Some of us lose most of our time, because we fritter it away, doing nothing very much.
This is easier than doing something important, which takes concentration and involves the possibility of failure.
So, rather like a hedgehog, it is, perhaps, easier to curl up into a little ball of inaction: it feels safe. Of course, most of us feel uncomfortable with total inaction, so we replace meaningful activity with meaningless “displacement” activities. This is procrastination; putting off what we know we need to do.
Here is a sample of six ways to beat procrastination and get things done.
Procrastination is comfortable
So remove the cosy feeling by focusing on what will go wrong if you continue to do nothing.
Start small
Start with a small part of the task or project. This is easy, so it won’t disrupt the cosiness. Once you get started, momentum will kick in.
Work in small chunks
Don’t try and do the whole job at once. Divide it up and give yourself a break between each chunk.
Celebrate success
Each time you complete a chunk, make a point of congratulating and rewarding yourself. Nothing motivates us like success.
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"Thank you for giving me back time in my life." - Ian Walker
Create pressure
It’s easy to procrastinate when there are no consequences. Make a promise to someone, which you know you have to keep.
Choose your moment
Some of you work best with a coffee, others first thing in the morning, some at the end of the day, some in a café. Know your preference and use it.
For more information
There are twelve ways to conquer procrastination in Brilliant Time Management
Great tips. Creating pressure by making a promise to someone works for me, I don’t like to let people down and that provides a boost of motivation. As someone who is self employed, I find it’s helpful to team up with someone else in a similar position, and hold each other accountable.