Whether you’re planning a wedding, completing an assignment for school or work, researching your family genealogy, or facing any task that seems overwhelming, it is easy for procrastination to rear its ugly head, jeopardizing the successful completion of the project. Here are five things you can do to fight the urge to procrastinate:
1. BREAK THE TASK INTO SMALLER PARTS, AND COMPLETE THE TOUGHEST PARTS FIRST
Q. How do you eat an elephant? A. One bite at a time! This old African proverb says it best. The best way to tackle any project is to break it down into reasonable tasks that can be completed in their entirety and crossed off your list. Procrastinators typically will save the most unpleasant tasks for last, but all that does is add to the pressure as deadlines approach and the biggest 'bite' is still staring them in the face. Stress and anxiety levels will decrease once the most unpleasant tasks are resolved.
2. ELIMINATE DISTRACTIONS
It is crucial that you schedule time on your calendar to work exclusively on your project. If you have too many distractions where you are, find a place where the distractions are reduced and you can focus on the task at hand.
3. FIGHT THE URGE TO BE PERFECT
Many times it's the fear of failure or not measuring up to self-imposed standards that can paralyze us into either delaying a task or avoiding it altogether. Fight the inner voice telling you that perfection is required and learn to celebrate your successes.
4. LEARN YOUR LIMITS
Before you say yes to any new project or task, examine your schedule, consider the time realistically necessary to do the task, and sleep on it before you decide to get involved.
5. GET A CHECKUP
If procrastination is disrupting your every day life, consider speaking to a professional about an underlying health issue that may exist, such as depression or attention deficit disorder.
