According to a study, led by Piers Steel, phD, Americans procrastinate. No surprise there. According to the study, 95% of us put off doing things with great enthusiasm. Sometimes we spend more effort on avoiding things than actually doing them. Think of the energy we put into the art of avoidance. Pretty impressive.
Here are four strategies for overcoming procrastination and making things happen.
- Don’t think of how far you are from completion. Concentrate instead on “starting.” Focus on the beginning and avoid the fear you may have on finishing the task. Sometimes finishing brings up issues like “What if I do it wrong?” or “I might screw it up!” . Do not criticize yourself, retain your sense of worth. Release your attachment to the outcome. And if you slip up – simply begin again. Start over.
- Work on your task for just five minutes. When you commit to a really short amount of time, you can meet your goal, or begin working on your goal, without stress. Ask yourself “What’s the simplest step I can take to put things in motion?” Use a timer. This will help you to overcome the issue of not knowing how to start – simply jump in for a short amount of time and see what you accomplish. You may be pleased to see how much you can accomplish in just 5 minutes. And, it might be difficult to stop once you start. What you set in motion, stays in motion!
- Don’t over plan. We fool ourselves into thinking that planning is a form of taking action. Write down only what you can accomplish in 24 hours. Address the task in tiny steps if necessary.
- Do the fun stuff FIRST. Face it…often we put off what needs to be done in order to do what we enjoy doing. Set aside ample time for leisure and recreation. Have your fun before you start anything that feels like work. After the fun, get started on the task. That’s one less excuse in your way.
Tags: achieving goals, focus, goal setting, motivation, procrastination, Time management
