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Procrastination
How Do I Stop Procrastinating When I’m Surrounded By Procrastinators?
May 11th
I was meeting the new lady I’m dating at our local federal tax center before going out to dinner with her. This is because when it comes to filing her income tax returns, she’s a chronic procrastinator. This particular day was the deadline for filing tax returns and when we spoke just the night before, my lady friend revealed that she had not even started on her income tax yet.
Because of her procrastination, she would have to get to one of those tax preparation services before work and pick up her completed return after the work day is over. The plan was to meet her at the federal tax office where she will be dropping off her completed return.
When I got to the building, the staff already set up huge bin containers in the lobby for people coming in to drop off their returns on deadline day. As I was sitting in the lobby waiting for my lady to arrive, I was actually quite shocked to see a steady, continuous stream of people coming in to drop off their returns.
The staff told me that this would be the scene all through the evening until midnight when the deadline passes. So it seems that my lady is in good company of many procrastinators who also put off doing their taxes until last minute.
Because procrastination is often a general habit, I’m willing to bet that these folks are major procrastinators in other areas of their lives besides just getting to their income taxes on time. And since many people are often surrounded by other procrastinators, the habit of putting off things they don’t like doing becomes quite contagious.
Some of the government staff actually joked to some of the public, “See you next year!”
So this implies that the staff already knows that the procrastinators will likely repeat the same thing next year and make a frenzied run into the tax center just before the deadline.
So if you can relate to this, you might be asking yourself, “How do I stop procrastinating?”
Solution To Procrastination
Many productivity experts will suggest that a way to beat procrastination is to break up challenging tasks into little pieces. It is quite often easier to get little successes which will all add up over time to become a big success. Indeed this is helpful but I personally think that in order to really get over major procrastination, much more drastic measures must be taken.
What I always suggest to procrastinators during my talks to audiences is to spend a bit less time around other procrastinators and instead, actively spend more time with people who are action takers. Like-minded people tend to motivate each other and if you get involved with the right group, you could end up with a few new friends who will be happy to constantly keep you in check.
This is a secret weapon for many successful people who can’t afford to let procrastination creep back into their lives. They use such groups of other action takers to keep motivating them to push on. In fact, in many groups, people will go as far as helping each other keep accountable for their actions and more importantly, non-actions. Now that’s effective teamwork for success.
We see these types of interactions between people in high level sports teams as well as business groups (mastermind groups). People are there to push each other and get pushed to keep procrastination down to a bare minimum.
Sometimes it costs membership fees to be in certain groups but if it’s the right group that can influence you to take action rather than procrastinate, the money is well worth it. I’m in such a group myself that costs me $2,400 per year to participate in (I do what I advocate here).
So hopefully my new lady friend will start to procrastinate less if she hangs around more action oriented people. I’m sure that she doesn’t want to spend another year running around like a headless chicken during the income tax deadline.
(Photo credit: Colleagues at Water Cooler via Shutterstock)
Clint Cora is a motivational speaker, author & Karate World Champion based near Toronto, Canada. Get his FREE 3-part Personal Development Video Series on how to expand your comfort zone and finally conquer even your most daunting goals in life.
Guard Against “It Doesn’t Matter”
May 2nd
I have been reading quite a few books and blogs about writing non-fiction articles recently, putting the styling techniques and grammar tips into practice. I have also been reading more novels to expand my imagination and hopefully, vocabulary, so I might aptly describe what I would like to. I was on a quest to become a more prolific writer.
So as I drafted a few articles for newspapers, I applied the lessons I learnt and set about editing and re-writing my drafts. I was quite pleased with my efforts and satisfied I had done my best. I decided to leave one of the articles overnight and come back to it one last time the next day with a fresh eye before submitting it to the editor.
The next morning, I turned on my computer again and expected to run quickly through the article, smile at myself, and attach it to the email to send off.
However, I was caught by deflated surprise. Suddenly, I found a number of flaws in the logic and argument. There were typos everywhere, and the writing sounded dull. The article didn’t sound too interesting anymore. I was almost on the verge of tears and was tempted to write to my editor and tell her my dog ate the draft.
I said to myself, “It’s just an article and it doesn’t matter if I didn’t get printed this time.”
Julia Cameron warns against this mentality in her book, The Artist’s Way, a book to guide others to discover their creativity.
Many artists begin a piece of work, get well along in it, and then find, as they near completion, that the work seems mysteriously drained of merit. It’s no longer worth the trouble. To therapists, this surge of sudden disinterest (“It doesn’t matter”) is a routine coping device employed to deny pain and ward off vulnerability.
