Avoiding Procrastination Tips

You've made your goals and you have your plans - now it is just a matter of taking the steps to do what you planned.

But perhaps one of the biggest obstacles in your path is procrastination.

A definition of procrastination is "Putting things off that you have planned or scheduled to do things of a lesser priority."

All of us have procrastinated to some extent. However, procrastination statistics suggest that over 20% of the adult population is chronic procrastinators and that over 75% of students have had issues with procrastination.

Procrastination can cause stress and rob you of opportunities and your potential.

Here we provide tips for avoiding procrastination.

Avoiding procrastination tips

1. Build your knowledge of procrastination. What do you procrastinate on? What activities do you turn to when you are procrastinating? Keep a notebook handy and, next time you notice you are procrastinating, take notes on what you are procrastinating on and what activities you turn to.

   For example, I used to procrastinate by watching TV. Now I set goals around reducing my TV time - this reduces my procrastination. By keeping tabs on your procrastination you build your awareness of procrastination.

Procrastination Habit Do you think you work best under pressure? Do you need the pressure of a deadline to get motivated? If so, then you could be addicted to the last minute adrenaline rush. This can increase your stress and reduce the quality of output. Here are some strategies to break the procrastination habit.

2. Think and plan on paper. If you don't think and plan on paper then you are keeping it all in your head.

   This can magnify how much you have to do and overwhelm you - a major cause of procrastination. Thinking on paper reduces stress and feelings of being overwhelmed. Whether you download an action plan to plan on paper, see how these tips on how to overcome procrastination assist when you are overwhelmed.

3. Take small steps. What do you do when you are faced with a mountain of work? Do you dive in or put it off till another day? If you are a procrastinator the latter excuse may be all too familiar.

   How do you eat a large elephant?.....One step at a time. So you need to break the important task into smaller chunks!

   Sure, you may not have a spare 4 hours!

   But setting mini-goals allows you avoid the "I haven't got time to do that now" procrastination excuse. Break your tasks into bite-sized chunks of about 20 minutes.

   Research shows that by setting small concrete steps to achieve tasks that you are 8 times more likely to do them. I talk more about setting goals to beat procrastination.

4. Create a sense of urgency. Creating a sense of urgency is the opposite of procastination.

   This includes setting goals, making clear deadlines, and reinforcing successful habits. See these procrastination strategies to create a sense of urgency.

5. Know your causes of procrastination. Why do you procrastinate? Is it because of unclear goals, shifting priorities, or a lack of confidence?

   Often the identification of the causes of foibles and habits is a good approach to overcoming a habit.

   There are also many unhelpful unwritten rules and assumptions that may cause procrastination - such as perfectionism or a fear of failure. I talk more about this at why do people procrastinate?

Related articles on avoiding procrastination

Overcome Procrastination: Strategies to Stop Procrastination

Procrastination Quotes: Quotes of Encouragement and Motivation for Beating Procrastination

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