7 Tips To Cure Procrastination

Restored from the Empower Network archive (2011–2017), lightly edited to meet our current advertising standards. Views are the original author’s.

Procrastination is an effect, not a cause. To let go of procrastination you have to let go of the perceived pain of the outcome and stop rebelling – Jeffery Combs

Nothing is more frustrating, stressful and debilitating than putting off the things we know we should be doing.

It could be something as simple as setting aside some time to pay our bills, starting an assignment or making an effort to network more.

The bottom line is we can all sweep unpleasant stuff under the carpet but it always comes back to bite us at some point.

Desire to accomplish something is one thing. But actually getting motivated enough to do it is another matter.

If you have got to a point where procrastination is sabotaging your chances of success and causing that unsettling angst in the back of your mind, it’s time to take action and knock it on the head.

Here’s how:

7 Tips To Cure Procrastination

• Make A Realistic To-Do List

This seems an obvious starting point but it is a critical place to begin. List all the things you want to accomplish in a day, with a checkbox alongside each so you can tick them off as you get them accomplished. This will give you a sense of achievement as you visually monitor your ever-diminishing list of tasks.

It also helps to prioritize your list once you have written down your daily goals so you can tackle them in order of importance. That way, even if you don’t get through them all, you will have finished some the most pressing tasks.

And make sure you include things you typically put off as well as the regular daily activities.

• Tackle The Most Unpleasant Task First

When you have a difficult project, worrying deadline or something so incredibly boring it always seems to be relegated to the bottom of the list, do it first. By tackling the most unpleasant thing before anything else, you will feel a huge sense of accomplishment and be motivated to march on with other things you have put aside.

• Set Time Frames

If you find you start something but time seems to have a knack of running away from you, set yourself periods of time to accomplish each task.  Remove all distractions – no day-dreaming, ban Facebook, turn the phone off, and don’t get sidetracked browsing online.

Set alarms on your phone for set time frames so that you have to stop when the alarm sounds. Force yourself to work productively during this time.

• Give Yourself Short Breaks

When you have been working productively for a couple of hours and feel you are making good headway, or you get to the point you feel you are losing focus, reward yourself with a short break of around 10 minutes. This mini break will give you renewed concentration and energy when you return. But make sure you set the alarm so you get back on track again quickly.

• Forget About Perfection

If you’re waiting for the perfect time to start a project or won’t stop until you have created the perfect result, you could take forever to accomplish your goal. If you have deadlines, stick to them regardless. If you tend to lean on the side of perfectionism, take a step back and try to consider quantity over quality. You will get far more done and once you have become more a more efficient master of using time, you can always go back to “edit” if required after you have ticked the other tasks off your checklist.

• Get Motivated

It can be difficult to get moving when there are no pressing deadlines. Many people say they only work well under pressure. If this is you, it is time to set your own strict deadlines with a reward or punishment attached. It is far more effective to use positive reinforcement to motivate yourself. Try treating yourself to a movie, time with friends or anything you enjoy once you have waded through your to-do list. If that doesn’t work, you can always try punishment.

• Focus On The End Goal

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by a huge to-do list and struggle to get moving. By focusing instead on the end anxiety-free feeling you will experience when everything is out of the way, you can stay on track and work towards it. Don’t focus on the length of your task list. Focus instead on the free time, the stress-free feeling, the extra money or whatever it is that you will receive when you finish. This works wonders.

If you are serious about recovering from being a chronic Procrastinator I encourage to access the information of the most sought out expert on the Topic, Jeffery Combs of Golden Mastermind Inc. Jeffery Combs is a Published Author and Speaker and has created a program to assist you to cure your procrastination!