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7 ways to overcome procrastination

By Robert Greenshields

Republish: EasyPublish™
Published: 18Sep2007
Word count: 452
Viewed: 294 time(s)

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One of the reasons most people fail to achieve what they want is that they never get around to implementing the good ideas they have.

If you have a problem with procrastination, the first step is often being honest with yourself about the real reason you're not doing it.

When you can get to the root of the real reason, you can tackle the issue.

Here are some reasons people procrastinate: - The task seems too large or complex. - They don't know where to begin. - They're scared of people passing judgment on them. - They're afraid of failure or success. - They just have poor organizational skills. - They underestimate the time needed to carry out a task and start too late. - They just don't want to do it, perhaps because they've been told or advised to do it by someone else.

Whatever your reason for procrastinating, here are 7 ways to overcome it:

1.Recruit a support team: either to provide accountability, to actually carry out the task or to assist in planning, organizing and structuring it.

2.Break the task down into smaller units and prioritize: There's a helpful saying: "If you're going to eat an elephant, make sure you're eating it in burgers." Small tasks are achievable. Big tasks scare people. When you set out the steps required, that's already your first step toward actually doing them.

3.Adjust your standards: Sometimes people set standards for themselves that make it very difficult for them to achieve what needs to be done in the necessary timeframe. Setting different standards can deliver faster results.

4.Cut out distractions: Try getting away from your PC or turn off your internet and web access to remove some distractions, then you'll have more opportunities to do the things you need to do.

5.Create a reward for success: "If I do this, I'll go out for dinner or take a day off," works for some people. For others, punishment for failure is more effective. "If I don't do this, then I will not go to the theater on Friday night."

6.Give something up: What are the things you don't really need to do? Have you created a 'not-to-do' list yet?

7.Focus on the goal not the task: Remind yourself of why you're doing it, not what you're doing.

When you're trying to overcome procrastination, it's good to make small promises to yourself about what you're going to do and keep them. Even if it's just to do one small thing a day, you'll get into the habit of having that success.

Success creates success. If you take action every day, you're making it into a habit. It becomes built into your neurology and becomes the way you behave in the future.

Robert Greenshields is a marketing success coach who helps business owners and professionals who are frustrated that they're working too many hours for too little reward. Sign up for his free tips on earning more and working less at MindPower Marketing

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