Indeed, it was my way of avoiding the disappointment I felt about my work. I also did not want to spend extra time and effort to further polishing the article. I didn’t want to deal with the perceived obstacle, nor admit that my confidence in the draft is shattered. Suddenly it seemed that the whole world could write better than me.
I found as many excuses as I could:
- There were more proficient writers
- My topic was boring
- Others could write the same topic so it didn’t matter if I submitted my draft or not
- No one would read what I wrote
- I won’t die if I didn’t write
- There was no point in trying to become a writer
Self-doubt blinded my passion for writing. The effort required to reach the goal I set for myself seemed too much for my psyche to bear.
I consoled myself that even if I didn’t reach the goal, it doesn’t matter.
And with that, my enthusiasm and energy slowly dwindled away. I was establishing a defensive wall around my self-doubt.
This is why many of us never write that book, or that guest post, or paint that picture or design that graphic.
We think: it doesn’t matter. But it does – even if only for ourselves…
I finally picked up my weary soul and went about editing the article. It took me another 2 hours, but after I sent it off to the Editor, I felt good about myself, that I had conquered the self-doubt in me.
Next time you find yourself saying “it doesn’t matter” – stop yourself, and focus doubly hard on that exact task you think doesn’t matter. For it does, and each little step you spur yourself on will create all that difference in life.
That article I submitted led to a subsequent invitation to write again, and again…and now I write regularly for that paper.
It does matter.
(Photo credit: Tower on Beach via Shutterstock)
Once an overachieving international executive, Noch Noch was diagnosed with burnt out and stress-related depression in 2010. With her life turned upside down, Noch Noch is now taking a break to regain her physical and mental health, whilst jotting down her reflections on living with depression and the journey to self-awareness on her blog Be Me. Be Natural. She also started a new project on creative therapy at Bearapy. You can follow Noch Noch on Twitter, Facebook or G+
Top 10 Reasons Why People Don’t Reach Their Goals
Apr 23rd
With everything that happens around us, it is sometimes difficult to reach our goals. This is compounded if you have any of the reasons on the list below.
Luckily, in addition to the top 10 reasons why people don’t reach their goals, I’ve included a quick fix for each of them. So let’s get to it.
1. Creating Vague Goals
When you don’t know where you are going, it is really hard to get there. Many people set themselves up for failure when they set goals that are unclear. “I want to lose weight” sounds like a great goal but the people who set this kind of goal will never reach it. It is not because the people are not motivated or disciplined but because the goal is too general. Do you want to lose 5 lbs or 50 lbs?
Quick Fix: Set SMART goals by being Specific, making sure they are Measurable, Achievable and Realistic, and last but not least — give yourself a Time deadline. If you want to go one step further, you may want to read The Missing Letter in Your Smart Goals.
2. Lacking a Higher Purpose
Goals can be set on any topic imaginable but if you don’t have a higher purpose, it makes it is easy to give up once the initial motivation and excitement wears off. Understanding how your goal is relevant to you allows you to persevere even when the going gets tough.
Quick Fix: When setting your SMART goal, ask yourself how the goal is relevant to your life and what you want to achieve.
3. Procrastinating
Even when you have SMART goals that are relevant to your purpose, if you don’t get started, you’ll never achieve your goal. One of the most dangerous phrases is “I’ll do it later.”
Quick Fix: Make sure the goal has been broken down into manageable pieces and then start right away. Here are 11 Practical Ways to Stop Procrastination.
4. Not Taking Responsibility
Things will go wrong. That’s a fact of life. When something comes up and you don’t achieve your goal, who do you blame? Your boss who kept you at work late so you couldn’t work on your book or maybe the horrible weather that stopped you from going to the gym. If it’s not your fault, there is nothing you can do, right?
Quick Fix: Own up to not reaching your goals. When you take responsibility, you’ll become resourceful knowing that you have control over the attainment of your goals.
5. Listening to People Who Discourage You
When you go for your goals, especially the big ones that really count and fit in with your purpose in life, it is inevitable that people will discourage you. There are many reasons for this: concern, jealousy, ignorance, etc. How many goals have already been given up on because other people decided they were not worth pursuing?
Quick Fix: This one is easy. As long as you know the purpose for your goal, ignore the naysayers. You can take what they are saying into consideration but make sure you make the final choice.
6. Starting Too Many Projects
I’m a starter. That sounds like a good thing but not when you start too many things, you don’t end up finishing many of them. This usually stems from the fear of missing out (FOMO) or being someone who has many ideas.
