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Stop Procrastinating! Tips to Move Forward

February 1, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Stop procrastinating

By Caroline Pigott -

“Just one more story, please Mummy, then I’ll go to bed.” “I’ll do my homework in the morning; it’s not due ’til Monday.” “I’ll tidy up my room after this program.”

Sound familiar?

Many of us learned the art of procrastination at a very young age.

Procrastination is something most of us do, but when is it a problem? Joseph Ferrari, psychology professor at DePaul University in Chicago, and author of Still Procrastinating? The No-Regrets Guide to Getting It Done, says everybody procrastinates, but not everyone is a procrastinator. “A procrastinator is someone who habitually and consistently delays tasks.” Occasionally screeching in before a deadline is one thing, but if your life is in constant disarray because nothing ever gets done, then you’ve got a problem.

Ferrari thinks you should start by looking at why you procrastinate. Fear of failure is one of the most common reasons. Many people put things off because they’re worried the task will be too hard. If this is an issue for you, you could try breaking it down into easier steps and then visualize yourself completing the task. Is it really that hard? In extreme cases, Ferrari recommends using counseling to help change the way you think.

There are simple techniques for overcoming a tendency to procrastinate. The easiest is to write a list. There’s something about an ink and paper list that makes you want to get a task finished and crossed off. I can’t be the only person who finds it so satisfying I write down tasks already completed, just so that I can cross them off.

Do important and urgent tasks first, then ones you really don’t like, saving the easiest and pleasantest for last. Keep your list regularly updated and make sure your goals are achievable. I have a long master list with absolutely everything I need to do on it, then each morning I create a smaller list of tasks I need to achieve that day. The feeling of satisfaction I get from finishing my daily list goes a long way towards motivating me to get the unpleasant tasks done.

Many people think they work better under pressure, and they may be right. But if you leave something to the last minute then your child gets sick, you’re going to have a problem. Try and schedule your time in so you can get things done without having to rush.

Switch off distractions. For me this is key. I love Twitter and Facebook, but having them on in the background is the surest way for me to leave stuff unfinished. We’re all great at multitasking, but actually we’re more productive when we focus on one thing.

Finally, don’t forget to reward yourself for a job completed. Finish that tricky report, then head out to your favourite coffee shop to meet a friend.

About Flourish – Business Support Services
Meet Caroline Pigott, owner and founder of Flourish, an all-in-one business support services firm ( http://www.flourishva.com ). Simply put, Caroline launched Flourish to help other women business owners succeed. With an innate ability to listen to the needs of her clients, Caroline helps businesses flourish through such all-in-one outsourcing services as Internet marketing, administrative assistance and graphic design.

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April 27, 2011 – Procrastination

April 27, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Nothing is so fatiguing as the eternal hanging on of an uncompleted task.

~William James

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6 Ways to Stop Procrastination and Get Organized Now!

November 29, 2010 By Leave a Comment

By Leilani Miller -

If you are reading this chances are you are a procrastinator. The good news is that if you are reading this chances are you don’t want to be any more. So let’s get productive.

1. Break a project down into small manageable parts. Most procrastinators have an unrealistic sense of time. They tend to over or under estimate the timing of tasks large or small. They think a project will take forever but really it’s not that bad when you break it down into small parts. For example if you want to organize your office break your office down into small areas and calendar 1 hour a day on tackling a specific area. Once you start to see results you will find more time.

2. Set a deadline for every task. Set the deadline for a date earlier than it is really due to provide the leeway you need for all of your last minute needs until you get better at this. Even if the task does not need to be done soon then set a date way out. The point is to trick your mind into thinking something has to be done by that day so that you have a back up plan for getting things done in case you do what you normally do which is procrastinate but this time only until the due date. Then the task is done.

3. Reward yourself. After each small deadline reward yourself. Here’s a twist. Give yourself a larger reward for proper planning and finishing the project on time. Give yourself a really small reward for merely finishing the project on time.

4. Worst things First. Chances are the thing that you have been procrastinating on is not the most exciting thing for you. Maybe it even takes you out of your comfort zone a little. Well do it first thing in the morning. Congratulate yourself by doing more enjoyable tasks for the rest of the day. Think of how productive you will be if you did this everyday!

5. Get a helping hand. Tell someone else what your due date is so that they can hold you accountable to that. Or ask them for help getting something you need done by the due date.

