procrastination – Personal Growth Cafe

Procrastination is an issue a lot of us deal with (or put off dealing with) for as long as possible.

Procrastination usually happens when you’re faced with doing something you don’t like to do, don’t know how to do, or fear.

When you procrastinate, it can upset a lot of things in your life.

Delaying completing projects can affect your income, relationships, and self-esteem – not to mention your credibility!

In addition, it doesn’t just affect you; it affects everyone else close to you:

It can irritate your spouse and children and teach your kids to put things off, too.

Your friends might decide they can no longer trust you to do what you say.

It causes issues with your boss and co-workers who have to step in and do your work for you (until you get fired)!

It frustrates anyone who has to wait on you to get something done before they can do their part.

As bad as it seems, however, there are ways you can overcome your procrastination!

Even if you’ve been putting some projects off for months, or if it has become a daily habit, you can still get back on track.

Follow these tips to transform yourself into someone who gets things done:

1. Divide and conquer.

Most tasks are composed of several different pieces, which is why you’ll want to divide the task into a series of attainable action steps.

Breaking it down this way makes it seem a lot easier.

Put some easy steps at the beginning that you can accomplish quickly.

Jump right in and complete those first easy steps.

This will give you the confidence to continue, build momentum, and motivate you to get it finished.

2. Get some help. Don’t let pride get in the way of letting you get something accomplished.

If your time is short, ask someone to help with some of the tasks for you, especially the easy ones that can be dispatched quickly.

This will give you more time to focus on the more difficult portions of the project.

Form a team and divide up the project.

As the saying goes, many hands make light work!

Learning to delegate helps make you more successful.

If your delayed projects are at home, let your children do the parts of the project they can handle.

They’ll learn some valuable life skills, too.

If you’re unsure of what to do, ask someone who’s done something similar before.

They can quickly bring you up to speed.

Once it’s no longer a mystery, you’ll find it’s not as much of a challenge as you thought!

3. Make a list. Write down all the things that you’ve been putting off so you have a concrete listing of exactly what you need to complete.

Put them in order of their priority. This way you’ll be sure to get the most important ones done first.

Divide each project into attainable tasks as explained above.

Post it where you can see it throughout the day.

Cross off each task as you finish it. Just the action of crossing something off that list makes you feel good and motivates you to get more done.

4. Reward yourself after you complete the full project.

5. Start some new habits. Now that you know some easier ways to get things done, use these same tips each day for every project that comes up.

Instead of just putting it aside for later, divide your project immediately into attainable smaller tasks, delegate what you can, and do something on it right away.

Make it a point to do this consciously for a few weeks and it will become a habit.

Most experts agree that it takes three weeks to turn a conscious action into a habit.

Bernard Meltzer said: “Hard work is often easy work you didn’t get done at the proper time.”

How true! The longer you put off doing a task or project, the harder it’ll be to get it done because more work has piled up, conditions have gotten worse, and others involved are now irritated with you.

Make your work easier and your life more enjoyable by following these tips to overcome your procrastination and avoid it in the future. You’ll be glad you did!

What are some considerations that you have when you try to put something off for another day?

How can you push yourself to start doing those things now?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

Also, as your gift for taking this to heart – and this is profoundly important… to us ALL – go to UnitingPlanetEarth.com/ignition/ and do the Uniting Planet Earth 7-Day Quick-Start Ignition Program… and Allow it to Transform Your Life.

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April 6, 2019March 12, 2018

Procrastination Avoidance Tips

Did you ever feel like you wanted to join the Procrastinator’s Club, but never quite got around to it?

At some point in time, procrastination plagues us all, some more than others, but everyone at some point gets a bite from the bug.

We’ve all heard the quote, “Why put off till tomorrow what you can do today?”

For some of us, this is the only motivation we need, while others struggle with putting things off for weeks, months, or even years.

Procrastination doesn’t have to be a way of life for you; you can overcome it.

With a little focus and the right attitude, coupled with some practical tips and techniques, procrastination can be a thing of the past.

Here are five strategies you can use today to help you bite the procrastination bug back:

1. Set small goals.

Many times, we feel overwhelmed with a task, so we continue to put it off until we have no choice but to complete it.

Now throw on all the new projects we received while we were putting off the first project, and you have a prime equation for some serious procrastination.

Setting small, quickly achievable goals can help you avoid procrastinating in the first place so you don’t get overwhelmed.

Here are some tips for setting those small goals:

2. Break your big project up into smaller steps.

These steps can be completed systematically one at a time.

Make sure you have well-defined end points for each smaller goal, that way you have something to keep you going.

Setting small goals provides you a nonstop feeling of accomplishment as they’re attained.

