Stop Procrastinating. Be Efficient. And Manage Your Time Effectively – In 10 Easy Steps
Procrastination is a deadly habit that can cripple your productivity. But with these 10 simple and easy steps, you can beat the habit and stop procrastinating ever again.
Get ready to say goodbye to procrastinating – and take the brakes off your inbuilt success rocket!
We all waste time.
The more effective among us waste less of it – and squeeze more productivity out of the same 24 hours that all of us have in a day.
If you’ve been a victim of the procrastination habit and felt frustrated or upset about not being able to get more done or wish to discover how to focus better, then these 10 simple steps will set you free.
1. Evaluate the Problem
Too often we ignore a problem because we have no idea how big it is. So take stock of the amount of time you waste in an average day.
You’ll be shocked at how big a time sump even a simple thing like watching TV can be. Tip: Use a timer to measure the time you spend on each activity.
2. Assess the Impact
Take a few minutes to project ahead the impact this waste of time has on your future. What do you abandon, postpone or give up because you lack enough time?
Those are the ones you can pursue once you stop procrastinating.
3. Set Your Goals
Now that you plan to beat procrastination, be bold and courageous about your goals and targets.
Where you once worried about having enough time in your day, you know that there is time enough to spare – once you cut down on the waste and become more efficient.
4. Make To-Do Lists
Put items on the list that will take you closer to your biggest goals. Make sure to factor in 2 things:
- a. that you budget for enough time to get the tasks done
- b. that you allow for unexpected delays and interruptions
Without this, you may end up experiencing to-do list frustration, when the items on your day’s list remain undone at the end of your work.
5. Establish Rituals
Your tasks that take you towards your new goals must be carried out regularly. Make their execution a habit. Practice each task intentionally for 3 weeks, until it becomes second nature.
For instance, if you find it difficult to begin a new task because you’re tempted to watch TV, then set time limits and stick to them.
Stop procrastinating.
Watch TV for half an hour, and when the timer sounds, switch off the TV and get right back to work. Do this regularly, and soon it’ll become effortless.
6. Accomplish in Instalments
The best way to eat an elephant is to do it in small bites!
Even mammoth challenges become achievable when broken down into smaller components. Don’t try to complete major projects in record time. Give yourself enough time to do a good job.
After all, as your to-do list only has important tasks on it, it’s important to do them well.
7. Begin
Well begun is truly half done.
Starting something new (or going back to work that had stalled) is difficult only until you gain momentum.
So stop procrastinating, grit your teeth, and get through that part. The rest becomes easy.
In fact, once you’re engaged in the activity and hit your stride, it’s hard to stop!
8. Reward Yourself
The completion of a major project is very satisfying. But it also takes a while, and you need some encouragement along the way.
So get into the habit of rewarding yourself for reaching milestones. It doesn’t have to be something big – just a positive reinforcement that you’re doing well.
A movie, perhaps, or going out to dinner.
9. Focus
Don’t get distracted or lose concentration.
- Turn down invitations from friends or family.
- Turn off the TV and even your mobile phone, if it interrupts you from working.
- Put your full attention on the job at hand, and focus on it until you’ve completed the task.
“How To Focus” is a Ming Vase Time Management guide that can help you deal with this better.
10. Good Enough is Good Enough
No one is perfect. Don’t put pressure on yourself to be perfect. Just do your best.
Stop procrastinating because you’re afraid of not doing a great job.
That’s only cheating yourself out of the reward of a job well done. And you can always improve upon something later, instead of obsessing over it without taking steps to execute.
There you have it.
10 simple steps to stop procrastinating and get things done.
Time Management Tao is about simplicity and effectiveness. It’s a way to live so that your time utilization is optimal and efficient. All you have to do is:
- Find your center – know WHAT to do
- Understand your order – know HOW to do it
- Pick your timing – know WHO to use & WHEN
How To Beat Procrastination
Procrastination and poor time management are a big problem and concern. You can beat procrastination when you set deadlines for completion – preferably today.
Procrastination is your worst enemy in the battle against wasting time.
And it’s a bad habit – one that can neutralize many other good ones, if you let it get out of hand.
It is tempting to put off things you don’t enjoy doing. But when those tasks are important, you can end up sabotaging your success.
A definition of successful people is that they don’t like some of the important tasks… but they do them anyway!
And that is why they enjoy the fruit of their labor.
Maybe you put off things for later because you don’t like doing a particular task. Or perhaps because you are lazy/tired/incapable of handling it.
That’s no longer a valid excuse – because you can outsource those tasks to have someone else tackled them.
My personal approach is to break down projects into bite-sized pieces – and then set out to do one of the pieces, then finish it today.
I don’t go to sleep until it’s finished!
That’s an effective cure against time management procrastination.
Now, this isn’t always possible. But it is still desirable to strive for such a goal – because even if you end up doing less than the task, you’ll still get some part of the project done daily!
Not only that, the very action of doing something every day, moving slowly but surely towards your goal, sets up a positive reinforcement loop that energizes you. And over time, doing your daily tasks becomes a habit – and happens automatically!
How To Stop Procrastinating?
One of the best ways to beat time management procrastination is to ask yourself what is the best use of your time, right now?
Sometimes the secret to completing tasks during the day is to remind yourself of the work that’s ahead. You can do this with a prioritized list of items you must finish during the day.
Usually you have multiple tasks that you’re working on at any given time, with each one just as important as the other.
Whenever you complete a task, cross it off your list, and then ask yourself “What is the best use of my time, right now?” Based on the answer, move on to the next task.
This way time management procrastination stops being an issue at all. You are able to set goals, decide upon priorities and then execute them masterfully.
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