March 19, 2024

Archives for November 2013

MAKE A MOVE

Life is a game board. Time is your opponent. If you procrastinate, you will lose the game. You must make a move to be victorious. Napoleon Hill.

Today a subject that keeps bothering me. My intention to write more often has not become reality and time just goes by doing a lot of things, but looking back not always well spent.

Are you someone that uses excuses to not have to do things?

According to the dictionary Procrastinating is putting off or delaying or deferring an action to a later time. When postponing more urgent matters till tomorrow, you might not know how to tackle the more difficult matter. However, waiting before making the first step, usually does not make easier.

Depending on why you procrastinate, sometimes you delay doing something because you are actually focusing on something more important. However, most of the times, you will run errands for the sake of not to have to do real work. Because for most tasks such as completing a tax return or repairing a fan, you not only need more time but also the right mood. Sometimes, inaction will result in big problems.

I admit, often I rather do chores and delay working on more important items till the last minute. For example, many students do not start a project a few weeks ahead but finish a report just before the deadline. Planning to go to the gym, but when you come home after work you just have to call a friend first. And then it is too late to go.

What can you do?

Here are some tips and tricks I found on line that work for me.

  1. Find out what it is that is causing the procrastination. Is it fear of what the result should be and you don’t know how to get there? Maybe it is less daunting when you look at the end result from a different angle. Or is it a dull and tedious task that you are not excited about? Change your mindset and think of the good feeling of a job accomplished instead of those upsetting thoughts.
  2. Do it NOW. As soon as you notice that you are postponing doing a specific task, catch yourself and do just one thing to get it started.  It only takes a few minutes to take the first action and then just keep working on it.
  3. Sometimes a project is big and complicated. Make a plan of smaller tasks that you can focus on and finish within a realistic time frame. Also, think of getting all materials beforehand or researching the subject for more information on how to do it in advance.
  4. If it is not a onetime task, but an activity that you want to implement for the long term, then make time for it every day. Especially if they are easy to start, like going for a walk every day.
  5. When you complete an intimidating task reward yourself for your success and change of a “bad” habit.

Do you have similar issues sometimes? Well, You are on the right path! Since you recognized the problem and are looking for ideas how to change your life, you now can apply some of the tips I shared.

If you have a golden nugget on this subject, please post a comment, I love to learn…

 

 

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