Why You Procrastinate and What to Do About It

I was going to write this today, but then I thought it could wait….

Why do we procrastinate? Here are some of the reasons:

• Poor motivation
• Unable to make a decision
• Frightened of making a mistake
• Lack of clear objectives
• Don’t know what to do
• It’s easier to talk about it than to do anything
• And, as Dave McCoy commented on my blog earlier this week, “..going to the gym the hardest exercise is putting on your training shoes!!” It's the getting started bit that most people find difficult.

So how do you get over it?

Usually people who procrastinate spend too much time thinking how unpleasant the task will be which makes it worse.

Plan

Instead of this you need to spend your time planning it and imagining how nice it will be when the task is finished.

Break it up

When planning, break the task into small chunks that you can complete in a short period of time, then put them into your diary of schedule.

Think about the end

With each one, plan in something pleasant to do immediately after you have finished your chunk and focus on that rather than the unpleasantness of the task itself.

Clarify your objective

If you are having trouble planning break that too into small chunks, perhaps start by clarifying your objective (chunk 1) then list the tasks (chunk 2) and so on.

Keep the chunks small and you’ll find it’s much easier. Get more help with motivation here.