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How to Overcome Procrastination

Posted on December 17, 2006

Procrastination is the bad habit of putting of until the day after tomorrow what should have been done the day before yesterday. – Napoleon Hill

Overcoming procrastination is a simple combination of mind and body, as in, you have to know what you need to do and do it now, but only if it was that simple. You know what needs to be done it is the getting up and doing it part that is so hard, right? However the work never goes away until you do it or abandon it.

Procrastination festers, you know you should be dealing with the job at hand, but you find any excuse to linger longer in bed, work on something else that is not even as remotely important as what you should be really doing. Then the guilt sets in, you start to feel bad about not getting stuff done and then you need more time to get over feeling bad about procrastinating and the vicious cycle continues.

Overcoming procrastination starts with your mind. Why do you procrastinate? Are you lazy and you know it? Are you afraid if being judged? Are you afraid to be successful? There are a multitude of questions one can ask a person that procrastinates but the fear of success one is my favorite, because when you associate completion of a project with your success in life, that thought alone can be a big motivator. Knowing why you procrastinate will help you control it. It means digging a little deeper but the work will be worth it in the end.

Procrastination is the fear of success. People procrastinate because they are afraid of the success that they know will result if they move ahead now. Because success is heavy, carries a responsibility with it, it is much easier to procrastinate and live on the “someday I’ll” philosophy. – Denis Waitley

I want to use the proverb, How do you eat an elephant? “One bite at a time.” But I can’t fathom why anyone would want to eat an elephant and I really like elephants. So I use the analogy of climbing a mountain. How do you get to the top of a mountain? “One step at a time.” I should also mention that I can’t wrap my mind around climbing a mountain either but if you ask a mountain climber they would say, “To get to the top.” Not to mention that I have seen people actually climb mountains, but not eat an elephant. But I digress, the point I am trying to make is that each task you find yourself doing, no matter how large it seems always starts with one step. Do one thing at a time no matter how little and eventually you will have the big task completed.

I did not want to leave you hanging so here are a few simple techniques to help you overcome procrastination and get on with your life.

 For those of us who hate to leave the security of our beds in the morning…


Get Up!
Some days are just harder to get started than others. You lie in bed knowing that you need more than the reality of your life to get up and get on with your day. These are the days when you remember: “You are the captain of your ship; you are in charge of your life.” What do you want to do? What do you have to do? What will it take to get you moving?
I am the captain of this ship and where I lead it will follow. -Henney

Get up! Get up!
What to do: Affirm – “I will conquer this day. I am the captain of this ship.” Now go.

 For the people who take on one too many things at a time…

Overloaded?
Procrastination can take on many forms, and tackling too many things at a time is one of them. You find yourself trying to complete one project and before that one is completed, you have several others. Then nothing gets done, you become stress and you don’t want to do anything.

Sometimes we do not recognize this as a form of procrastination. We think we are just overloaded, but that is not so, there are many ways we trick ourselves to thinking we are being productive. Yes, the dishes can wait, while you finish that project that is due to your boss tomorrow.

Do Something: Make a list of all you uncompleted projects, sort them out in to three piles: Must-Do, Delegate and Dump. Pick the most important item on the Must-Do List and start working on it.

 For those of you who can’t delegate


You Don’t Have to Do It All!
Having one hundred and one items on your to-do list does not mean you have to do it all. You have to learn to delegate. At work, delegate, at home, delegate. There are people around you qualified to do the work, use them.

If you have no one to delegate to, then you do what I call “Creative Delegation.” You simply set aside the small things (like the dishes before they become an issue that is) and focus on the bigger issues. I am a big advocate of: “If the item is not pressing then it can wait.” The telephone, television, housework, like the dishes, laundry, and vacuuming can always wait a couple of days. RE: Creative Delegation, it also helps a lot if you pick up after yourself and remember I said “a couple of days.” You don’t want to become a candidate for one of those clean house shows on TV.

To Do: Look at your list, delegate tasks or be creative with the tasks that can wait while you focus on the priorities.

 The most important part of overcoming procrastination…

Finish What You Start
The stress you get when you walk into your home or office and see all those things you were supposed to have finished ages ago can be mentally crippling.

You want to do more, but you can’t because you already have so much to do. You want to do more but you just don’t have the time. You want to do more but you simply start another project that will not see the light of day. You have to start afresh, start over and get rid to the old energy holding you back.

Get rid of the half-completed projects you are no longer interested in, that sweater you started knitting seven years ago does not have to be on your to-do pile. The stack of newspapers from last year you want to review for riveting articles can be recycled because you can find even better articles from this year’s stack of newspapers. I bet you will reduce your project pile by 70% if you purge and eliminate the ones that are no longer of interest to you. Now take that remaining 30%, set a timeline and finish them. Wow, wouldn’t that be a large burden lifted off your back.

Affirm: “I finish what I start.”

I believe everyone procrastinates at some point or the other it is when it stops you from creating your ideal life, or just living that it becomes a problem. If you know you procrastinate then you now know that it is up to you to stop it. Get yourself moving, do one small thing at a time and soon you will become that “Type A” personality that all procrastinator wish they could be or maybe just have the good traits of a “Type A” personality and none of the drama. Bottom line: the efficiency you need to produce results starts with you doing something and doing it now.
Good Luck,

Related Articles
Five Steps to Stop Procrastinating and Achieve Your Goals Today
Set Intentions and Take Control of Your Life
Motivation and Goal Settings –The To Do List
4 Highly Effective Steps to Achieve Success

Filed Under Affirmations, Health & Wellness, Personal Development, Self Improvement, Self-Help Tools
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Comments

3 Responses to “How to Overcome Procrastination”

  1. Craig Harper on December 17th, 2006 7:35 pm

    Great Post!

    I have a friend.
    To call her a bit of a procrastinator would be like calling Tiger Woods a bit of a golfer.
    In the world of procrastinators, she is a pioneer, an innovator.
    She’s the benchmark.

    She has a PhD in time-wasting.

    Just when you thought there could be no more reasons for not doing something, no more excuses…. she pulls out a gem; every time.
    Slam Dunk.
    Didn’t see that coming.

    And she does it with such conviction.
    She talks herself into it.
    Logic and reality don’t even come into it.

    I know what you’re thinking; we create our own reality.
    But sometimes we create a reality which destines us to being emotionally, socially and psychologically paralysed… forever. Living the life we don’t want, but too fearful, too lazy or too indifferent to do anything about it.

    I think deep down she knows she’s full of crap, but at the same time she knows she can’t admit it because then she would have to do something.

    How many million reasons can one person give for putting off making decisions, and dealing with issues which should have been addressed forever ago?

    Apparently, squillions.

    I have crowned her the 2006 International Queen of Procrastination.

    Keep up the great writing!

  2. Tabs on December 18th, 2006 12:30 am

    Thanks a squillion for all your great comments, your friends sound like a hoot. Your comments made me laugh, I could use a good laugh right now. We’ll all say a little prayer for her in hopes she finds her way out of the net she has trapped herself in.

    Cheers

  3. Dol on December 24th, 2006 2:01 pm

    I see two steps I can start implementing today. Thanks

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