Five Strategies to Overcome Procrastination

Do you sometimes find yourself sitting there putting things off to the last possible moment? Thinking, “I’ll do that later”, even when the ‘THING’ you need or want to do is actually quite straightforward?

Let's face it, nearly all of us procrastinate at one time or another. To be honest, I have been procrastinating about writing this week's article! At best, procrastination is a frustrating (and annoying) habit. At worst, putting things off may cause us stress, anxiety and even problems with others. Yet if we boil it all down, in most cases we know just what we need to do to get started.

So I thought I would ask psychologist Victoria Kasunic, one of my Alumni Mentor Clients to share with you, her top five tips to overcome the procrastination monster that lives inside of each of us.

1. Take action now!

Taking even the smallest action, such as reading an email, or making a phone call relating to the goal or task will give you a boost of energy. So do it now! Action is the antidote to procrastination. When you feel overwhelmed, ask yourself what the first step forward is; just one small thing and do it. Notice how it gives you a little boost.

2. Move past the excuses.

We all have a million excuses and reasons as to why we are procrastinating. These are just distractions or red herrings that we allow ourselves to get caught up in, and they take us off our path. Imagine your excuses are like clouds drifting across the sky, you can see them but you can't hold onto them. They are a backdrop to your life rather than the main event.

3. Get support

Tell a friend or colleague what you are trying to do, and set up a system where you check in when you have accomplished a step or completed the task. Perhaps you could set up a buddy system if your colleague also wants support when it comes to dealing with procrastination.

4. Write it dow

Be clear and write down what you need to do, and when it has to be completed. If it's not written down and with a timeframe, it tends not to happen. Use reminders to prompt you, such as a reminder message in your phone.

5. Link it to the bigger picture

Tasks that are connected to a bigger vision for your life or your purpose have much more meaning. If being a parent is important to you, then being able to finish work at a reasonable time links to your vision of being a present loving parent. It gives you a greater meaning and purpose in your life. This makes it about so much more than just completing a basic task.

Try these tips and see how using them makes a difference. You may want to use one or all of them at various times.

But here's the key: Now that you've read this article, use one of these tips right now, and get into action. Before you know it, you'll be over the procrastination monster, and you'll actually be getting things done.