Procrastination, according to the dictionary means: “The action of delaying or postponing something.” When you procrastinate, you are taking an action, an action that sabotages your ability to do a good job. Why not act towards success instead?
Understand perfectionism
Many people self-sabotage through procrastination because they want everything to be perfect. The problem is that the perfect does not exist. The best thing you can do is try your best at something, but do it. Done is always better.
Improve your self esteem
Developing self-esteem requires you to believe in yourself and make sure your inner voices are positive. Tell yourself that you can do it. It’s bad enough if it has outside influences that are degrading its value. Don’t allow yourself to be your own bully.
Move through doubt
Many times procrastination happens because you are questioning yourself and if you are the right person to do it. But, you have been chosen for a reason and you can also do it and learn as you go. Most people learn as they go, even surgeons.
Disconnect
When you have things to do, turn off all unnecessary outside influences, such as television, social media, and your cell phone, other than some kind of emergency. Of course, you can turn off the phone and check your messages every 90 minutes. However, most of the time there is nothing you can do in a true emergency.
Move
Sometimes if you are putting off something, you need a change of scenery. Or if that’s not possible, you need a lot of effort. The best way to do this is to get up and move. Then go back to work with a timer that requires you to work for a set amount of time before stopping.
Create a realistic schedule
Some people procrastinate because their schedule is unrealistic and they are exhausted. Be honest with what you can accomplish on any given day. Everyone is very busy these days, so be realistic. Put everything on your schedule so you really know what you’re up against.
Put it on your calendar
Once you’ve written down everything you need to do, put it on your calendar. Everything, including downtime, must be scheduled for the procrastinator. If you have a nighttime routine like showering, shaving, brushing, and reading, write that down on your schedule as well.
Set reminders
Most electronic calendars have the ability to set reminders and alarms. This can be very useful for many procrastinators because you know that when the alarm goes off, you can do something else. That makes it so much easier to do the things you don’t want to do, because soon you will be able to do something else.
Be responsible
It can be helpful to find a responsible partner to help you with procrastination issues. Establish a way to communicate with someone each week to discuss whether or not you accomplished the things you set out to accomplish.
Reward yourself
When you finish a day doing everything on your list, give yourself a reward of some kind. You can earn points and redeem the points to do something fun.
