10 Tips to Stop Procrastinating

Procrastination can turn into an addictive behavior that limits your productive output if you let it. These ten tools will help you reduce the amount of time you waste each day, and become happily productive. I challenge you practice these tools and change your habits and you will see results.

1. Your Time is Valuable

Take your free time seriously and make the most of it.

Think about your day as 24 dollars. Now if I told you that you could save as much of that money as you wanted, how much would you keep? When we think about our time in these terms, it is easy to see that we should make the most of it. It is appropriate and needed to rest or play, but it is silly to think we would waste our time.

When you perceive your time as valuable, you enable yourself to make the most of it.

2. Prioritize Your Tasks

Manage your time well to increase your productive output.

There are only so many hours in the day and by managing your time well you can get more work done in the same amount of time. Set aside time for less satisfying, as well as satisfying activities. Keep in mind the importance of your tasks and organize them accordingly. By setting aside time each day for tasks that move you closer to completing your goals, you will begin to see results. A steady practice which becomes a habit is much better than a sporadic one.

Keep your time-line in mind, and always stick to it. Bending the rules once allows for you to bend them again.

3. Delay Gratification

Set aside your gratifying tasks until the less desirable work is done.

Delaying gratification is an effective practice that will prevent procrastination – but requires a strong will to practice. By delaying your gratification, you enhance the pleasure your Organize your tasks so you save what you are looking forward to until the end. Set a time out for that task, and be strict about staying within that time limit.

You will be more productive in the time you spend working, and the satisfaction from your pleasurable work or play will be greater.

4. Finish What You Start

Stay focused on your current task and finish it before moving on.

Interrupting your current action is one of the key enablers of procrastination. Resist the urge to jump from project to project. Sometimes that means finishing what you start, other times it means getting to your pre-chosen stopping point.

By fully focusing your attention and completing your tasks, you save the time wasted switching gears.

5. Find Your Productive Time of Day

Find the time of day where you are focused and productive, and use it!

Everyone has their peaks during the day. Some people are night owls while some love to watch the sun come up. If you are productive in the mornings try going to bed an hour earlier and waking up to an hour of productive tasks or vice-versa.

Find the time of day that you are most productive and utilize that time to your advantage.

6. Find Your Vices, Limit Them

You need downtime for good reason, but set your limits and stick with them.

While it is alright to splurge, don’t let it get out of control. Take control of how long you spend on your vices each day and make time for them. It is better to clearly lay out the time you will be spending on vices than to not allow time for them. Without a defining time you will spend on your viced, they will always be on your mind and distract you from the work at hand.

Choose the time you will spend on your vices and stick to those guidelines.

7. Remove Access to Distractions

You need downtime for good reason, do it, but set your limits and stick with them.

If your distractions are too tempting to handle, remove your direct access to them or make them difficult to access. Easy to access distractions are very good crutches.

Make your distractions harder to access or remove them from your visibility to remove the temptation.

8. Take Pride in Your Work and Your Play

When you are passionate about your work procrastination isn’t the logical choice.

It is much easier to work on something you are passionate about. Eliminate or minimize things in your life that do not feed your aspirations. There will always be mundane tasks, (laundry anyone?) but when you focus your energy on your passions and your goals you will fell better and be more productive. You also need to be satisfied by your fun, without releasing that stress and energy you will still be behind the curve when you get back to work.

Focus your time on your passions and you will be happier to exert your energy.

9. Keep Your Goals in Mind

Does what you are doing every day help you complete your goals?

If you keep what you are passionate about in sight each day, you will be reminded that you must work every day to reach your goals. This constant reminder will help you stay focused and work to achieve them.

There is no better excuse to put your energy forward than reaching your goals.

10. Be Proactive Every Day

The less you procrastinate, the easier it is to be productive.

Practice being a focused and productive every day and soon you will find it is easier than being a procrastinator.