Battling Procrastination

A significant issue for most procrastinators is the lack of motivation to complete the task at hand.  It can be hard to muster the motivation necessary to focus on a project when you view the project negatively or question your able to manage and complete the project.  It can be even harder if that job is competing with something more desirable to you such as watching TV or going out with friends.  The question becomes, how can you break that cycle and get your tasks accomplished efficiently?

The first step is to break the task down into smaller, more manageable, items.  One suggestion is to make a list of what actually needs to happen for you to complete the task in question.  When you look at that list, you are likely to start hearing that voice in your head telling you that this task will take forever or you can’t handle everything that needs to get done.  The second step is to stop that voice.  Instead, tell yourself that if you take it one step at a time it will get done.  As soon as you tell yourself you can’t do something, the battle is always over!

The most crucial part is often getting started.  You may notice that once you get started, things move along and you are done before you know it.  The key to getting started is often to take a look at just the first step on your list.  If you can complete that task, reward yourself with a TV show or something else that you would rather have.  You may often find that once you convince yourself to get started you do a lot more before you offer yourself the reward.  The best reward will be your sense of accomplishment when you are completely finished.

As Lao Tzu once said, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.”  Don’t lose the battle before that step is taken.  Take your first step and don’t give up on the journey.