Quick Fix: Understand that you have a limited amount of time and that you can’t do everything. To deal with FOMO, realize that by not finishing, you are missing out on all the opportunities that open up when you finish the projects you are working on.
7. Being Negative
If you think you’re not going to make it, then you’re probably not going to make it. If you don’t believe you’re going to reach your goal, then when you fail, it is expected which makes it easy to stop trying. When you are optimistic and a setback occurs, you focus your energy on finding solutions because you truly believe there is one. If you believe that you suffer from bad luck, check out this article.
Quick Fix: Consider the idea that optimism and pessimism are both expectations of the future. Each are equally likely to be true but which belief will help you lead a happier more fulfilled life? Instead of wasting your energy on complaining, spend that energy on learning.
8. Being Selfish
There are people out there that think it is silly to help others. They believe in taking and not giving. They are misers with their time, money and knowledge and are only interested in opportunities where they stand to benefit. Most big goals require the help of others and it is very difficult to help people who only care about taking.
Quick Fix: Serve others first. Always look for ways to add value to other people.
9. Surrounding Yourself with People Who Don’t Reach Their Goals
You are who you associate with. This may be hard to swallow for some people and there are always exceptions to the rule but for the most part, we act in accordance with the people around us. This comes from the strong ad natural desire to belong and to be accepted (think of all the dumb things you did in high school just to fit in).
Quick Fix: Associate with people who always reach their goals.
10. Watching Too Much TV
Not all TV is bad but if you are watching TV then most likely you are not doing anything to move one step closer to your goal. The problem with TV these days is that it is captivating. There are programs for all interests and hobbies and the shows keep getting better and better. Those who watch alot of TV usually don’t reach their goals and perhaps people watch TV because they don’t have any goals.
Quick Fix: Shut off the TV. Cancel the cable. Pick up a book that will help you move one step closer to your goal. Here are 6 Steps to Remove TV from your Life.
Do you have anything to add? What do you think are the reasons why people don’t reach their goals and what are your thought about the 10 reasons we have listed here. Feel free to give your own effective quick fixes for the different reasons in the comments section below.
(Photo credit: Golf Ball Falling Over Edge via Shutterstock)
Robert Chen is the founder of Embrace Possibility and his passion is to help undervalued individuals reach their full potential. Visit his website to learn more about him and his philosophy on personal mastery. If you're having trouble getting what you want out of life, check out How to Always Achieve Your Goals
What is FOMO? (and How to Beat It)
Apr 5th
Are you unable to say “no” to a party invitation even if you have some work to do? Do you feel like an outsider if you don’t see the hottest Hollywood movie everyone is talking about? Do you feel that you have to buy the latest and hottest “making money online” information product because everyone else is doing so?
If you have been in these or similar situations before, you have just experienced FOMO.
What is FOMO?
I learned about FOMO by reading a book “Find Your Focus Zone” by Lucy Jo Palladino. In that book she described the FOMO with an everyday example: Have you ever felt that you had to pick up the cell phone right away when it rings?
The longer the phone rings, the more and more you experience the fear of missing out (FOMO). You feel that there is something important you are about to miss if you don’t pick up the phone at instant.
The most important element in FOMO is the word “fear”. It makes us to do things even when we necessarily don’t want to.
It’s like logic versus emotion: When a compelling option is presented to us, we feel like an outsider if we say “no” to that. We may even fear that we miss an opportunity of a lifetime if we say “no”.
At the same time, we know that we probably shouldn’t say “yes”, because we may be spreading ourselves too thin. Also, there are going to be plenty of other opportunities out there, so missing this one wont probably make a difference after all.
What are the symptoms of FOMO?
When you are a “victim” of fear of missing out, you are going to experience at least one of the following:
1. Being unfocused and stressed, procrastination
It is obvious, that when the temptation to say “yes” to a request is too big, you accept yet another task or project to your task list.
In practice, you are spreading yourself too thin. Not only are you stressed out by too many activities in your life, it increases the likelihood for procrastination. This is because you cannot keep up with your schedule and you start finding excuses for not doing something you promised.
2. Losing money
Sometimes you don’t want to feel like being an outsider in a group by making different decisions than the rest of the people.
For example, I have been in internet marketing circles for couple of years and every time there is a big product launch coming, there is a lot a of buzz around it.
Since this “next shiny object” is probably going to make you rich and famous overnight, you don’t want to miss out. If you do, others are going to be rich and famous, not you.
Unfortunately, in many situations like these, nothing groundbreaking is going to happen after all (no fame, no money, just hard work). It is yet another product launch, which is going to waste your money, if the fear (FOMO) is getting the hold of you.
