HOW TO STOP PROCRASTINATION, MEET YOUR GOALS, AND BE HAPPY.

Here are SEVEN TACTICAL and SIX STRATEGIC ACTIONS TO STOP PROCRASTINATION

(If you would like to read the long version of this post please click here: https://bit.ly/2J600NR )

SEVEN TACTICAL ACTIONS

These actions work (I’ve tried them myself!).

1 Start – it doesn’t matter what you start, but start!

It doesn’t matter what write or you say in these few lines the message is being sent to your subconscious ”I have started, feed me with ideas!”

2 Elephants

How do you eat an elephant? “In bite size pieces!”

3 Elephants and rewards

You break the mighty task down into bite-size pieces, some which will be delegated, some will be eliminated and some will be completed step-by-step.

Choose the top five most important tasks for the day and focus on those. (See also “The two minute rule” below).

Complementing your bite-size piece of work are small rewards at the end of your task. It might a walk to your kitchen for a drink from the fridge, a few yoga stretches, or whatever.

Then you come back to complete your next bite-size piece.

4 Timed sprints

If - even after breaking into bite-size pieces - the pieces are still big - work in very short sprints that are TIMED.

Set a timer at 50 or 60 minutes and when the timer rings after a sustained and focused work session allow yourself to sit back, stretch, stand up, walk a little, or grab that cold drink from the fridge, Then it is back to the desk, reset the time for another timed period, and continue work.

5 Two minute rule

When you first sit at a desk groaning under the weight of tasks.

Allocate a short period - Maybe 15 or 20 minutes - to clear some tasks which will take two minutes or less to complete..

6 Isolate the brain

For many earphones and music has the effect of isolating you from extraneous distractions.

7 Banish the Smartphone.

Driven by FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) the smartphone has become an obsession; with some people feeling the need to check that there has or has not been some update to some application, no less than 100 times in one hour.

Remember that DISTRACTION is one of the core drivers of procrastination, don’t succumb, put your phone in the drawer, preferably in another room, and stay focused.

FIVE STRATEGIC ACTIONS

1 Gain a understanding of your behavior

Procrastination is a learnt behavior. Sometime in distant past, you may have learned that “Negative outcomes gain me attention”.

Procrastination does not get you positive acclaim – it gets you negative reactions.

Procrastination leading to the failure in meeting deadlines, in completing work, guarantees that negative attention will flow to you in abundance.

And therefore you’ll be living out a learned behavior in your life script.

2 It doesn't have to be prefect, every time.

Tune your mindset. Know that, for 99% of your work, aim for the job to be done rather than for the job to be perfectly.

3 Pareto (once again)

It usually takes 20% of the time to do 80% of the work. The 80% of the time, being focused to achieve only 20% of the outcome, may not be a good investment.

If the cause of your procrastination is what you see to be the colossal size of the task ahead (even when you approach it with bite-size pieces) then you need to ask the question what can I achieve in 20% of the anticipated time, and will the outcome the FIT FOR PURPOSE Can I aim for the job to be done, rather than perfect.

4 The Power Of Why

Procrastination sometimes occurs because you cannot relate the task that you have to an output or a result. Focus on “Power of Why”, and all of the tasks that descended from that overarching goal, to see if the task in hand contributes to the end result.

If it does, proceed using any one or many of the tactical and strategic tips that you have just heard. If it doesn't why are you doing it.

5 Accountability Partners

Finally, the role of an Accountability Partner cannot be underestimated. An accountability partner is a strategic asset. They are not a coach, they are not mentor, but they’re someone who has an intimate knowledge of what you’re trying to achieve and your commitment to yourself regarding the milestones on your journey. 

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This is Bill Lewis thank you for being with me today. A REMINDER If you would like to read the long version of this post please click here: https://bit.ly/2J600NR I hope you enjoyed this post and I look forward to seeing your comments and please like, and share.