6. One in = One out rule. If you are not able to get something done think about what you are willing to not do to get it done. You may just have too much on your plate. If you want to exercise for 30 minutes then you have to take 30 min from your sleep or TV time. I know you are thinking not-a-chance. Well those are just examples but the point is SOMETHING HAS TO LEAVE IN ORDER TO ADD SOMETHING ELSE.

As always I would love to hear your feedback and even success stories because I KNOW these 6 strategies work.

PLEASE COMMENT AND SHARE

Find and Read more great articles at http://www.YouOrganized.com

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Deadly Effects of Procrastination on Our Health, Work and Personal Life

July 21, 2010 By 1 Comment

boringBy Kent Swigg -

Procrastination is a bad habit which is difficult to overcome. Most procrastinators may be aware of all the harmful effects of this habit, still they find it difficult to overcome it.

In this article, we shall discuss a few negative effects of procrastination on our life. When we know what we stand to lose, we may become more motivated to fight this deadly dangerous problem. Do you know that the harmful effects of procrastination may extend to various areas of our life?

Procrastination and Career

First and foremost, let us discuss how procrastination affects the work life. Procrastinating over important things can lead to a lot missed opportunities in business and work life. Your valuable time will be needlessly wasted because you have difficulty in doing things.

People having this bad habit may always be on the lookout for some excuse or the other to escape from hard work. Sometimes you are not feeling well, sometimes you are not in the right mood, and sometimes you have some other problem. Most of the times, there are just silly excuses to put off doing things that need to be done.

You will not learn new skills and upgrade your knowledge. In today’s competitive world, it is very important for everybody to constantly upgrade their knowledge and skills. Other people in the company may overtake you while your progress is very slow or non-existent.

You will be afraid of taking up new projects as you know your habit of procrastinating. You will be afraid that you may not be able to complete the work on time because you keep putting things off. All of this might cause you immense frustration at yourself.

Procrastination and Your Health

Procrastination can also have a bad effect on your health. You know that you are getting fat and have to do something about it. You plan to start eating healthier foods, keep away from junk food and take up exercising. But you keep putting off these things thinking that you will start doing them from the next week or so.

In the meantime, your health is getting more and more spoiled. Still you have not yet started taking any positive action to improve it. Many times, people put off things until their health problems really become very big.

Procrastination and Relationships

Another important area of life which might be affected is relationships. You will put off simple things like cleaning the desk or cleaning the room which you promised your wife to do. But if you delay it for long, other people might get frustrated and angry at you.

Even small problems like these can result in fights and conflicts, specially if they happen on regular basis. You will keep making promises only to break them off later on. People may stop trusting you because you don’t keep your word. Your family members as well as friends may get frustrated because of your habit.

Because of these problems in your personal life, your health may deteriorate further and so also your work performance, turning this into a vicious cycle. The early you overcome this habit the better it can be for you!

Program for overcoming procrastination in 21 days, click here – Overcome Procrastination Program

Click here for simple procrastination help, if you want to overcome this big problem!

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Hanging on to things I no longer neeed

December 16, 2009 By Leave a Comment

eye glasses

By Irene Conlan -

I’m scheduled to have my eyes checked tomorrow and pick out some new glasses. I’m long overdue for a refraction because I have put it off  on purpose. I love my frames and can’t get them anymore. They’re titanium and, therefore, very light and it’s the first time my glasses have ever been comfortable.  But they’re are worn and bent so they have to go. My vision has changed and I need a new prescription as well.

Reflecting on hanging on to the old glasses when I badly need the new ones led me to thinking about how we hang on to other things than no longer serve us or may even do us harm. We tend to “hang on” in any number of areas. For example:

We hang on to stuff that we don’t want, don’t need and don’t know what to do with. This is aptly named “clutter” and can easily be discarded. It’s that “I haven’t used it in ages, but if I get rid of it I’ll need it” kind of stuff. It feels great to let it go and see some clear areas in your home. Take it to Goodwill or a charitable thrift shop. Have a garage sale. Someone can probably use it.

We hang on to ideas that have outlived their usefulness. Stereotypical thinking should be the first to go. The thoughts that begin with “They always …” or “They never …” Let go of those ideas that could edge over into prejudice. These ideas  hurt you more than others because they keep you from experiencing the richness of diversity. Some hang on to their limiting beliefs about themselves – ” I’m not good enough, I can’t, I don’t deserve, I’m not lovable. I’m too old.” These can all be thrown out with the trash. The idea that the “old” is always better than the new or vice versa can be disposed of as well. Take a good look at your ideas and see what can be discarded.