3. Overwhelm
Being overwhelmed is one of the symptoms of fear of missing out. When you are unable to say “no”, feeling overwhelmed is destined to happen at some point.
There is just too much going on at the same time and you are unable to focus on anything properly.
How to get rid of the fear of missing out?
There are certain things you can do when you experience the FOMO:
1. Be aware of it
First thing is to be aware of the feeling. Stop for a moment and acknowledge when you are having a feeling of FOMO.
Understand that this is a natural (although undesirable) way of reacting in a certain situation (in other words, when you feel that you are missing out something important and you feel you have to say “yes”).
2. Be honest to yourself and others
Honesty is one of the best ways to deal with the situation.
First, you have to be honest to yourself: If you say “yes”, you have to understand that you may be spreading yourself too thin.
Second, it is also important to be honest to others too. They have to be aware that you may not be 100% committed to their requests, if you have plenty of action going on at the same time.
3. Make a quick decision regarding the situation
One of the worst things to do to be on the fence on a decision. As long as something is left undecided, it is using your brain capacity for nothing.
That’s why it is imperative to say “no” to an opportunity as quickly as possible, if you feel you are unable to commit to it 100%.
When you say “no”, you may even your decision at first. On the other hand, if you are meant to experience the opportunity at all, it will come available to you at some point later.
4. Change the perspective
Lastly, one step in defeating the FOMO is to see if a situation or event supports your goals.
For example, I used to buy lots of internet marketing training programs in the past. However, once I started to see things from my goals perspective (what I wanted to achieve and if the program supported that goal), I was able to eliminate distraction and fears of missing out on something seemingly important.
Conclusion
Fear of missing out can make you do things – sometimes even something that you don’t want to do. However, there is a way to overcome the fear. Once you learn to handle it, you will feel better and happier than before.
(Photo credit: Businessman in Danger via Shutterstock)
Timo Kiander is a productivity and time management enthusiast who blogs at Productive Superdad – a site that helps work at home dads to balance their busy lives and improve time management skills. Visit his blog and grab the free e-book: “222 Tips For Becoming a Productivity Superstar”
How to Get Stuff Done: A Quick Guide
Apr 3rd
Have you ever felt like your to do list is completely out of control and you’re just not getting anywhere? You have jobs piling up and you just don’t know where to start?
You’re not alone. Many of us spend a large proportion of our time chasing our tails as we strive to get too many things done too quickly. The thing is – there are a couple of very simple things that we can do to make all the difference when it comes to ‘getting stuff done’.
Setting yourself up for failure
Have you ever considered that there may be a very good reason why you’re not completing some of those tasks on your to-do list? That’s right – often we will set ourselves tasks that we don’t really believe in and that have little value to us and then we wonder why we never end up getting those things done!
One of the easiest ways to make your to-do list more manageable is to run a full blown assessment. Does every item deserve to be on the list? Or can you cross a few items off knowing that, in the grand scheme of things it won’t really impact your life that much.
Another mistake people make is prioritizing other peoples most important tasks. Make sure you ask yourself who’s task it is on your list – is it really important to YOU or has someone close to you made you feel like it should be important – when in reality it’s not. Never feel like what’s important to others should also by default be important to you!
Focus on value and outcome
Consider the value of the tasks on your list before you commit to them. If we focus on the task its-self it’s very difficult to motivate ourselves – however if we focus on the outcome or the result of the task – it’s much easier to get excited and power through, knowing it will all be worthwhile in the end.
Banish any fear you may have around the tasks – is something stopping you from making a start? Often fear of failure will stop us from attempting things so it’s a good idea to adjust your attitude towards this. Understand that failure is a prerequisite for success – as Henry Ford said:
“Failure is the ability to begin again, only this time more wisely.”
Get comfortable with the notion of failure – knowing that it only assists us on the path to success. Think back to the most successful innovators of our time such as Thomas Edison – if he had allowed a fear of failure to stop him from progressing imagine the consequences. We would be living in darkness! Edison conversely was quoted as saying:
“I have not failed. I have just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”
How to Get Stuff Done
- If you find yourself procrastinating – check in to determine if you really want to achieve the tasks
- Identify the true ‘value’ of the task – how committed are you? Is it really worth it? What will you get by completing it?
