Is Procrastination Keeping You From Success?

Is Procrastination Keeping you from Success?

Get off the Lazy Train

Is procrastination getting in the way of yourself, your business and your success? We procrastinate things we don’t enjoy. We procrastinate because we are fearful.

Let me share with you what I perceive to be the main reasons people procrastinate, and how you can overcome this habit.

4 Reasons Why You May Be Procrastinating:

1. You Procrastinate Because You’re Bored, You Don’t Love What You Do, and the Task Is an Unpleasant One.

It’s a fact of life. You feel bored and unenthused about the work do. Work becomes routine. We go through the motions. How do you get around this? The first step is to recognize that you’re bored. Be conscious of your feelings, your falling energy levels, and your lack of desire to finish your projects. 

Ask yourself a few questions and be totally honest with your answers.

• Am I bored with what I’m doing?
• Why am I bored?
• What would give me a more energy, make me enthusiastic, productive and invigorated?

Successful people maintain their excitement by focusing on ONE thing. One task at a time and getting that accomplished before moving on to the next project or task. Prioritize the most important and urgent tasks and complete those first.

Another key is to tackle the most unpleasant task first to get it out of the way. You will be surprised at how relieved you will feel. It is freeing to get the hard, nasty projects out of the way. When you leave them and procrastinate, you have anxiety and feel agitated. The task or project is constantly on your mind until you complete it. Keep asking the focusing question and determine if what you’re doing now is getting you closer to your big goal? The big goal is completing the task.

In the end if you are doing something you love, you will never work a day in your life. You will be passionate and enthused about your work. There are always unpleasant tasks that must be dealt with in any business, even if you love what you are doing. Getting those tasks accomplished first and will alleviate stress.

2. You Procrastinate Because You’re Overwhelmed. 

People procrastinate because they let things pile up, instead of tackling one task at a time to completion. Procrastination starts with one little thing that doesn’t get done so you push it back. Then something else comes along, and you postpone that too. Small tasks and projects are not difficult to accomplish when you look at them individually. When they start to pile up and you have a growing list of things to do, it creates stress. If you’re not careful, you will become overwhelmed and won’t know where to start.

To combat this, begin each day by creating a success list, not a task list. Block out adequate amounts of time to get each task done in order of importance. Don’t jump around between tasks. Focus on the ONE main thing that will make everything else easier or unnecessary.  Complete the tasks you least enjoy first, and you will find your day is much more pleasant.

Time-Blocking – calculate the amount of time you think it will take to accomplish each task, give yourself plenty of time for the unexpected so you are not overwhelmed and running out of time each day. Set realistic goals and timelines. Don’t overbook yourself. Allow for travel time, for the unexpected and for some downtime.

In my corporate job I was always running late because I was overbooking myself. In reality when you are late, you are being inconsiderate of others time and saying to them, my time is more valuable than yours.  During one of my Team meeting we were reviewing how I can improve or be a better team member and a member of my team indicated that I need to allow more time in between meetings so that others weren’t constantly waiting for me.  It’s a simple matter of respect for others and their time.

3. You Procrastinate Because You’re Doing Work You Don’t Enjoy. 

All of us are required to do certain things we don’t enjoy. That’s one of the rules of life if you want to be successful. Even if you are doing work you love, there will be unpleasant tasks that must be dealt with.

Successful people do the things that necessary for their success. They don’t enjoy doing some of these things either, but they go ahead and do them anyway. You may be stuck in a mediocre job or career that doesn’t allow you to use your greatest abilities. If that’s true, then look for an opportunity to expand your talents. Life is too short to be stuck in work you don’t enjoy. Most of the time, the type of work you do should stimulate you and give you energy. Why stay in something that drains your energy and is not fulfilling. If you’re not switching careers due to fear, remember that the biggest rewards in life are found outside your comfort zone.

4. You Procrastinate Because You’re Lazy

I’m going to be seriously blunt for a moment… Get off the lazy train, turn off the television. T.V.  is a huge timewaster and its mind-numbing. If you avoid acting because you’d rather put your feet up every night and watch T.V. there’s little chance, you’ll be enjoying an abundant lifestyle anytime soon. Success takes effort, persistence, and consistent, focused activity. Laziness is not part of the equation so turn the T.V off and start acting.

Now is the time for YOU to stop procrastinating and start succeeding!

Call to Action:

Fail to Plan – Plan to Fail

• Take out your Success Journal and write down a list of the current tasks you are procrastinating
• Next to each item write down why you are procrastinating – why it’s unpleasant
• Now, next to each item write down the exact day and time you will complete the task and how long it should take you, so you adequately allot time necessary for completion
• After you complete an unpleasant task reward yourself.Depending on the size and scope of the task, allow yourself 20-30 minutes to engage in something you enjoy. Whether it’s reading a book, watching your favorite show, getting a massage, taking a bath, meditating, listening to music, or eating a treat. If you reward yourself for task completion you will be more likely to get the task done. You will not have the stress and nagging feeling of the uncompleted item hanging over your head all day or week.
• Each day write a list of your successes. What you accomplished and congratulate yourself on your achievements for the day. 

I challenge you to stop procrastinating today and to create a timeline to begin living a life by design, complete with success, satisfaction, fulfillment and happiness.

Success Strategies from Andrea H. Swensen, CEO of SuccessStrategies4U.com and HelloBeautifulLadies.com a website for the empowerment of women.  Author, Award Winning Speaker, Sales and Success Strategist.