Procrastination is something I must admit I have struggled with in my life. This complex psychological behavior affects almost everyone I know to one degree or another, and it seems a most difficult habit to break. Indeed, most of us even tend to procrastinate about getting rid of our practice of procrastination.
I know in my own life, I had to get to the point where I was so sick and tired of the "disasters" that were created by my "put it off until tomorrow" mentality, that I knew I couldn't live like that any more. I can be a pretty stubborn fellow, and when I make up my mind to do something-or not do it-I know I am on my way to making true life change. So, the first thing I do is make a conscious decision to shift my thinking from "I don't feel like doing this today" or "I am afraid to start this today" or "There's always tomorrow" to "I will take action on this TODAY! I will do what I can today, and I will keep working on it until the task is completed."
You'll be amazed at what happens in your day-to-day productivity if you quit putting things off for another day. Stop letting yourself off the hook and be firm with yourself! Take action, and you will become! Take action and you will make change! Take action and you will be done with that task you were so dreading to do, and now you are free to move on to the next thing on your list.
I challenge you to make a list, right now, of the things that you have been putting off. Look over the list. What can you get accomplished in the next ten minutes? What can you get accomplished in the next day? What can you get a start on today, that you can diligently work on each day, or each week, until the job is done?
Don't be afraid to get some help, if you need it. (I believe in the principle of an accountability partner.) Ask someone that you know will be tough on you to hold you accountable to achieving the result. Give them permission to get tough on you if you start to slip into old habits of procrastination.
Finally, I want to make sure that you understand that we can easily bite off more that we can chew. We are all only human, and must remember to be realistic in our expectations of what we can accomplish. Don't set yourself up for failure by attempting to do more than is humanly possible. RememberBalance in all things.
2005 Professional Development Systems All Rights Reserved
Robert Prentice of Professional Developments Systems has spent the last twenty years bringing inspiration and motivation to business owners as well as their employees. For more information visit his website at http://www.mrattitudespeaks.com
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