Five Ways To Overcome Your Procrastination Habit...
Procrastination is something even the most hardworking person battles with. In this week's newsletter I will share five strategies to help you overcome this habit so you can achieve your goals...
Happy New Week everyone!
I hope last week’s newsletter helped you achieve some wins. Please let me know if you found it helpful! This week, I want to talk about procrastination, something we all battle with at some point or another.
Procrastination is delaying an unpleasant but important task; we delay even though we know we’ll be worse off for delaying. Procrastination is different from laziness because rather than being unwilling to act, it's more choosing to do something else instead of the task. Procrastination can have serious consequences such as lack of productivity or not achieving your goals.
There are many reasons why we procrastinate. Fear is a big factor that contributes to procrastination. This can be a fear of failure, a fear of making mistakes or even a fear of success. If you are afraid of success it’s secretly because you believe you are undeserving of success. It is important to realise that your self-handicapping is robbing you of your success. By addressing this fear, you can begin to overcome your procrastination habit.
To overcome procrastination you have to recognise that you’re procrastinating and have an understanding of the reasons why you procrastinate. You can’t solve a problem if you don’t understand the root of the problem. Don’t be too hard on yourself and don’t beat yourself up when you notice you’ve been procrastinating, it is something that even the most organised people battle with. Forgive yourself for procrastinating in the past. Self forgiveness can help you feel more positive about yourself and reduce the likelihood of procrastination in the future.
Here are some strategies to help you overcome procrastinating
The 3,2,1 rule- this is a practice that has worked for me. I used to procrastinate getting out of bed and starting my day but I started using the 3,2,1 rule which is basically counting down to get started. I count down from 3 and as soon as it gets to 1 I know I have to take action.
Have a to do list- writing down tasks and prioritising them will help you carry out all tasks as you will not just remember to do the pleasant ones. By prioritising your to do list you will be able to quickly identify which tasks to focus on and the ones you can't ignore. Tackling the most important ones at your peak times as well is a great way to avoid procrastination. If you work better in the morning, then do the important tasks first thing in the morning.
Break down tasks- most times the big picture can be overwhelming and you end up being paralysed into inactivity but if you just focus on taking one step at a time you will end up at your destination eventually. Rather than trying to perform perfectly on a big daunting goal, split it into smaller manageable and actionable tasks. Focus on progress not perfection.
Attach meaning to the task- in order to have urgency to act it is important to attach meaning to the task. When you have a reason as to why you have to act straight away, it will help you to get started. Reasons could be things such as others are waiting for you to finish or you want to avoid negative repercussions such as disappointing your manager, client or getting a late fee.
Set deadlines- commit to completing a task by a certain time period. Setting yourself specific deadlines to complete tasks will keep you on track to achieve your goals, and will mean that you have no time for procrastination. I recommend having an accountability partner and having a penalty for not meeting your deadline and rewarding yourself for completing. This will help incentivise you to take action and meet your deadlines.
To conclude, procrastination is just you getting in your own way of success. Most times we know what we need to do to get to our desired destination. Don’t let ‘perfection’ and inaction delay your success. If you find yourself procrastinating this week, follow the five strategies mentioned above and see if it helps.
Have a great week everyone!
Subomi