Simple Procrastination Tips To Get You In Gear!

Procrastination is putting off an important task in favor of less important tasks that you are more comfortable doing. While it is normal to a certain degree, it can be troubling if it is chronic enough that it gets in the way of your success. Here are some simple procrastination tips to make it more difficult for you to procrastinate. PROCRASTINATION TIPS #1- FACING THE PROBLEM The first of thing to do to overcome procrastinating is to recognize that you are procrastinating. The first step in solving the problem is to recognize that you have a problem. PROCRASTINATION TIPS #2- LEARNING THE CAUSES The second tip is to know what is causing your procrastination. Are you disorganized or just feeling overwhelmed? Do you find the task unpleasant? Are you a perfectionist? Are you unable to make up your mind? PROCRASTINATION TIPS #3- GETTING ORGANIZED It's important to use time-management tools such as schedules and stick to them. Your goals must be time-bound. Make prioritized to-do lists so that the importance of each task relative to the others is right in front of you where you can't ignore it. Another effective tool that should be included is the Urgent/Important matrix popularized by Steven Covey This is a revolutionized to-do list. Get a piece of paper and divide it into four quadrants. In the first quadrant, write down tasks that are urgent and important. In second quadrant, write the tasks that are important but not urgent. The third quadrant is for tasks that are urgent but not important. The last quadrant is for tasks that are not urgent and not important. This is a good tool because it forces you to think of which quadrant each task falls. Ideally, you should be spending most of your time on quadrant 1 and quadrant 2 tasks. PROCRASTINATION TIPS #4- BREAKING DOWN THE TASKS This tip should help if you're feeling overwhelmed. Break down the big tasks into several small chunks and schedule each one. Start with a couple of easy chunks just to get you started. This will build your confidence enough to let you move on to the more difficult chunks. If you find yourself procrastinating because you find the task unpleasant, or you are a perfectionist, or you can't make up your mind, use these tips: Tell yourself that you need to do it anyway, so you might as well do it now. Another way to get you motivated is thinking how your employer hired you to take charge of certain tasks that are important to the company. Guilt might just get you started. Also, you know what they say about eating a bug first thing in the morning? The rest of the day will be a breeze. PROCRASTINATION TIPS #5- REWARD YOURSELF Promise to reward yourself, and really reward yourself when you finish the daunting task! It can be chocolate or ice cream, a massage or a nice date with your partner. If you make small promises to yourself and see them through, the tasks you hate won't be as difficult to start. Instead of finding excuses that prevent you from doing your work, you'll find yourself looking forward to the little treat instead. So, the next time you find yourself tempted to go on a coffee break to avoid starting an important project, try out these procrastination tips.