We hang on to old emotions. We  sometimes drag up old painful memories and relive them over and over, feeling the pain again as though it just happened. We hold grudges, old anger, old hatreds that fester and spew their toxins throughout your being. Isn’t it time to sort them out and let go of the ones you no longer need? How much does your hatred of an old boyfriend/girlfriend (or anyone else) who “done you wrong” help you now? It helped you get through a painful time long ago but now has no relevance.  Isn’t it time to do an emotional housecleaning, forgive and get on with your life. Sweep out those old emotional cobwebs so there’s room for the happiness that’s available for you?

And we hang on to relationships that no longer have meaning or bring us joy or satisfaction. These are the relationships that make you grit your teeth when you think about being with them.  These are the relationships that cause pain and heartache and break your spirit – and your heart.  There are long standing relationships that never held joy for you (and probably for them as well). If you think, “Oh, no. I just can’t spend another evening with them” perhaps it’s time to cut the ties.” If being with someone ties you up in knots and makes you want to scream, perhaps you need to let them go.

This only begins the list of things we hang on to. Each of us has our own unique list. Each of us has our own reasons for hanging on to all of it. Every now and then it’s helpful to look at what we’re hoarding, ask ourselves, “why?” and begin to do a housecleaning. As we come closer to the end of the year, it’s a good time for this job so 2010 can begin with plenty of room for joy.

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How to Overcome Fear and Procrastination

April 17, 2009 By Leave a Comment

By Priscilla Parham -

If we listen to world news today, they give us every reason to be fearful. If we give in it seems that something dark lurks around every corner of our mind. The challenge with fear, either real or imagined is that it can hold you back from doing well in life.

When one lives with constant fear you may also be prone to procrastination because they are two sides of the same coin. In fear you cannot move forward which makes you hesitate or procrastinate on a lot of issues, especially if one believes nothing he does is good enough. Instant fear is designed to quickly move people out of dangerous situations, but prolonged or constant fear is not the natural state of the body.

Take Susan as an example. She is someone who really wanted to be a nutritionist but because she was always heavy she thought she couldn’t do it. Many people told her she should take classes at the community college but she was too afraid to even call them for fear of rejection. Susan had already negatively assumed the outcome of her efforts in her mind.

When you are in the midst of feeling afraid of anything take a step back and really look at the situation. Are you in danger of some kind? Is it moving you out of your comfort zone? Are you afraid of succeeding? Are you afraid that if you make that move your life will change way too much?

If so, close your eyes and ask yourself, “What would I do if I weren’t afraid?” As you calmly wait for your answer(s) without judgment you will find that fear is a complex illusion. It is an elaborate scheme by your ego to stop you from moving ahead. The dominant ego keeps you from experiencing your life in a way that will make you happy. Fear is based on events from the past that make us wary of making certain moves, old rhythms or patterns often set long ago by life experiences.

How can you release the fear and help heal procrastination? First of all by acknowledging it and then taking an action step forward. The problem lies in basing your present on the past or the future. One simply should not accept that what happened in the past will be some variation of what happens now. This vicious cycle can keep one trapped in negativity. The more closely related to the now you can be, by breaking your fearful goal into tiny manageable steps or a smaller to do list, the easier it will be to release the fear.

Going back to our example, if Susan had just called the community college it would have been a step towards her goal. She could have talked to a counselor and then perhaps have signed up for one class at a time, opening the door to new possibilities. Susan can always leave herself open to changing her mind as she moves along, helping to get past her fears.

Life can be wondrous when you release fear and side step procrastination. Now is the time to move out of your fear and take the first step. You never know what will happen to make your life become bigger than you ever imagined. I always like to keep in mind the old adage “Fear is just, False Expectations Appearing Real.”

Become part of something that is sweeping the world with inspiration. You will find a wealth of spectacular material including free affirmations, beneficial worksheets and other useful tools to download at http://motivatingmessages.ning.com.

Priscilla Parham coaches on awareness and goal setting for your health, your business and your relationships, motivating others to rebuild from the inside-out.

You can post this article on your web site or blog as long as no changes are made, the author’s name is retained and the links to our site URLs remains active.

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Improving Self Confidence

May 3, 2008 By Leave a Comment

By Pete Connelly http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Pete_Connelly

Congratulations anyone looking to improve anything deserves some sort of recognition; improving self confidence indicates there is some confidence there in the first place to improve.

The reason I state the obvious here, is there are many people held back through having no self confidence at all, so this means you are already ahead of some and looking to improve. [Read more...]

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