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Get It Done! Avoiding Procrastination
You’ve set your goals,
made your plans, now it’s just a matter of taking steps in the right
direction to reach your planned destination.
Taking action will help you cross the bridge between your goals and
accomplishment. One of the biggest obstacles in your path is
procrastination- the failure to begin, to delay the start and ultimately
leave your potential wasted in the end.
It’s worth remembering that a week from now – it will be a week from now and
you will either be closer to your goals or you won’t. Start by reducing some
of procrastination’s best allies. Probably the strongest of those has just
two initials …TV. Is your TV time cutting into your productive time?
Take this little test. Estimate how many hours of TV you watched last week.
Be honest with yourself. On average people spend 20 to 30 hours watching TV.
If you reduce that even by a little, you have more time to take the actions
that will lead you to your goals.
Try these 10 steps to get past procrastination en route to your goals:
1.Identify your list of things to do and write them down. Many times we
magnify how much we have to do and it overwhelms us. By writing it down you
eliminate this in your imagination and take control over your tasks.
2. Prioritise your tasks so you know which has highest potential payoff.
Strive to do the highest paid work first. It may be tempting to knock off a
one pound task that seems less intimidating than the thousand pound one, but
keep the payoff potential in mind.
3. Create deadlines for yourself and your tasks. Having a deadline gives you
urgency.
4. Break larger projects into smaller parts or action steps. In just a few
minutes, you could complete an action step that brings you closer to your
goal.
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5. Use your mood to your advantage. Sometimes you are frustrated, tired,
angry or in a state not conducive to your best output. This is the time to
just continue to work. Too often when we are not feeling like it is when we
need to push through and maintain momentum for a better day. Even if it is
not the highest payoff activity, in this case sustained activity is better
than no activity.
6. Clear off your desk and concentrate only on one task.
7. Develop the habit of “Do it now!” especially with small tasks before they
pile up.
8. Enjoy your time off and allow yourself to stay fresh for your project at
hand.
9. Reward yourself along the way. Delaying gratification until your final
results is important, but small and targeted rewards can help move you down
your path. Target rewards to suit your goals. If your goal is fitness,
reward yourself with a new pair of running shoes as you progress.
10. Put the concept of incremental advantage on your side. Add more time to
your day for a slight edge. Get up a little earlier or take less of a lunch
break and over time you will begin to accomplish more than you thought you
could. Not only will you get more done, but you will feel better and more in
control of your destiny. Adding 1 hour of productive time a day is 365 hours
a year that could be invested in your future. This is the rough equivalent
of an extra 2 weeks a year of productivity.
Overcoming the temptation of procrastinating and taking action is absolutely
essential to this strategy. Having a roadmap without travelling keeps you
separated from your destination. Put off procrastinating and start down the
road to your goals.
This is an
excerpt from Frank F. Lunn’s book Stack The Logs! Building a Success
Framework to Reach Your Dreams.
To learn more about the STACK Strategy or to take control of your
life…purchase Stack the Logs! Visit
www.stackthelogs.com or email
frank@stackthelogs.com
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