Just Do It - Fight Procrastination - Work Smart. Live Smart.

Can you find time?

Stop looking. You will never find it. It isn’t lost.

I missed it. As you can see September 6th is almost over. Was I procrastinating? Not really. I am behind/ on my blog postings, not because of procrastination, but because it was less of a priority than the other things on my to-do list.

Fight Procrastination and Minimize Your Stress

Sometimes we procrastinate because jobs or tasks are difficult or time consuming, but it is not procrastination if the job doesn’t rank in importance or urgency.

So why else do we procrastinate?

Perfectionism – have you ever wanted something to turn out ‘just right’, that you got overwhelmed by the details and couldn’t move forward? I wanted my new keynote to be absolutely amazing to the point where I couldn’t get a word down on paper. There’s 3 books waiting to be written, but the thought of them being less than spectacular keeps me from sitting down to write. Imagine my ‘perfect’ Christmas tree as I am surrounded by boxes of ornaments only to be side-tracked by opening my mail.

Fear of failure, success, or finishing – Like the examples above, sometimes procrastination is also fueled by the fears that we have. I have caught myself thinking about failing or the embarrassment of not succeeding. The stress of these fears has left me paralyzed.

Dislike task or person – I hate tackling my quarterly finances. It wouldn’t be so bad if I actually did them monthly. However, I procrastinate and I end up doing them every 3 months or so. I get frustrated and annoyed which makes me want to put the task off even more.

Too tired – I need my sleep. If I am worn out, all those little tasks are easy to draw out or avoid all together. Sleep and being well rested is critical in avoiding procrastination.

Fight Procrastination Quotes:
I love these quotes (sorry don’t know the source)

“If we fail to control the events in our life, then the events in our life will control us.”

“Our thoughts determine what we want, but it is our actions that determine what we get.”

Failing to plan and failing to keep moving forward will ensure that we are stuck. Stuck in our lives. And stuck in our jobs. Stuck in our relationships. Beverly Beuermann-King Click to tweet

Beverly’s Hot Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating Just Do It Day:

So how do we Fight Procrastination?

Find the answer to ‘What’s In It For Me”. Why is this task/decision important. What will I achieve once it is completed?
Use positive self talk to keep you moving forward.
Chunk your time. Set a timer. Work with your concentration and energy not against it.
Make appointments with yourself for breaks, planning, visioning and even napping.

Get organized. Build systems and procedures to follow that will keep you on track or simplify the process.
Get rid of junk and clutter. These are just distractions.
Watch out for time gobblers – Internet, email, TV, phone, socializing.
Delegate when not part of priority. Hire out. Share tasks.
Reward yourself. Make it fun.
Get support. Share your goals and keep others updated on your progress. It is harder to procrastinate when others are ‘watching’.

Not sure if you are a procrastinator?…take this free quiz at
https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/tests/career/procrastination-test-abridged

If you have some strategies to share – comment on this posting!