- Check that the task is yours and no-one elses! If you’re trying to do it for someone else then you should re-evaluate if it’s worthwhile
- Focus on the outcome, not the task its-self. If you’re truly passionate about the task then the result should inspire & motivate you to forge ahead and get it done
- Overcome your fear of failure. Adjust your attitude and know that failure is a prerequisite for success
(Photo credit: Mug with Memo Notes Stuck to It via Shutterstock)
Avoiding The Butterfly Effect, The Supersaurus and Procrastination
Mar 12th
In Chaos Theory, “The Butterfly Effect” explains how small changes in conditions can produce results very different from predictions. If good weather is predicted on a day at one side of the world and a butterfly flaps its wings on the other, this could actually cause a storm rather than the good weather as predicted. The flapping of the wings changes the air pressure very slightly causing a weather pattern completely different from the one originally forecast.
Sometimes one simple action can lead to great results — or avoid catastrophic ones. Have you ever delayed paying a bill, resulting in a fine? The next day you have to leave the office to pay the fine. As a result you miss a meeting, delay handing in your reports and your hair gets wet because you were caught in the rain…and you were supposed to go out for cocktails after work! One simple action could have avoided the storm that followed.
There may also be a project that you just can’t seem to get started on. You postpone picking it up, make excuses, distract yourself with menial tasks in the hope that it will disappear. Why do we do this?
One of the chief reasons we avoid work is fear. We are afraid the task may be too big or too difficult for us.
Fear – Panic – Dread!
The task looks enormous. Never mind an elephant — this is a Supersaurus! You see yourself as a tiny dot looking up at the largest dinosaur that ever roamed the earth and think:
“How in the world am I going to get this done? This is impossible, it scares me so much that I’m now going to pretend that dinosaurs (especially the Supersaurus) never existed and I’m going to start ticking all the nice little tasks that I enjoy off my list. Call Mary, yes I can do that, have a little chat and arrange the social club outing much more pleasant that super lizards…”
But what happens? The super lizard won’t go away. He plagues your dreams. You push him back into your subconscious and you pretend there will be no repercussions — but, alas, one day you are reminded.
You are called to a meeting. A meeting in which you are reminded that, in fact, the Supersaurus does exist and all of the other people at the meeting know of his existence. You have no choice now but to face him head on…so what do you do?
Gaining Clarity
The fear comes from ignorance. Not having defined exactly what that the Supersaurus is, you sit down and open the files, you look at his size, you understand his form and composition, and then you assess its greatness and then break it down.
What exactly needs to be done? How long is it going to take? When can this be scheduled into the day? Once you are clear about the size of the task then you can begin to break it down into a manageable size — you know, like a cow or a goat rather than a massive dinosaur.
Taking Action
The most important part of avoiding procrastination is the “Do Habit”. The planning and the scheduling is important — vital, in fact — for the smooth running of any project. But without actually standing up and doing something about it nothing will ever progress.
The Do Habit
Create a habit of doing. If it’s a project in work or a book you are writing, stop planning and start doing — even if you can only do ten minutes a day. Just do it. After all, ten minutes a day adds up to more than one working day a month. Every little bit helps, so make a plan and create space for the task every day.
As Bob Marley (and probably someone equally as important person before him) said:
“Every little action, there’s a Reaction”
Start the momentum.
Don’t allow your wings to flap aimlessly and cause a tornado.
Start consciously fluttering…and the small little actions may just create amazingly big results.
(Photo credit: Lesser Gull Butterfly via Shutterstock)
Ciara Conlon is a Personal Productivity Coach and author. Her mission is to help people achieve their best through working efficiently and being positive and present. “With Productivity and Positivity there is little you can’t achieve” Find out more about Ciara and sign up for her tips, articles and links at Productivity & Positivity
29 Ways to Beat Procrastination Once and For All
Mar 1st
We all procrastinate. Sometimes it’s not a bad thing, but it can turn into something evil and nasty if we aren’t careful. Try these procrastination beating techniques to destroy this deadly foe once and for all.
1. Get up and move
One of the best ways to “change the channel” of procrastination is to change your scenery. Rather than sit in front of your computer or TV all day, get up, do some stretches, jog in place, do pushups, and move until your frame of mind has changed.
2. Setup reminders
Setup a daily (or hourly) reminder that you should be working on something or at least not wasting your time (unless you have time to waste). You can also set up reminders that give you motivational quotes.
3. Get a motivation buddy
There is nothing like having someone on your side when it comes to making your goals a reality. If you start to slip into procrastination, your motivation buddy will get you back in the game.
4. Make yourself accountable
You can do this with people around you or even with your motivation buddy above. A great way is to announce your change publicly and be vocal about it. Hit the social networks, your blog, write letters, whatever it takes to make yourself more accountable to getting work done.
