| Life is full of exciting choices. It's easy to get | | | | jobs around the house, etc. |
| distracted and do the fun, enjoyable tasks, and | | | | 2. Post your "Ultimate To Do List" on a wall where |
| leave the boring or difficult ones for tomorrow. | | | | you will see it often and make sure that it is |
| The problem is that every day there are new | | | | dated. This will serve as an excellent baseline to |
| enjoyable things to do and tomorrow never | | | | measure your progress. Have a red pen close by |
| comes. | | | | to put a line through every task that you |
| The upside of procrastination is that when we | | | | complete. |
| decide, consciously or subconsciously, to leave the | | | | 3. Now look at your "Ultimate To Do List" and |
| task for another day, we feel relieved because | | | | decide which five tasks you are going to work on |
| we don't have to do that task, at least for the | | | | first. You might choose the most pressing five |
| moment. | | | | tasks, the five tasks that are going to be |
| Unfortunately, there are multiple downsides to | | | | achieved most quickly, the five tasks that seem |
| procrastination. There's anxiety of feeling | | | | the most appealing, or the five least appealing |
| overwhelmed with so much to do and no idea of | | | | tasks. It does not matter how you select them. |
| when we will have the time to do everything. Our | | | | The main thing is to just pick five tasks. |
| confidence is reduced as we feel we can't depend | | | | 4. Write these five tasks down on a separate list. |
| on ourselves. Then there is negative self-talk | | | | 5. Now grab your kitchen timer and set it for five |
| when we remember all the tasks we keep | | | | minutes. Use these five minutes to create your |
| procrastinating on, like "I am so bad!" or "I never | | | | ACTION PLAN for your first five tasks. If a task |
| get anything done." Negative self-talk in the long | | | | looks overwhelming, then break the task into |
| term is probably the most damaging effect of | | | | smaller steps so it won't seem so daunting. Also, |
| procrastination, because it will eventually lower our | | | | think of what materials you might need - |
| self-esteem. | | | | telephone number, a garbage bag, etc. This step |
| In contrast, the sense of accomplishment we | | | | is to help you break the resistance you have |
| experience when we finish a task is huge! This | | | | been feeling towards the task. |
| energizes us and we want to do the next task on | | | | 6. You have now created your fully detailed |
| our list. | | | | ACTION PLAN. Start working on the tasks. |
| The tasks we have been putting off are rarely as | | | | 7. Talk kindly to yourself. Give yourself |
| difficult or time-consuming as we think. The | | | | encouragement along the way, until the task is |
| anxiety that we create by not working on the | | | | complete. |
| task is far greater than actually doing the task. | | | | 8. Celebrate a job well done. Pat yourself on the |
| So what can be done about procrastination? | | | | back. Feel the energy that this accomplishment |
| Below is a nine-step Anti-Procrastination ACTION | | | | gives you! |
| PLAN to gently, but effectively, help you blitz | | | | 9. If you have time, go back and repeat steps |
| through all your procrastination items. | | | | seven to nine, otherwise do this process again |
| | | | tomorrow. |
| 1. It may be helpful to group similar tasks | | | | You will find it fun to see your "Ultimate To Do |
| together such as phone calls, paper work, odd | | | | List" shrinking! Good luck and enjoy the process! |