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Conquering Procrastination
The word procrastinate comes from the Latin
procrastinatus, which means, literally, “forward
tomorrow.” If you’ve been putting off till tomorrow what
you could — and should — do today, then recognize that
procrastination is a habit that can be broken. But if
won’t happen overnight. It takes 21 days to form a new
habit. So set a date, (Mondays work well, because they
feel like a fresh start) and track 21 days to stay the
course.)
To start, give yourself a reason to stop
procrastinating. Maybe you’ll improve your financial
situation because you’ll pay your bills on time. Or
you’ll impress your family, friends, and coworkers
because you’ll appear productive and efficient. Or
you’ll be less stressed because you are on top of your
to-do list and arrive on time. Whatever the goal, keep
it in mind throughout the first 21 habit-forming days.
To get a handle on procrastination, start writing.
Use a spiral notebook or planner to capture all your
tasks. Do not use scraps of paper or sticky notes.
You’ll want everything in one place. Keep a running
master list of tasks that need to be done. (It might be
really long.) But then, each evening, make a smaller “to
do today” list for the upcoming day, either on a
separate page in your notebook, or on the next day’s
planner page. List only the most important things you
need to accomplish that day, and keep the number of
tasks realistic and attainable. (About five things
usually works well.) The next morning, you’ll know
exactly what needs to be done, and you can concentrate
on those above all else. That evening, evaluate your
list. Anything not completed moves forward to the
following day’s task list, and a few more items are
added. And take a moment to permanently remove tasks
from your list that no longer contribute to your goals
or happiness.
As you’re writing your to-do list, make sure to break
tasks down into realistic-sized chunks. If your goal
is to organize your messy kitchen, the enormity of it
will seem daunting. Instead, break it down into one-hour
tasks: toss out all expired foods in pantry; clean out
refrigerator; organize junk drawer; set up mini-filing
system for kitchen. Completion dates are important, so
assign specific tasks to specific days. You won’t
organize a kitchen in a day, but over the course of a
week, you can do it! And each day’s successes will give
you the drive to keep going.
For truly unpleasant tasks, set a timer for 15
minutes, and just do it. Nearly anything is
palatable for a quarter of an hour. It’s also helpful to
see that most unpleasant things don’t take nearly as
long as we think they will. You may hate going through
your in-basket at work. But just 15 minutes each morning
and evening is enough to review, sort, do the quickie
tasks, and assign the longer ones to your planner. If
you’re feeling sluggish, complete an easy job first, to
get your momentum going. Also, do the toughest tasks
when your body is most alert — some people function
better first thing in the morning, while others perk up
later in the day.
Treat time like a precious gift. Are you a
people-pleaser? If you’re truly behind in your own
tasks, don’t add any more optional to-do items until
you’re caught up. It’s okay to say no. It’s okay to
delegate. It’s okay to take some time for yourself. And
stop saying, “If I can’t do it perfectly, I won’t do it
at all.” Limit choices, let good enough be okay, and
move forward. Perfection is not realistic or required in
life.
Reward yourself. After 21 days of “just do it”
action, treat yourself to something nice... lunch with a
friend, a luxurious nap or bubble bath, a hot-fudge
sundae, a concert, or an afternoon with a favorite book
or movie. You’ve earned it!
© 2007 Articles on Demand™
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