How to Cheerfully Avoid Procrastination The Natural Assassin Of Goals

Are you one of those people who fall into that poor habit of procrastination even though you have the best intentions? Do you put those things off that you know are important, only to find yourself doing something interesting but less important? Have you ever wondered why you don’t do the things you know you should do? If so, you are probably doing tasks that actually take you further away from your goals.

Yes, you have fallen into that nasty virus of procrastination. When you find yourself scrolling through your social media feed, and before you know it, watching a cat video, danger abounds! Before you know it, the working day is over and your task list is still the same or bigger.

Having uncompleted tasks depletes your energy reserves, keeps your mind “cluttered,” contributes to anxiety and feelings of overwhelm, even sleepless nights. Does this sound familiar? Imagine what you could achieve if you were to banish this unhelpful pattern? Your productivity would skyrocket. Worse still, procrastination is derived from the Latin verb procrastinare — to put off until tomorrow. But it’s more than just voluntarily delaying. The word is also derived from the ancient Greek word akrasia. This means doing something against our better judgment. Yikes. So in actual fact, you are sabotaging your success. Accordingly, let’s look at three simple ways to beat procrastination.

Three ways to beat procrastination

1. Stop and take stock

One reason for procrastination is that you are not clear with what needs to be done, or the task is too big. Here is what to do:

a) Stop, get out a pen and paper and write down all the tasks you need to do.

b) Next, write down the most imperative task to get moving, This is usually the one that is causing you the most angst.

c) Now list the other day’s tasks in order of importance.

d) Take action on the most imperative task. This will then make the other tasks seem much easier.

e) Finally, tick it off and celebrate. Your brain will send you a shot of serotonin which will help you feel good.

Additionally you have more of a direction for the day as well as having taken action instead of falling prey to procrastination.

2. Get out of your head and into your feelings to interrupt the habit of procrastination

If you are thinking about what you need to do but not doing it, stop. Cease thinking about it and instead transport yourself out to the future. Imagine how you will feel when you complete the task. Notice the good feeling? Next, imagine how you will feel if you don’t do it. Again, notice the contrast between the two. Finally, step into that positive feeling again. Hold onto it as you consider the task. Like magic, taking action will now be easier. If you need extra help, check out this simple formula I have to help yourself get into action and stay there.

““Time is an equal opportunity employer. Each human being has exactly the same number of hours and minutes every day. Rich people can’t buy more hours. Scientists can’t invent new minutes. And you can’t save time to spend it on another day.” Denis Waitley

3. Create new strong neural connections.

Neuroscience shows that when you visualise with passion and emotion, you create new neural pathways. Furthermore, this is how new habits evolve. An example is the 9/11 incident. Most people remember where they were that day because that event was so charged, studies show that it formed new mental pathways in many people. To relate this to your situation, when you can connect with a compelling reason for doing what you are doing, you help yourself take action. Practice having done the task. Notice how you feel and what else happens because of this. Finally, make a compelling movie in your mind from your “why.” Notice what you hear, see, feel what needs to happen to get the task done perfectly. Finally, remember you can never get any wasted time back.

“You may delay, but time will not.” Benjamin Franklin

Ultimately, avoiding procrastination takes time. Furthermore, it helps when you know what you want, why it is important and understand some of your poor patterns. Awareness is always the first step to change. So, next time you find yourself falling back into that old habit of procrastination, kill the “assassin” before it kills your success. Ultimately, your life and your results are up to you, your attitude and your commitment to take action and be a prolific doer. Success could be just one action step away.