I would imagine that just about everybody has procrastinated at some point in their lives. I have watched myself in situations where I use procrastination even if I enjoy the required work! I have not yet fully worked out why I procrastinate. I sometimes wonder if it just because I am a deadline driven person, however, I can offer some tips if you find yourself procrastinating that will work and get you back on track in no time!
- Write out a list of the top 5 things you need to do today and do one of them right NOW!
- If a task seems really huge, break it down into smaller manageable step and complete the first step today. Complete the task by doing one of the smaller steps each day until it is finished.
- Reward yourself for completing tasks. Do the task first and then give yourself a reward, something meaningful to you.
I have been using a concept called delaying gratification for decades now, you do the work first and then you give yourself permission to play. It works because you can really relax once you know the work has been completed.
Another tip I can give you is to write down what you have to do each day and as you complete the tasks, cross them off the list. I use an erasable pen with my diary these days so when I finish each task I erase it out of my diary. I found that the simple process of having clear pages did wonders for my psyche rather than having everything still on the page and crossed out! Try this, it may work for you too!
Whichever way you look at it, procrastination is frustrating if you let it get out of hand, so try one of the above tips today, you will be very glad you did!