5. Create something everyday
No matter what it is. Artwork, photos, videos, a journal, some code, anything that gets you into a creative mood and gets you working.
6. Wake up early
The nicest part about waking up early is that it is quiet and still. You can concentrate on a few big tasks as soon as you get up and get a bunch of work done that would have taken many more hours during the bustle of the day.
7. Go to sleep early
You can’t wake up early and work if you don’t get to sleep early. We need to recharge and being tired is definitely a motivator to keep procrastinating.
8. Clean and clear as you go
Sometimes we see how big a mess is in our lives and rather than do anything about it, we procrastinate. If you spend 15 minutes a day or just clean and clear things as you go (email, physical cleaning, tasks, etc.) the load of things to do isn’t as big.
9. Cut the cable
Sitting in front of your TV isn’t a good thing (all the time). Beat procrastination (as well as save some money) by getting rid of your cable.
10. Just do it
We have all heard the excuses. So, rather than make up new ones, just hunker down and get to work.
11. Schedule time blocks
If you know that some tasks are coming up as due and you have a lot of work to do on them, take out your calendar and schedule some time blocks. This will give you a set time to work and help you beat procrastination.
12. Follow a task list
It’s hard to get stuff done when you don’t know what to get done. Have a task list with you to make sure that you have the right things to do at the right time.
13. Have a system
We recommend GTD, because, you know, it’s the best.
14. Don’t check email
One of the worst things that you can do when starting to “work” is check email. It will put you in an “non-action” mood. Instead, pull out your task list and work on a big task first. Check email later.
15. Destroy social networks
Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, everything. Turn them off completely to beat procrastination. Focus on the task at hand.
16. Time yourself
One good way to get to work is to set a specific time for yourself to work. Say, 25 minutes (ie. Pomodoro Technique). After the set amount of time, rest and do whatever you want for a little bit. Then work for a set of time again.
17. Track yourself
One of the best ways to know where you are spending your time and find free time to beat procrastination is by tracking yourself. There are a host of apps for doing this. Find your weaknesses and change them.
18. Automate when you can
If you hate doing some menial on your computer then try to automate it whenever you can. It will save you time and allow you to concentrate on more important, interesting things.
19. Create a playlist
Jam out to some music to beat procrastination. Create a “beating down procrastination to a pulp” play list that puts you in a state of flow with your work.
20. Identify and face your fear
Most times, we are afraid of something when we procrastinate. Try to find your fear and and face it. Then you can start creating and working.
21. Realize it will never be perfect
If you can’t work on something unless it is perfect then you should find a way to leave earth. Nothing is perfect. Make something real and awesome. That will be great enough.
22. Become mindful
Know what you are doing at all times to beat procrastination. Don’t get stuck in a mindless rut of web surfing, channel flipping, comment flaming, balderdash. Be aware of your surroundings.
23. Set “goals” for the day
At the beginning of each day identify a handful of things that you want to accomplish. Some say three things. It depends on how large the tasks are. Set a limite for yourself and work on each of them until they are done.
24. Give yourself a break
Don’t be too hard on yourself if you are having a tough time beating procrastination. Remember, you are human and we love to sit and stew in our own uncompleted mess of work sometimes. Just work hard to get out of it.
25. Stick with tools
You are reading Lifehack because you love the idea of productivity and productivity tools. I’m writing for Lifehack, because I love them too. Don’t let them control you. Trying to find the perfect productivity tool can be an excellent way to procrastinate.
26. Entertain yourself
Go to a movie, a play, an art museum. Getting away from work is a great way to beat procrastination as well as refuel your creative energy.
27. Work less
One reason we procrastinate is because we are trying to do too many things at once. Identify key projects and complete those first. You won’t feel overwhelmed and will be able to get to work.
28. Have some quiet time every day
We are constantly plugged in to our digital world. We constantly have music or sound on. It can be a overwhelming and stressful causing us to tune out of work and life. Give yourself at least 15 minutes of quiet everyday to refocus and be with yourself.
29. Don’t settle
Don’t think that “you are just lazy” and that “this is the way you are”. It doesn’t have to be and you don’t have to let it be. You can beat procrastination.
Conclusion
If you want to beat procrastination once and for all, these are the 29 ways to do. Pick the best one for your current situation and then get back to work.
Want Life to Be Easy? Get a System!
Mar 1st
Constantly planning and analyzing and evaluating is hand work. Having to figure it all out on the fly takes a lot of effort, and it chews up our precious supply of persistence and focus. Earlier articles have discussed the benefits of having a routine, and that’s good. I want to build on that and suggest having a system, especially one that is automated or outsourced…and can function without you.
