, our physiology changes into a sort of depressed state and then we decide subconsciously that we don't want to feel like this and wham! Procrastination occurs. When we change the meaning to something that we want, or that makes us now feel good about taking action in that moment, we take action. I want you to realize that it's the meaning that changes in that moment that is the deciding factor.

Finally, how can we make procrastination less of a habit? Most of us already procrastinate and don't even notice it. Take my word for it. If you need to take action and you're not, you're procrastinating. It could be fear of failure or anything else that your brain is evaluating as some form of pain that is stopping you from taking action. You need to analyze what is stopping you from taking action and deal with it consciously. Say to yourself, "What will be the consequences if I don't follow through and take action right now. Also, focus on the rewards you will get and relief you will feel once you have taken action.

To help diminish the procrastination habit, consistently follow through and take action using the self improvement strategy described in this article. The more action we take, the quicker the new habit will form. New habits take at least 30 days to install.

Remember, procrastination is the thief of time - don't let it take over your life.

George Tsoukalas

How to Overcome Sales Procrastination!

Often a sales person's mind is riddled in procrastination and unless diagnosed early, it can create havoc and lead to a downward spiral. You may have the procrastination virus and not be aware of its dangers!

My aim is in this article is to discover why procrastination is a major killer in sales and how to eliminate it. Procrastination is defined as to put off or defer a task for later. When you do that sales call, for example, do you write down immediately the particulars and action steps of that call so that you do not forget the details?

If you are leaving it for later, not only you will forget the fine details, but you may miss a key element when you next negotiate for the order. Procrastination also occurs when routine sets in or perhaps when you worry excessively. You have not reached your sales target and you waste your time on things you don't want to have happen

Fear is another killer playing on the sales person's mind. The fear of not succeeding is a very real threat. Fear breeds negativity and this plays havoc with any sales person.

The solution perhaps lies in the following steps:

· Focus on opportunities & successful outcomes. Say to yourself that you will succeed no matter what. For example, when asking for the order, assume the sale and start writing the order.

· Get down to business. Take decisive actions are better than inaction. Take your activity list and male sure that you complete them daily and you will have no time for procrastination.

· Eliminate ineffective habits. Get into the habit of being busy and productive. Set yourself a daily goal and a to- do list and review it at the end of the day and plan for the next day

Change comes from the things that we pay attention to.

Start tracking your daily thoughts: Are you aware that your attitude is negative and that you are using excuses all the time. Watch yourself and you will see that you spend your time blaming the boss, your partner, the economy, the dog, etc

All you have to do is take charge of your focus.

To download my free ebook, click here: http://www.salescoachdoctor.com/SalesCoachpage101.html

Joe Duval is an accomplished sales training coach for the past 20 years

Dealing With Procrastination As a Business Owner

Don't put off until tomorrow what you can get done today. How many times have you heard that saying? As a business owner this is an important practice to remember. Because, after all, your business is in your hands and you truly have control over its success. Procrastinating with important business matters will never be a good practice to keep. You will want to make sure that you are punctual and on time with all matters when it comes to managing your business, from deadlines to billing dates, it is important to be on time.

Often times we do not even realize that we are procrastinating, though we do put off a specific task or item over and over again. Maybe for you it is writing, or scheduling your bills, most likely whatever task it is that you are putting off it is because it is something that you do not enjoy doing. So, think about it, what are some tasks that you hate, do you put those tasks off, or possibly begin them but never finish them? If this is the case you want to be aware of your tendency to procrastinate and instead delegate or outsource this task in order to ensure that it is done.

Another way to identify areas which you procrastinate in, is to think about the areas in which you make excuses. We often make excuses so that we don't feel like we're doing anything wrong, or we blame our procrastination on someone else, our kids, our spouse, or anything else for that matter.

In order to overcome your tendency to procrastinate no matter what your reasons are you may want to begin the practice of setting goals. However, remember you don't want the goals to be too lofty where you will not be able to attain them. The purpose of setting the goals is to help you to be in control and to show you that you can reach your goals and succeed, this helps you to be motivated so that in turn you won't procrastinate.