With each individual success, you feel better about yourself, and this motivates you to continue.

Giving yourself break points allows you to focus on each individual task and takes the overwhelming feeling out of the job.

In addition, they give you a prime place to get up, move around, and refresh yourself for the next step.

3. Avoid distractions.

We all do it. We sit down to start working, but have to get back up and grab some coffee.

Then we sit back down and check email, then voicemail, and then email again just to make sure no one sent a message while we were checking the voicemail.

How long did that take?

Try checking your email only twice a day instead of every 5 minutes.

You need to have some time to focus!

Get everything you want, need or think you need before you sit down to start working so you can concentrate.

4. Delegate.

Start giving some of your responsibilities to others instead of hogging them for yourself and creating more stress.

Stress leads to procrastination, procrastination leads to tight deadlines, and tight deadlines lead to more stress; it’s a vicious cycle.

5. Keep a list.

A constant reminder of the things you absolutely need to do is a great way to avoid procrastination.

A small pocket notebook or even a note card works wonders for list keeping.

Keeping a list puts your daily to-dos in front of you at all times for quick reference.

Include your small goals on your list.

Get started early each day completing those small, easy goals.

Doesn’t it feel great to scratch through the things you’ve completed?

Before you know it, the whole list is marked off!

6. Turn it off.

When you’re done for the day, shut down everything work related. Don’t take it home if you can help it.

Turn your brain off at the end of your workday.

By giving your brain a break, you help avoid over exhaustion and keep your mind fresh for the next day.

7. Spend some time doing the things you love to recharge your batteries for the next day.

Pick one or two of these techniques and try them out for three weeks.

Studies have shown it takes 21 days to form a habit and if you truly want to beat procrastination, you have to make productivity a habit.

When you’ve made a habit of one of the strategies, pick out another one, and before you know it, you’ll be the personification of productive!

What can you do today that you moved to sometime in the future?

What is keeping you from doing that now?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

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January 9, 2018January 5, 2018

Overcoming Procrastination: Five Simple Ways to Get Up and Go

Procrastination: it’s something a good number of us tend to do, no matter what the task.

We know that putting something off doesn’t help us and it only makes things worse by adding stress to our lives, but knowing this only makes us procrastinate more.

How can you stop this vicious cycle, use your time more effectively, and get your tasks done sooner?

Here are 5 simple ways to get up and go and stop putting off things that must be done for the sake of bittersweet procrastination:

1. Determine why you delay working on your task.

Is it a specific task that you’re putting off, or do you procrastinate everything on your plate?

What is it about this task that stops you from doing it?

Are you scared of failing?

Do you fear that you’ll fall short of what’s expected of you?

Are you just lazy?

Are you resentful of whoever put this obligation upon you?

By evaluating the task, you can better understand what’s holding you back so you can complete the task more efficiently.

2. Make a plan.

When you make a step-by-step plan, you are setting a specific schedule and timeline to complete the task.

Write this plan down on paper.

Writing this list will help you better organize your thoughts and determine the small steps you need to take to accomplish your goals.

Give yourself attainable tasks on a daily, weekly or hourly timetable, as it applies to your situation.

You are less likely to be overwhelmed when you’re faced with small, manageable steps.

3. Be Realistic.

Be realistic about what you can achieve in your plan.

Doing so makes each step clearly attainable and you’ll be less likely to put it off.

Knowing your limits will make your goals seem easier and less of a mountain to climb.

4. Just Begin.

It sounds simple enough, but few heed this simple tip.

Most procrastinators find themselves prone to delaying the start of the task because it seems too overwhelming.

Instead, they stress and worry during the final moments before it’s due.

No matter how large or insurmountable the task may seem, beginning with even a small action will build momentum.

Simply beginning also tends to put the task into perspective and makes it seem more possible than ever.

5. Take Breaks.

Taking scheduled breaks while working on your task refreshes your body and mind.

If you go for a 10-minute walk or work on a Sudoku puzzle, you’ll feel re-energize and you’ll be in a better frame of mind to forge on.

Breaks, while refreshing, should be taken in moderation; you certainly don’t want to use breaks as an excuse to lapse back into procrastination.

Procrastinating is an ugly habit that many of us fall into.

Luckily, this bad habit can be overcome and if you are prone to procrastination you can become more proactive and productive.

Follow these 5 tips, practice them frequently, and with some time and patience you’ll find yourself getting more done, more often.

What can you do today to position yourself toward wealth?

