5 Ways To Beat Procrastination - Part 2

So how do we avoid putting things off if there’s just too many of them? How can we avoid leaving an activity hanging if we’ve been interrupted? Procrastination is not always evil. Making a schedule of tasks to be done in the future is not procrastination, although some people call it structured procrastination. When then does an activity which was put off become procrastination? When the task we put off is really important and we failed to get it done. For non-important matters that we put off, procrastination in that sense hardly matters. Do you see where I’m getting to?

1. Know your priorities. It’s knowing what is important to us. It’s defining our values. When values are clarified, we are able to set our priorities clearly. God, family, career, rest and renewal, projects, and so on and so forth. When priorities are set in stone, we can avoid tomorrow’s regrets for having traded a more important activity for a less important one. First things first. Life is how you spend your time. Think of time as the space in your trunk. Priorities are the big chunks we put in the trunk when we go on a trip. We put them first and then the small items follow like shoes, slippers, water bottle, etc. If we reverse the order, i.e., put the small items first, there will not be enough room for the bulky ones no matter how hard we push.

2. Declutter and organize. After you have identified your priorities, you are in the position to purge less important activities. By less important, we mean those activities that do not help you achieve your important goals. When I first started on the internet, I signed up with a lot of newsletters, filling my inbox with all kinds of information. And I had to read all that stuff. Fortunately I realized what was happening. I unsubscribed immediately and now I have more time to do what is important to me. The best way to organize is to write your goals and priorities. Customize your system.

3. Overestimate. Always overestimate the time it will take to finish a job. If you think it will take two days to finish that report, allot a four-day and start on day one right away. You see, when a task is assigned to you, your initial reaction is “there’s plenty of time to do it”. Consequently you dilly-dally until it’s too late. Overestimating the time to complete a task is a pleasant mistake. Underestimating it is a deadly mistake.

4. Decide at once. Remember the problem of the unmotivated or the disinterested? The task was put off because he could not resolve whether to do it or not. Extricate yourself immediately from those situations. Being decisive is necessary in matters where the time factor is critical. Always remember, indecision killed the cat.

5. Attack at once. Do the main event before the introduction. In other words, attack at once. No beating around the bush. Do the difficult task first. In a big project you normally break it down into smaller pieces. You may start on the smaller parts to give you momentum, though. If you are unsure how to proceed or if you are confused where and what to start, it is often helpful to engage the main task right away. Once you do, usually the problem unfolds itself and the procedures become clear.

The consequences of procrastination are stress and failure and the feeling of helplessness. The benefits of overcoming it are immense. Peace of mind, restfulness, the feeling of being in control and in charge of your life, competence, and so on and so forth. Apply what you have learned here. Do it now!

"Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going." Ecclesiastes 9:10