How to Stop Procrastinating
Procrastination is the greatest thief of purpose. If you do not get on your feet immediately to take steps, then your dreams are far from locating their fulfillment. I have been down that path before, and it nearly robbed me of my dreams and cost me my future.
The reason we procrastinate is that the things we need to do seem so overwhelming that we let the fear and anxiety of doing it or of the possible failure take over the desire to get the task done or the project started. Often, we allow opportunities to slip through our hands because of the question of where to start and how to get it started. Procrastination is not only robbing you of opportunities; it is reducing the quality of your life.
From my point of view, you can overcome procrastination if you have and you know how to use the right tools. The secret here is to subscribe to the lifestyle of those who want results so much that they are willing to pay the price, to break the ice and to take the risks of starting.
I want to show you a way out of the deadly clutches of this menace called procrastination, and here are a few tips to light the way:
BREAK IT DOWN
Projects and tasks always look very daunting if you are always looking at all the details as one task. If you can break that particular project into simple smaller series of works, it will be easier to get started. The trick here is to break the task such that each small part has its due date, its requirement, and its resources. Arrange them such that one will lead to the other, and you will achieve a perfect flow of efforts and results.
REALISTIC SCHEDULE
There is nothing as devastating as setting goals with unrealistic timeframe. It puts you under unnecessary pressure and makes the work much more challenging than it is supposed to be. Create a realistic schedule and stick with it. If you need to set alarms, reminders, and notifications, go ahead and make sure you do everything to help you stick to the plan. In the middle of your rigid plan, make sure you make a little space to be flexible enough to accommodate slight changes and alterations; especially when you are not in the position to control everything around you.
PERFECT TIME IS A MYTH
You need to understand that there is no such thing as the ideal moment to start a project/task. If you are waiting to be ready or to feel prepared, you will never get anything done. There are no perfect times to start any project- now or never! If you do not set out to get it started now, then you are planning to settle for never.
SEE THE END
Visualize the final goal and the benefits of achieving it: pride, self-esteem, accomplishment, etc. Nourish your mind with these images, and then take immediate action. Your ability to see the end does not only help you to get started; it helps you to sustain the momentum and to stay focused on the task as you get to the tough part of it.
SET ACCOUNTABILITY
Don’t just stay alone and keep your work to yourself. Talk to people about the project: it is harder to fail when you know that someone else is expecting you to do what you have planned or agreed to do, people tend to be more motivated in achieving their goals when there are individuals who are watching for accountability purposes. Let your spouse, your family and your friends know what you are doing and when you intend to take specific steps. At work, make sure you have people whose responsibility is to keep you on your toes, so you will get the job done.
DON’T FAIL TO START
The worst form of failure on earth is the inability to start. Once you allow your fears and lack of motivation to keep you from starting, you have not just robbed your world of greatness; you have deprived yourself of the chance to make an impact. You need to come to the point where the regret of not attempting is much more painful than the failure encountered in the process of trying. You are better off trying than not doing anything at all. Indeed, not trying at all is a guaranteed failure in itself.
Take a look at the world around you; it is a world of doers, a world of people who will not stop at dreaming, who will dare to start.