A system is particularly important when you have lots of details to keep track of that are necessary to have and to eventually act on, but aren’t immediately necessary to do your work. In fact, they are usually in the way.
When you have to plan a marketing campaign and create a PowerPoint for a client, you want to be able to focus and not worry about follow-up emails to prospects. Yet you also want to know that all that will be handled when the time is right.
Enter: The System.
Let’s take the example of following up with prospective clients. Obviously, this is important, otherwise you never get new clients and you end up losing your business, taking a day job, and subsisting on rice and Ramen. Yuck.
But what do you do when you get a new lead? If you’re like many people (including yours truly up until a few months ago), you jotted it down in to-do lists or on an Excel spreadsheet or sticky notes and kicked it around until you closed the deal — if you ever did. Sadly, lots of leads got dropped due to poor tracking and follow through. In the same vein, each lead was treated as a special case, which required lots of thought and made it hard to compare the process and results across leads.
(Now I know why my hair is falling out.)
That’s insanely stressful, having to make up a new process all the time. At the very least, you should have a simple, reliable System, so that when you get a lead you can put the information into The System (even if it’s simply a well-maintained collection of manila folders). That way you have a plan so that, for example, on day 10 you send an email and day 20 you call and day 30 you send them a brochure. Now you can just DO, you don’t have to think (which takes work — and expends will and focus). Also, every so often you can review and analyze your System and the metrics it generates to look for opportunities for improvement.
Now Add a Zero…
A reliable manual system is a good thing to have. A person you can ask to do stuff for you is great as well, but when you introduce automation life gets fast and easy…and we like fast and easy, right?
I just got a shiny new CRM (Customer Relationship Management) service a little while ago. Now I have a single place to store prospect info. It calculates the value of my pipeline and projects cash flow, it reminds me to follow up on regular intervals, and it files correspondence according to the prospect’s email address. With a modest investment in set-up time, the thing now runs itself. Better yet, it tells me what to do so I can just do more with less work and pain…and that’s also what we all want, right?
And each time you systematize a business process, the effect is more than just cumulative — it’s multiplicative. If the systems actually integrate seamlessly (when your CRM, autoresponder, and billing system play nice with each other), then we’re talking exponential results for your efforts.
Okay, What Now?
So, look at your life and your work. Where is there lots of tasks (especially routine and mundane ones), data to be stored for later use, and steps to complete in a long drawn-out process? That’s where you can create a system.
You know, there’s probably an app for that…
(Photo credit: Close Up of Line of Dominoes via Shutterstock)
The Nike Guide to Overcoming Procrastination
Feb 28th
You aren’t doing what you know you should be doing.
And it’s eating at you. Every time this task you’re postponing and postponing crosses your mind, you feel stress and anxiety.
But somehow you just take your mind to something else again, and postpone once more.
And that’s exactly what procrastination is… The postponement that never ends.
It steals your peace, joy and creative energy. Instead of crafting awesome words, works of art, or solutions, you sit with worries, stress, anxiety and a subtle realization that you’re still not the productive, task-accomplishing machine that you hoped to be by now.
Just do it!
Nike’s slogan is old news to all of us.
Still, when it comes to procrastination, it’s such good advice. No matter which way you look at the constant postponement that we label procrastination, there’s simply just one solution.
Just do it!
That task that you’re postponing that’s stealing your joy… Start with it, and start it now. There’s no such thing as tomorrow. We always only have the present moment. And we should use the present moment to do what needs to get done.
Watch your thoughts
Yes, this all sounds a bit easier in theory than it is in practice.
But some simple awareness can help you overcome your obstacles. When you think of a task that you’ve been postponing, and you decide to do it, watch out for mental sabotage.
Some thoughts will arise with reasonable excuses for not doing the task right now. These thoughts are the very reasons why you’ve been postponing the task in the first place.
“I’m a blogger, so I’m not sure it’s a good idea to start webinars. I should rather just focus on my writing.”
Or…
“I know it’s important to sort out my office and I do believe the clean working space will give me more creative energy, but today’s a busy day, and I don’t have time for admin. I need to keep my clients happy…”
These thoughts are the little foxes that sustain procrastination. You need to have your guard up, be on the lookout for them, and as soon as they appear, you need to counter them.
And there’s only one way to counter such thoughts. You need to take decisive action, right now. Let me show you how…
Take five minutes
This is a short blog post. I like writing longer posts, in the region of 1,500 words. I kept this one short (at less than half my preferred length) to save you at least five minutes.
