A Few Tips to Avoid Procrastinating

STOP Procrastinating is not a good habit to have. It might start only on one part of your life housework for example but pretty soon it will graduate to aspects like filing your income tax or finishing your term paper or paying insurance. The spillover from one will definitely add more work to the other. Avoid procrastinating at all cost if only because you will have more stress when things pile up.

SCHEDULE Okay, you let things slide and now you have a ton of things to organize. Instead of turning a blind eye on it, take out a calendar and schedule a date to work on it. Having a visual reminder will serve two purposes: it becomes a commitment and you can psyche yourself to work on that day. It doesnt have to be a whole-day-affair kind of thing to finish everything in one sitting. If you really cant bring yourself to complete it, just stagger the work to certain hours every weekend for example. Apply the same to other areas of your life where youre lagging behind and you will see a marked improvement everywhere.

STICK WITH IT Be disciplined enough to follow your schedule. For example, you designate the third Friday every month to file all the paperwork on your desk instead of doing it when its a twelve inch pile. Stick with it. Pretty soon, youll have this as part of your work routine already no need for psyching up, no more stress, no more mess.

SATISFACTION Admit it, wouldnt you rather see things around you in an organized manner? What about the rush when you finish work in time? Wouldnt it be great to get that novel finally completed? The emotional impact alone is satisfying! Use that as the top motivation to avoid procrastinating. To add more zest, why dont you promise yourself a treat when you finish? It could be as simple as getting ice cream afterwards or treating yourself to a spa or a day of golf. Whats important is that it will give you something to physically look forward to.

So stop, schedule, stick with it and be satisfied in the end.

Posted by Alan Searing who is Managing Director of Online Express Limited and trades as Solutions4U providing self development books and tapes at the support group for Anthony Robins fans (The Yes Group) and he is passionate about providing resources to help others help themselves and to improve upon their own circumstances in life. My own ebook Web site http://www.creating-better-habits.com/ My product web site http://www.ANewChapter.co.uk

email alan@alansearing.com

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