Monday, April 18, 2005

Beating Procrastination One Step At A Time

Yes, that’s right – we said you can beat procrastination.
Don’t worry – we’re not going to ask you to take a 6-week
course on the art of how to beat procrastination.

Instead, we’re going to give you some simple, brief hints
that you can jot on Post-It notes around the house, in the
car, or at your desk at work. Soon, you’ll be remembering
these tips on hwo to beat procrastination, and will learn
to employ them in your every day routine.

So, here goes. Stay with us now – and most importantly, do
NOT procrastinate reading these hints.

1. Set your priorities – and then leave an open notepad on
your desk – or file on your computer, labeled simply with
“To Do.” It doesn’t have to be formal, and don’t try to
force yourself to make a big list at once – THAT kind of
chore is one that’s begging to be procrastinated.

Remember, our point here is to help you BEAT that
procrastination habit that we ALL have at one time or
another! Just jot things on the list throughout the day, as
you think of them.

2. Eat your spinach first! (Yes, this does relate to
beating procrastination, believe it or not.) Every day,
look at the one or two “must dos” that you’re
procrastinating – even dreading – the most.

Do those first, if your time priorities allow. This
accomplishes two things: one, it frees up your mind from
spending your whole day thinking, “Drat, I still have to
write that report!

I’m never going to get it done!” and two, it gives you the
momentum to get more done, since you’ve gotten the “big
thing” out of the way. Think of it as if you’re a child,
and you’re eating the yuckiest thing off your plate first.

3. Set a timer for 15 minutes. Now, look at some of the
quick things you need to do – mailing out bills, clipping
an article to read later, straightening the top of your
desk, tossing out the trash. Make it a race against the
clock to see how much you can get done.

4. Divide and conquer. If a project is still overwhelming,
then break it into smaller parts. Conquer the pieces one at
a time.

5. Remove distractions. For some people, this means
turning off the TV or radio. For others, it means clearing
your work area of all clutter, so you don’t get trapped
into shifting your attention from one task to another,
while not actually accomplishing anything. Remember, you’re
trying to BEAT procrastination, not encourage it to be
worse!

Repeat after us, “DO IT NOW!” Now, follow your own advice!

Well, what are you waiting for? You can beat
procrastination – so get moving!

Peter Murphy is a peak performance expert.
He recently produced a very popular free report that
reveals how to crush procrastination and sustain lasting
motivation. Apply now because it is available for a
limited time only at:
http://www.procrastinatorhelp.com/