And no, you can’t go on a tea break or catch up on the latest sport news.
I want you to use that five minutes right now.
As you read this article, your conscience would have shown you a task that you needed to have done by now. What task was that? If there’s more than one, just pick one. Any one.
It could be redoing your website’s about page. Or (more likely…) it could be starting that book you’ve been dreaming about for years.
I want you to take 5 minutes right now, and start with that task.
The idea is not to complete it right now.
Just get a start. And don’t think bigger than five minutes. Only use five minutes.
What might happen is that the energy you get from starting is so great that you work on it for an hour.
Or after five minutes you’ll stop, but the feeling of accomplishment and the fact that you took five minutes and actually worked on it might get you to take another five minutes this afternoon or tomorrow.
It gets the ball rolling…
Oh, and right about now your mind will be coming up with some clever little excuses. These are mere thoughts. The ones that cause procrastination. Awareness is key.
Please ignore them and start. Take action. Do something! Right now…
And then commit to taking five minutes (yes, only five minutes!) to work on your project every day.
You’ll be amazed by the results. Just do it!
I would love to hear about your experiences and your progress in the comments section below.
(Photo credit: Motivational Phrase via Shutterstock)
Dries Cronje is the founder of Productive Entrepreneur, a blog that helps online entrepreneurs work clever and hard to build a solid online income. He’s the author of 10 Easy Steps to ‘Mission Accomplished!’ – Simple, Practical Advice for Completing Your Next Big Online Project.
Why Joy Can Be Your Enemy
Feb 9th
In previous posts, I discussed why the so-called “negative” emotions of anger, shame, sadness, and fear are actually good friends and guides. In this post, I am going to close the loop on this project by outlining why joy, a “positive” emotion, can be your enemy.
How can this be? How can joy cause trouble? What’s wrong with feeling good?
Well, nothing, of course. Except that the pursuit of joy (and the fear of losing joy) can distract us from creating long-term happiness and fulfillment. And it can even bring about circumstances that cause tremendous suffering.
But how does this happen?
In one of two ways: Attachment and Distraction.
How is attachment a problem?
Attachment can be a problem when it clouds your judgment, preventing you from making the right choices (for you) in the hopes of getting or keeping something that you think will bring you joy.
I’m sure you’ve known people who have quit their jobs and moved away from their friends and families to a new city in order to stay together with a boyfriend/girlfriend, only to find themselves dumped and far from home when what they really needed to do is accept that other person is moving away and get on with life. Attachment to that other person, wanting to get or keep the Joy that comes from being with the other person, brought that on. Similarly, people can get attached to ideas, places and objects, and let this attachment prevent them from making wise decisions.
We can also get attached to the results of our actions and create trouble for ourselves and others. How many times have we told ourselves the following:
“I’ll be happy when I get rich/get married/have kids/get a promotion/get a better house…”
Staying so focused on the payoff prevents us from enjoying the journey, and in extreme circumstances it can lead to problems brought on by unethical behavior. Whether it’s fudging taxes, covering up problems at work, lying to your spouse to keep the peace, all of them can bring serious consequences crashing down upon you…simply because you wanted the joy associated with the payoff.
Joy can be a distraction
It can be — and it may be a harmless one, like procrastinating with Facebook or playing video games instead of taking action on something that would bring achievement and fulfillment.
Starting that big project at work can be hard. Same with fixing up your house, training for a 5K or writing a book, but those things can be incredibly rewarding (much more so than playing Angry Birds). But playing Angry Birds can provide the distraction of fun and joy.
Right now that prevents you from ever going down those paths.
Taken to the extreme, distraction becomes addiction. You drink/take drugs/gamble because it feels better than facing some challenge. No one becomes an addict because they honestly want the lifestyle and rewards — they do it because it feels good (initially at least), and it brings joy to have a drink or a hit or another card. If it didn’t feel good — at least in the moment — no one would do it.
But we do…because people find joy in distraction and they can’t tear themselves away from it long enough to take care of themselves.
In closing
Joy can lead to attraction and be a distraction. We get attached to another person or object, or to a certain result, and this can lead to bad decisions. Similarly, we can use momentary Joy to distract us from taking on more difficult challenges that would ultimately prove more fulfilling. Such distractions can prove devastating in the case of addictions. Joy is important, of course — I don’t think we could live without it for long.
But like the other “negative” emotions mentioned above, we need to keep it in its proper perspective.
(Photo credit: Boxing Punching Bag on Red via Shutterstock)