Habits begin with a decision
You may not think of procrastination as making a decision yet this is exactly what you are doing. You decide to put off what needs to be done for a later time. You rationalize why you are doing this and believe it.
“The worst excuse it a really good excuse” Bob Proctor
In the classic book, Think & Grow Rich, by Napoleon Hill he talks about procrastination as a habit where often you spend more time creating alibis and excuses…”this symptom is closely related to over-caution, doubt and worry . Refusal to accept responsibility when it can be avoided…”
Stress & procrastination
Often people talk about the stress it creates as the thing they know needs to be done is put on the back burner. Things can backfire with a host of undesired results. Most people who procrastinate on a regular basis, if they are honest with themselves, will find that they build up more stress than doing the task they are avoiding.
Unfinished Business is an energy drain
It has been said that procrastination keeps your future good from coming in. Have you noticed that new things and situations seem to elude you when you have unfinished business. Or the unfinished things are presented to you in a variety of ways.
A few years ago, I was working with a client who had a massive clutter problem, it was so bad that he stopped going into his office which created further problems for him as he had ongoing work to accomplish.
At this same time in my life I was dealing with this in my office as well and felt very uncomfortable coaching him on ways to deal with his problem…or should I say our common problem. When I was unable to find things hiding in tall piles then I would start the frustrating & often arduous process of cleaning it up and a month later (or less) the piles would return. I had vowed to clean up a little each day; however my habits were not firmly implanted in my conscious mind enough to follow through. This client was a turning point for me. My office got cleaned up using the same strategies that worked for my client. We took baby steps each day. It took a few weeks to get everything in order and a lot of old piles were shredded. Does my office sometimes get messy? You bet, yet it has never gotten as bad at it once was. Now it takes an hour to straighten up and I generally do a bit each day.
If you feel ready to tackle the habit of procrastination and create more energy in your life here are some ideas that you can try:
9 steps to take control and stop the habit of procrastination:
1) Look at your life and what you keep putting off and make a list of what needs to be done. Once you decide, write it down; it’s harder to ignore something written down. The written word is also powerful and can release pent up energy and emotions....Be gentle with yourself. Usually I will get in a calm mood, have beautiful music on and light a candle while I do this process. (When you are scatterred and unfocused it is difficult to do much)
2) Prioritize the list-put your most urgent task/need in the number one position and so on
3) Decide whether you want to tackle the higher priority or the lowest-some say start with the easiest to get the ball rolling. What works for you? You decide.
4) Once you determine what you will tackle first write a date next to the item-do that for all your items. If you find that you are not able to complete in that time frame that's fine if you have not been procrastinating; put another date down that is more feasible.
5) Sign your name to the list with a written pledge to yourself. If you need accountability, tell someone else what you are committing to and ask them to hold you accountable (I, _______commit to doing these tasks. I will ask for help and accountability when needed; signed__________)
6)Put your list in a place where you see it regularly-the refrigerator door or office wall is usually a good place; the point is, it will be harder to ignore.
7)Now set an amount of time each day/week that you will commit to the first item you have chosen (when I worked on my office I could only do it for 30 minutes or I became overwhelmed and grumpy.) Do what is workable for you or you will not follow through. Doing it regularly is important however, or you will put it off again.
8)I have found that finishing the first item before moving on to the next one is crucial for me. You have prioritized your list so this will probably not be difficult; distractions are not your friend and can derail your efforts. We live in a world where over-stimulation & distractions are plentiful. Multi-tasking is not always beneficial, in fact recent studies show you get less done when working this way.
9)Each time you finish one goal/item congratulate and reward yourself with something you enjoy doing.
You may be amazed how easy this becomes as you are forming positive habits by doing something towards your item/goal everyday/week. You are also breaking the habit of proscastination. You can do this! Notice how much better you feel as you follow through on what you know needs to get done. You are in control of your decisions which is very empowering. In forming good habits you win.