You Need To Stop Procrastinating.
There are many reasons why you might struggle with taking action. Maybe you're distracted, or maybe you just can't get started because of something like procrastination.
The Tool Called Motivation
It's important to know that motivation is something that you can control. Your motivation is a tool, and it's helpful to know how it works.
Motivation is like a muscle that needs to be built up and strengthened through practice. You will have ups and downs, but with the right strategies in your toolkit, you will be able to overcome the challenges you face.
Decide on a goal
The first step in getting motivated is deciding what you want to accomplish. Think about what it is you want, and why it’s important to you. Write down your goal, read it regularly and keep it with you at all times so that you can remind yourself of it throughout the day.
Think about the potential obstacles
Once you have decided on your goal, it’s helpful to think about any potential obstacles that might get in your way of achieving it. There are likely to be some things that might make reaching your goal harder than you expected — perhaps a lack of time or money, for example — but thinking about these things ahead of time can help you plan how to overcome them when they arise.
Break down your goal into smaller chunks
If your goals seem too large or intimidating, they may hold you back from getting started on them. Breaking them down into smaller chunks makes them more manageable and easier to start working towards. Think about how many steps there are between where you are now and where you will be.
How Much Time Do I Have?
Putting off work until the last minute may feel like it helps you focus, but it's actually harmful.
When you start a new project, you're in a great mood. You're excited to start and to see how the project unfolds. But if you procrastinate until the last possible minute, your excitement will fade over time as the deadline approaches.
The end result is that you'll be less motivated when it comes time to actually do the work. It's better to set aside enough time for each step of a project so that you can finish well before the deadline and stay motivated throughout the process.
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"I'm a procrastinator."
It's easy to say, but not so easy to admit that you're one. It's even harder to fix.
The truth is, procrastination can affect anyone and it can be impossible to get motivated when your work piles up. I've always been a fan of the last-minute scramble. Whether it was turning in a high school paper at midnight, or throwing together a presentation for work, I was always most motivated when I had to get something done by a certain deadline.
It's only recently that I realized that I actually wasn't doing myself any favors. Putting off work until the last minute may feel like it helps you focus, but it's actually harmful and unproductive.
The 6 Action Steps
Final Thoughts
A task list like above can be particularly helpful if you have a lot of different tasks on your to-do list, or if you find yourself procrastinating because you don't know where to start.
To get action started, gather all your tasks and organize them by category. It doesn't matter how many categories you end up with — just make sure they're grouped together in some way so that they're not randomly scattered across your to-do list.
Identify each category with a name or color and place them in order of priority. Focus on one task at a time. When you've finished that task, move on to the next one.
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Until next time.
-T
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