In this practice of setting goals make certain that the goals are small enough to achieve, but big enough to satisfy. You can do this by breaking larger goals into steps, as well as organizing your goals well. Creating a plan is a good way to do this. An example would be if your goal was broken into 4 steps you could set smaller goals and plans to achieve pieces of that goal by specific times. You would set out to achieve the first step by Monday, the second by Wednesday, the third by Friday and so on and so forth. This will help you to see your progress, and thus achieve your goals. Soon procrastination will no longer be a part of your vocabulary.

More about Kim Beasley

After working in Corporate America for many years, Kim Beasley decided to take her experiences and build a business to help other business owners develop their online presence. She believes in sharing real-life stories of encouragement with her readers so that they can be encouraged in their daily life. Kim is the owner of Agape3 Business Services, that is the umbrella for WordPress customization business and Membership website development business which helps businesses and organizations to strategically position themselves on the Internet. Find out more about Kim Beasley at http://www.KimBeasley.com

Procrastination - Understanding & Overcoming it

Whenever I've worked on 'de-cluttering' my living or working space, I've always found that it's the unfinished project – whatever I’m procrastinating about - that takes up the most room.

Physically, it's a constant reminder of something I tell myself I SHOULD be doing.

Mentally, it consumes my thoughts and diverts my attention from the present moment.

Emotionally, it weighs down my heart and nicks away at my confidence.

In this article, I invite you to consider how procrastination, as a form of self-sabotage, shows up in the different areas of your life.

Understanding Procrastination - Why do you procrastinate?

Maybe your physical surroundings and your 'systems' of organization are getting in your way. For example:

~ My workspace is too messy

~ I'm too busy

Maybe distracting or debilitating emotions or thoughts are getting in your way. For example:

~ I'm afraid - afraid to fail, afraid to succeed

~ I'm overwhelmed

Maybe your physical body and its level of well-being is getting in your way. For example:

~ I'm too tired

Maybe your thoughts about the other people in your life are getting in your way. For example:

~ They might not like it

~ It won't be as good as _____, so why bother?

Procrastination is a habit like any other. If you can envision how you want to be instead and look honestly at what forms of self-sabotage you usually use, you CAN compensate for your procrastination.

Overcoming Procrastination: What type of procrastinator are you?

Are you a Do-er or a Stew-er?

Do-er

A “do-er” will do anything to avoid the task at hand – the dishes need washing, the dog needs walking, the mail needs sorting, the bills need paying, the files need organizing, etc.

Action Plan for Do-er’s

Set a timer for 15-minutes and tell yourself that as soon as it goes off you can do whatever else you want, but until it does, you must sit in that chair and work on the project in front of you.

• Train your self
• Keep it short
• Stay in your chair

Stew-er

A “stew-er” will sit and “stew” about the thing you’re not doing. Your mind will spin round and round about different possibilities, you will plan elaborate things for when you do get around to working, you’ll be thinking so far into the future that you’ll never catch up to yourself.

Action Plan for Stew-er’s

Focus and calm your mind with meditation, affirmations and mind-body work such as breathing.

• Clear your mind
• Ground your thoughts
• Pause and breathe

Whether you’re a “do-er” or a “stew-er”, when we can accomplish our creative goals IN SPITE of having so many reasons to put them off, the rewards are even sweeter.

When I'm feeling overwhelmed, I need to remember that all I have to do is the next thing. A few next things later and I've tackled quite a bit!

It’s important to consider the bigger picture of this “thing” that you’re trying to do. There’s always the possibility that you don’t really want to do it or that you’re not meant to be doing it. If this is the case, a part of you knows that and is trying to tell you, so listen up (just make sure it’s not fear or self-doubt in disguise).

Lastly, remember to celebrate what you HAVE accomplished, no matter how small. The more you focus on what you HAVE done, versus what you HAVEN’T, the more confidence you’ll have and the more momentum you’ll build towards the next thing you’re going to do.

Linda Dessau, the Self-Care Coach, helps artists enhance their creativity by addressing their unique self-care issues. To receive one of her free monthly newsletters, subscribe at http://www.genuinecoaching.com/newsletter.html