7 Ways to Get Up, Get Out, and Get Something

Procrastination is a dream-stealer. It will cause your life to pass you by. If you ever want to be successful, you have to find a way to avoid it at all costs. Here are 7 quick tips to help you in your battle against procrastinating.

Do It Now! Do It Now!

This is the number one way to kill procrastination before it starts. Take immediate action. Sometimes we trick ourselves by saying we need to prepare, get ready, do research, use a lifeline. Don’t fall into this trap! Get on task and do it now. Immediately…after you finish reading this post, though.

Stick to the Plan

Anytime you can put something on a schedule and set aside a block of time, do it. When you have a plan ahead of time, it’s easier to stay on point. You will be well prepared mentally to take action when that time comes because you’re expecting it. Being able to visualize what you need to do in the near future will make it much less intimidating.

Make It Happen On The Regular

Being a productive and effective person is like fighting an uphill battle for most of us. Sometimes you make progress, but often you slide back down. Don’t feel bad. It happens to all of us. If you can make it a habit to complete tasks, even small ones, on a regular basis, then you will develop foot-holds moving upward. Eventually, you reach the top and it’s all downhill from there. Staying on top of your schedule is key to forming these good habits.

Break It Down

We often assign ourselves things to do that just sound hard:

• do the laundry
• buy groceries
• clean the bathroom

These things are not specific, you can’t really gauge what it will take to do them, and you’re probably intimidated because of this. Break these things down into smaller pieces so you don’t scare yourself:

• sort clothes
• buy milk
• spray shower tiles

You’re more likely to complete things if you can make them sound easier to do.

Spread The Word

If you’re supposed to be doing something, tell people about it. Once you put it out there, you have to do it. People are counting on you, expecting you to succeed. It becomes real. You can’t let everyone down now, can you? If you don’t have anyone to tell, share it with your Twitter followers or on whatever your favorite social site is.

Destroy Distractions

Put your cell phone away. Close Twitter, FriendFeed, IM and any other time suck you have access to. Turn the TV off. Close your door. Hang a DO NOT DISTURB sign on your desk or cubicle. Do whatever it is you have to do to make sure you don’t distract yourself and that it’s very difficult for anyone to distract you. Be aggressive and let it be known that you have stuff to do and you can’t be bothered right now. This also means being serious with yourself about disconnecting all those bells and whistles. Your friends online will still be there when you come back and you already spread the word about being busy, right?

Reward yourself

This is simple. Think of something you really want. Not anything fancy, like a good man or a date with Beyonce, just something you would enjoy. Promise yourself that you will indulge in whatever that is, just as soon as you get done handling your business. Positive reinforcement is very powerful and can help you get into the habits you need to succeed. Get the job done, then pat yourself on the back. You deserve it.