What can you do today to begin the process of getting organized?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

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September 11, 2017September 26, 2017

Breaking the Procrastination Habit with Positive Self-Talk

Are you a reluctant procrastinator? Do you always wait until the last moment to get things done? Do you find you are always putting things off until you can’t put them off any longer? Are your friends, family members, and co-workers frustrated with the way you tackle projects of any size? If so, you aren’t alone. Procrastination is something many people deal with. Although it can be hard to change overnight, positive self-talk is a great way to stop procrastinating and change your life. Positive self-talk can help turn you from a procrastinator into a doer.

Using Positive Self-Talk to Stop Procrastinating

Positive self-talk is a great way to stop procrastinating because you can talk yourself out of procrastinating the minute you start! The problem for most of us who procrastinate is that it is just the way we do things. We don’t even necessarily think about why we procrastinate. It’s our normal approach to life, and it’s hard to stop something we have been doing for so long. Positive self-talk is a great approach to stopping procrastination as it starts because the self-talk occurs in the moment!

Positive self-talk is the practice of responding to your mind’s thoughts as they happen. If you know you have a big project you need to start working on today and you think it can wait until tomorrow, for example, you can stop and remind yourself that it needs to be started today. During those moments when you want to wait until tomorrow, you can use positive self-talk to make sure you don’t put off until tomorrow what needs to be done today. Positive self-talk can stop the negative internal dialogue before it gets to the point of being overwhelming.

Many people use affirmations to help with positive self-talk. Affirmations are positive statements you can use to help you steer clear of procrastination. You should repeat these affirmations when you feel the urge to procrastinate.

An example of an affirmation that may help you with procrastination may be: “I feel no need to create obstacles for myself. I move forward, stronger than ever,” or, “By keeping organized and using my time wisely, procrastination melts away.” These are concise statements that can be memorized so no matter where you are when you begin to procrastinate, you can repeat these positive statements to yourself. Doing this helps you to talk yourself out of procrastination mode.

As you can see, positive self-talk is a great way to combat procrastination. You can reprogram the way you think when you use your affirmations. If you stop procrastination in its tracks each and every time, soon the habit of doing things when they need to be done will replace the habit of procrastination.

Once you repeat the process of positive self-talk many times, you’ll be able to combat procrastination, lead a much less hectic life, and the people in your life will thank you for the change in the way you deal with things! When used effectively, positive self-talk can change your life for the better. So stop procrastinating and start talking to yourself!

Where do you tend to procrastinate?

How will positive self talk help you beat procrastination?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

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July 4, 2012July 4, 2012

8 Tips for Fighting Procrastination

Common problem for procrastination is doing the things that we don’t enjoy that’s why we always put it off. It’s not a good habit though.

Watch this video and it will give you insights about how to remedy this attitude.

Now that you’ve watched this video, let’s talk about the main things you’ve learned from it, how you’re relating it to your own experiences… and how you’re going to apply it – in the Personal Growth Community at http://www.PersonalGrowthCommunity.com

Also, to make sure you’re fully aware of the power you have to create whatever you Desire, please go now to https://www.PersonalGrowthCafe.com and begin doing the “Crash Course on Creating Your Ideal Life with The First Covenant”.

That’s my $197 video training that’s a special gift to thank you for visiting the Personal Growth Cafe.

Talk with you in those four videos!

Joyfully,

Dan Klatt,
“Think And Grow Rich Guy”
Author of “the Daily Personal Success System”
President of the http://www.PersonalGrowthAuthorsAssociation.com

….Serving as Your WealthSensei!

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July 4, 2012July 4, 2012

Positive Self-Talk: Breaking Procrastination

Why do we have to delay things when we can do it today? This is the usual problem for most of us people. We put it off and then when the time comes that you can’t really put it off, you’ll be pressured to do it.

Watch this video and you’ll get some ideas about Positive Self-Talk.

That’s my $197 video training that’s a special gift to thank you for visiting the Personal Growth Cafe.

Talk with you in those four videos!

Joyfully,

Dan Klatt,
“Think And Grow Rich Guy”
Author of “the Daily Personal Success System”
President of the http://www.PersonalGrowthAuthorsAssociation.com

….Serving as Your WealthSensei!

P.S. One more thing. If you liked this video, Share it, and Like it! (Use the little ‘<‘ less than sign.)

Who do you know who needs to know this? (Your Facebook friends, Twitter followers, email contacts, etc.)

Tag: procrastination

Never put off tomorrow what you can do today. – Thomas Jefferson

How to Avoid Procrastination

Procrastination Avoidance Tips

Overcoming Procrastination: Five Simple Ways to Get Up and Go

Breaking the Procrastination Habit with Positive Self-Talk

8 Tips for Fighting Procrastination

Positive Self-Talk: Breaking Procrastination