Procrastination. I’m sure it happens to all of us at some point.

I personally think if it happens, that’s okay.  But try and identify why it’s happened; can you do anything to stop it, and can you do something to prevent it from happening again? There might be several reasons you procrastinate.  It might happen if you have a mental or physical block in a task where you’re not sure what the best next steps are; you may have a task to do that you simply don’t enjoy, or it seems too big and not sure where to actually begin.

Here are a few tips that may help you stop procrastinating.

You have a block during a task you’re working on

If you find yourself at a crossroads and you’re not quite sure which way to turn, you might procrastinate on a decision fearing making the wrong choice.

Firstly, if you do make a mistake, that’s all good.  Learn from it, correct it and move on.  Often the way we learn is by making mistakes.  However, if a mistake is not the answer, one way to stop procrastinating is to walk away.  Not for good, but for a short while. 

Do something different.  It might be a change of work task, topic, or a different client’s work.  It might be going for a walk, gardening, golf or whatever.  It may-be that you need to sleep on it and come back to it the following day.  By walking away and having a change of scenery, you can clear your mind and stop focussing on the issue and the way forward will come easier.

Got a task you don’t enjoy?

Firstly – can you outsource it?
If that’s not the answer and it’s just niggling at you to get done, it’ll only get bigger and bigger as time passes.

One way to stop procrastinating on this unenjoyable task is to: “Eat That Frog”.  As Brian Tracy, author of the book “Eat That Frog!”, says, do that one pesky task first thing in the morning.

Do it…

Before checking emails.
Before checking your social media platforms.
Before a cup of tea / coffee.  Okay, perhaps after a cuppa… I am powered by PG Tips after all. 😉

But, by tackling that task first thing, it’ll be off your to-do list and make your day a whole lot more enjoyable.

Is the task too big and daunting?

If the task you have ahead of you is huge, you may procrastinate over where and how to start.

As the joke goes… “How do you eat an elephant?”  “One bite at a time!”

This is the same with what seems a never-ending project.  By taking it step by step, bite by bite, you will rattle through it in no time, and you’ll wonder how the task seemed so big.

You just need a break

Often, we procrastinate as we’re flagging, and our energy levels are dropping and feeling a little tired.  If that’s the case, go and make a cuppa (mine’s white no sugar, please), sit and rest and when you’re feeling a little more refreshed, go back and tackle your tasks.

For me, the main reason I procrastinate is flagging energy levels.  I need to take more breaks throughout the day, but it just doesn’t happen.  Definitely something for me to work on.

If you have any repetitive admin tasks that you just don’t enjoy and procrastinate over, then email me, let’s have a chat and see if we can get those pesky tasks off your list.