I recently received an email indicating that my senior manager’s new blog was available. In it he offered to give away five free copies of three different books to any staff who wanted one. All we had to do was write a comment and indicate our interest in receiving one of the books. There was one that I wanted.
I immediately scrolled down and realized that no one had yet responded. Thinking that I had all the time in the world to respond, I casually typed my comment. As I was about to submit it, I felt a little uneasy about being the first person to request a "free" book from the boss and decided to wait for a while.
When I finally hit the submit button the refreshed page indicated that fourteen other employees had indicated their interest while I procrastinated. I narrowly missed a great opportunity because of procrastination.
Many people have found themselves wondering how to stop procrastinating. Some people tackle their to-do list with gusto while others feel overwhelmed by approaching or missed deadlines. The latter passively fall further behind. Fortunately, there is a solution – it is commonly known as, “Action”. Follow these simple time-tested tips and take charge of your life today.
In a moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing to do, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing. Theodore Roosevelt
One of the common causes of procrastination is when we opt to do the things we want to do before the things we have or ought to do. Too many futile hours are wasted in front of the TV or computer. If you start your day by doing all the things you “have” to do, you will have lots of time to do the things you “want” to do.
When you procrastinate you lower your self-esteem and send signals back to yourself that you are a lame and indecisive person. You don’t need that!
If you like this article, please share it on StumbleUpon and Twitter. Thank you very much!
I immediately scrolled down and realized that no one had yet responded. Thinking that I had all the time in the world to respond, I casually typed my comment. As I was about to submit it, I felt a little uneasy about being the first person to request a "free" book from the boss and decided to wait for a while.
When I finally hit the submit button the refreshed page indicated that fourteen other employees had indicated their interest while I procrastinated. I narrowly missed a great opportunity because of procrastination.
Many people have found themselves wondering how to stop procrastinating. Some people tackle their to-do list with gusto while others feel overwhelmed by approaching or missed deadlines. The latter passively fall further behind. Fortunately, there is a solution – it is commonly known as, “Action”. Follow these simple time-tested tips and take charge of your life today.
- Be honest! Don’t say things like, “I am not procrastinating; I am busy doing other things.”
- Stop thinking. Start doing. Start with a simple to-do list – you don’t want to forget the important things. It will also remind you that you do have things to do.
- Don’t make mountains out of molehills – you have what it takes to complete those tasks. Most tasks are easier than they appear to be. If a task threatens to consume your mentally energy, do it as soon as possible. Get rid of it!
- Experience some successes; do the easy tasks first – a shorter to-do list is less intimidating. Cross out tasks as you complete them and occasionally remake the list.
- Focus on the important tasks – you don’t want to miss deadlines.
- Have a positive mental attitude – don’t let negative thoughts steal your joy. Think of the benefits of completing each task and the resulting freedom to do what you really want to do.
- Don’t let perfectionism stand in your way – in most cases “good enough” now is better than “perfect” later.
- Ask for help – use whatever resources are available to you.
- Finish what you start – don’t start a task and leave it undone. Incomplete tasks remain on your to-do list and result in unnecessary clutter.
- Finally, do the things you want to do – you deserve to have some fun too. It is easy to have fun when all the important tasks are done.
In a moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing to do, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing. Theodore Roosevelt
One of the common causes of procrastination is when we opt to do the things we want to do before the things we have or ought to do. Too many futile hours are wasted in front of the TV or computer. If you start your day by doing all the things you “have” to do, you will have lots of time to do the things you “want” to do.
When you procrastinate you lower your self-esteem and send signals back to yourself that you are a lame and indecisive person. You don’t need that!
If you like this article, please share it on StumbleUpon and Twitter. Thank you very much!
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