Better today, Then Tomorrow
We all know enough about procrastination to write a whole book, am I right? We know that we put things off and we know what the end result of that is. If we know so much about it, why do we keep doing it?
Maybe we don't know as much as we think and there might be a few lessons we all could learn together. So what makes me qualified to write this post? If I don't say so myself I'm an expert in procrastination, I think I have the equivalent of a PhD. I'm learning and want to share a few thoughts that have helped me battle this syndrome every day.
1. Make a list and stick to it I hate to write down a to do list; writing is too much work, right? However, by putting it down somewhere (paper or electronically) helps you see things a little more clearly and helps you get an organized place to start.
2. Don't erase things off the list until there down I started step one and got everything written down (YEAH!) after this I noticed something. It seemed that when I was sleeping my to do list was in my dreams, when I was awake it would call to me. It would say "there are ten things on this list and you'll never get them done". So I would do a few things on the list and if something was on the list for more than a week, I would find some reason to delete it off of the list instead of completing the task (what a shame, right?). If you have thought out your list and know its stuff that needs to get done, don't delete it, complete it!
3. Take each task one at a time We have been told that "great"people multi task, we are learning now that they lied to us. If you try to take on more than one task at a time, you'll quickly get overwhelmed and start deleting stuff just to get it off your list. Do each task individually, this will also insure you'll do your best work on your task.
4. Get things done Why have a list that just sits there for months on end. We all have busy lives now, so much to do. Don't let that be an excuse, if you have a to do list, more than likely these are important things. I've learned in life that you always have to make time for the things that are important, so get your list knocked out!
5. Don't be afraid to add to the list Human nature tells us that if we have a list of things to do that we have to clear off that list and keep it clean. This is not going to shock you, but more things that you have to get done will come up, so add them to your list. The goal is to have a real idea of what you need to do and things will always pop up from time to time!
6. Enjoy all your victories Eventually all of us will get good at this. We all will become organized people who write down and know the things we have to get done and we'll do them. As we learn and grow and accomplish, I think its ok to look at what we've done and smile. Enjoy not procrastinating, just don't get too cocky and become complacent!
So think right now, what things in your life have you been putting off? Could you benefit from having it written down and tackling it one at a time? Here's some brand new information (not really) if you don't do those things they're never going to go away! What? That's right!
So what in your life have you been putting off? What are you going to do about it? Let us know in the comments:
