How to Stop Procrastinating

We’re all guilty of putting things off from time to time – that phone call to an angry customer, cleaning the oven, the essay you just can’t get into. For most people its not a huge problem, but for chronic procrastinators it becomes a way of life, and then its an act of self-sabotage and a sure fire way to avoid success.

Procrastinating isn’t about doing nothing. Usually we procrastinate by doing lots of ‘busy’ work – those marginally useful things like checking e-mails, sharpening pencils, rearranging the paperwork on your desk. Anything that makes you feel busy and able to justify not doing the things that really need done!

Procrastination is an incredibly hard habit to break – telling a chronic procrastinator to stop putting things off is about as effective as telling a person suffering from depression to cheer up! But, like any habit, it can be changed with determination, discipline and a little hard work:

1. Prioritise
   Make a ‘to do’ list – start with just one thing you must achieve in your day to feel productive. You can always build up to a bigger list as you strengthen your new habit! Make this one achievement your focus for the day.

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   Break tasks into small steps
   Don’t put anything on your ‘to do’ list that will take longer than 30 minutes. Its much easier to stick with a task if you can see the end of it – and there is nothing more encouraging than being able to tick something off your ‘to do’ list every half hour. If you have tasks that will take longer than 30 minutes then break them down to smaller half hour steps.

3. Forget multi tasking
   Focus is key! Don’t try and do more than one thing at a time – ’single tasking’ is in! Focus on each task on your to do list for 30 minutes until it is complete. Then start the next item on the list.

4. Don’t aim for Perfection
   Perfectionism invariably leads to procrastination. Just leap in and get the job started. It doesn’t have to be perfect, its ok to make mistakes – you’re human after all. Its not ok to sit back and do nothing because you are scared you might fail. You will definitely not succeed if you don’t try.

5. Reward yourself
   When you complete your daily goals make sure you celebrate the achievement. You deserve it! The feeling of accomplishment will help keep you motivated to change your procrastination habit!