How to slay procrastination and get shizzle done
Do you put things off?
Success results from achievement which is what happens when you get things done. Instead of allowing procrastination to hinder your progress follow these 10 tips below and discover how you can become a successful action taker.
1. Set a Goal
Decide what you want to achieve. Once you know your goal you can devise a plan showing the step by step process on how to achieve it. Knowing the outcome and the process will allow you to identify where to start and enable you to take action.
2. Clear Your Mind
It may sound counter inter-intuitive but take time at the beginning of your day to mind dump your thoughts onto paper. A cluttered mind can lead to procrastination as you play the same thoughts over and over again. Instead, take a piece of paper, pen and spend 10 minutes writing down everything that comes into your mind (your stream of consciousness). This will clear your mind leaving only the important tasks.
3. Make a List
Many successful people make a list of things they need to do the evening before. This ensures that they go to bed knowing that they have action points for the following day and the next day starts positively with a road map of what needs to be accomplished.
4. Small Steps
It’s easier to take action when you set yourself small steps (or tasks) on the way to completing a bigger goal. This is because you will not feel as overwhelmed and as you complete each smaller task you will feel a sense of accomplishment and success.
5. Be Accountable
Announce your goal to a friend, partner or colleague. This accountability is a great driver to taking action because you will feel a greater sense of commitment towards the goal and its completion. You will also be able to discuss your progress and this can help you discuss any potential issues that may hamper your progress and brainstorm ways to overcome them.
6. Remove Distractions
Turn off your phone, shut down your email and social media sites and get yourself into a situation where you can be undisturbed. Lessening the chances of being interrupted will ensure you have a greater chance of getting in the flow of work and this will help you be more productive.
7. Change Your Mindset
Be positive and tell yourself that you can and will complete the task. Envision yourself as a successful action taker. You could create a mind movie of yourself avoiding procrastination and taking action instead. Make it involve all of your senses so that you can really feel, hear and see yourself working towards your goal, achieving it and then experiencing the positive results of having done so. This Neuro-Linguistic Programming technique is very powerful and will program your mind for success.
8. Stop Waiting For The Perfect Time
It’s easy to wait for the perfect time or situation before you take action, but the chances are it will never happen. Simply get started and you’ll find that momentum will build and you will make progress.
9. Be Consistent
By taking consistent action every day you will make good headway towards achieving your goals. You will also ensure that your action taking becomes a habit.
10. Remove Analysis Paralysis
Stop over-thinking as it will get you nowhere and actually stop you from taking action as you will find yourself second-guessing and over-worrying. If you know what you need to do, what you are trying to achieve and have the resources needed available then your best course of action is to simply get started.