How to get past procrastination

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How to get past procrastination

Written by: suzanne rodriguez 1,118 views

One of the greatest and most common productivity problems is procrastination. Everybody procrastinates—everybody. Admit it: no matter how efficient or organized you are, you procrastinate once in a while. Some of us are occasional procrastinators. According to researchers, however, about 20-25% of the population procrastinates chronically!

The word procrastinate comes from the Latin procrastinatus, formed from pro (forward) and crastinus (of tomorrow). In other words, “put it forward to tomorrow” or “do it tomorrow.” A modern defnition, according to The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language: “To put off doing something, especially out of habitual carelessness or laziness.”

Here are seven solid tips to help you overcome procrastination:

Adopt the three words “Just do it!” as your anti-procrastination mantra. Instead of thinking of all the reasons why you don’t want to do something, well—Just do it!
Believe in the fact that procrastination is a habit, and that it’s one you can break. Tell yourself that, if you try really hard not to procrastinate for two weeks, you’ll end up being much less of a procrastinator. And if you keep it up for two weeks beyond that, you might well beat your procrastination habit into the ground.
If you’re putting off a task, try breaking it into small action steps in the order they’re best done. Then take one small step, and then another, until the task is done.
If you are really dreading a task, try doing it right away or first thing in the morning—don’t give yourself time to think about it. Maybe you can plunge in by accomplishing the easiest part of this unpleasant task first; once you do, you’ll find it easier to continue. Or maybe your inner wiring would respond to doing the most difficult part first. Experiment. Find what works for you.
Plan to celebrate or otherwise reward yourself when you complete something you’ve put off. Throw a party, treat yourself to a double-scoop ice cream cone, or skip the gym after work.
Go public with your goal, telling your friends and co-workers about the task you’ve set for yourself. Doing so sets you up to be accountable to others as well as to yourself.
Above all, be positive. Do not say “I am a procrastinator” to yourself (or others, because that’s how they’ll view you). Instead, offer yourself phrases like “I get things done” or “I don’t waste time.”

And if you have any doubts that you can pull this off, here’s my advice: Just do it!
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© Suzanne Rodriguez
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