Busting through procrastination
It happens to the best of us, we have good intentions and then distractions and other things get in the way and we procrastinate. Procrastination can cause tons of problems for our physical and mental bodies. It is the cause of many heart attacks, headaches, and high blood pressure. This is because procrastination leads to stress. Having excess stress in your life will hurt you in a number of different ways. If you are sick of being a procrastinator, here are some tips to try:
Tip # 1 - Make a list
Since you have a lot on your plate, it helps to make a list of all the things you need to accomplish. Break down some of your bigger things into manageable sizes so you can handle them better. A great way to make a list of all the things you need to do is have a list for each day. For example, Monday could be "clean the kitchen, finish the presentation, pick kids up, etc." If you have a list of all the things you need to do each day, you are less likely to procrastinate them and put them off until Friday afternoon when you find yourself under stress and the pressure is on.
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Tip # 2 - Take a break
There are many of us out there that are naturally optimistic and we hope that we can accomplish everything on our list by the deadline. If you are one of these individuals, learn how to take breaks. Organize yourself and your work so you can get started and get ahead for a change. Playing catch-up is extremely frustrating and it's never-ending.
Tip # 3 - Ask for help
One of the biggest problems procrastinators have is thinking they can do it all. While you may be optimistic, don't be stupid. Learn how to say "I need help". If you have reached your limit with work or things at home, tell the people around you that you need a little help from them. When you ask for help, people will respond and they will lend a hand. If you are dealing with household things, make a list for everyone in the family to do. When everyone has their own chore list, it will be much easier for you to stay focused on what you need to do without worrying about all the other things that must be done.
Tip # 4 - Evaluate your needs
Since people procrastinate all the time, it is important to get to the root cause of your procrastination. A common problem people have is that they just can't seem to get motivated to get over their procrastination. They are either burned out, stressed, tired, or they are simply lazy. Evaluate what is causing you to be a procrastinator and look for ways to get rid of it from your life. If distractions are the reason why you procrastinate, look for ways to remove them. Perhaps you can use music while you work to drown out the office noise. If you get home and turn on the TV, hide the remote or unplug the TV. This way you will focus on doing all the other things first before you can "reward" yourself with some TV time.
Tip # 5 - Hard work
While procrastination may seem like the easier option, it is never the better one. Quite often people put things off because they are worried it will take a long time to accomplish, and then they find that it didn't take as long as they thought it would. If you will just buckle down and do whatever it is you need to now, you won't need to worry about it later.
