7 Productivity Tips to Beat Procrastination Once and For All

As an entrepreneur, boss lady, and business owner, one of the hardest things to conquer is that pesky thing called procrastination. Often times it starts because you are reluctant to take the first step. A lack of motivation sets in and you become stuck in “limbo” and tasks linger and you drag them out even longer.

Now procrastination is a familiar topic to everyone of us. Some have the natural ability to tackle tasks head on, no matter what the motivation. However, most of us struggle with is daily. Over the last few months as my business has been growing and I’m taking on more projects with my personal brand, I have really needed to step up my game and figure out how to beat procrastination once and for all.

Here are 7 steps to kick procrastination in the butt, and beat it once and for all. Pick the ones that work best for your current situation and get your work on!

1. Find a Starting Point

As mentioned, so often we get stuck on where to start. The task may be so vast that it is difficult to pinpoint which starting point will be most effective. It is important to lay out the critical steps of your overall task in order to identify where to start! This may even be recognizing that you are procrastinating in the first place. Remember to start easy. Starting is hard, but once you get over that initial bump, you can gain momentum. Once started, your brain is more likely to pester you to get it done and unfinished tasks are more likely to get stuck in your memory. So go on, get started!

2. Establish a Timeline

This is where you employ anti-procrastination strategies. Establishing a timeline helps you to create a broader picture of exactly how much work is required and the allocated time associated with each step. When there is no deadline set, you will not be inclined to work on it. Deadlines give framework and structure to how you organize your day and how you carry out your tasks. Together with timing and motivation, this is also a great way to keep yourself accountable by using your timeline as a checkpoint.

3. Break Down Big Tasks

Big tasks can seem like looming mountains, which causes you to quit before you’ve even started. Breaking them down into smaller bits is another great way to move away from procrastination.
Once broken down into smaller bits, you can create new, more manageable milestones that have easy starts and can be effectively done in a timely manner. Each step that is completed gets you closer and closer to your end goal, which is a major motivational factor overall.

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4. Factor in Your “Why”

It is always much easier to do something that you value, something that you’re excited about. Your “reason” for doing what you do is such a critical factor towards overcoming procrastination in the face of any situation. Constantly remind yourself of what that is enables you to keep motivated and on towards completion. In the same action, perhaps it may also be good to identify reasons that lead to procrastination in the first place. This way you can establish positive habits that lead away from procrastination and towards your “why”.

5. Plan Ahead

Planning, planning, planning! This is a fundamental principle that I was taught as a young lady and still employ to this day. It’s often easy to plan for yourself, but what you can’t forget are the external factors and others who are involved in your day-to-day life. Planning ahead accounts for any interruptions, mishaps, or unexpected events. As we all know, life is full of surprises. If we keep promoting procrastination, then there is no wiggle room left to deal with unexpected events or emergencies. By planning ahead you can wrap your head around exactly how your timeline is laid out. This also promotes an earlier start because of your contingency-type thinking.

6. Schedule in Time Blocks

Specifically identified time blocks are great for keeping track of what you’ve been working on throughout the day. This gives you set time to work on specific projects. Time blocks are especially great if there are big projects that require a lot of time, and smaller ones that are more pressing for deadlines. This prevents you from spending too much time on the larger ones, and allows you to effectively manage your time for the most productive outcome. Overall this is a great metric for tracking your progress and keeping yourself accountable to the task at hand.

7. Do the Work!

So we can talk and chat about procrastination and productivity techniques until we’re blue in the face. The bottom line is, that you have to actually do the work. All the plans, schedules, and tricks in the world won’t actually get your work done. Aside from hiring an assistant or employee to do it for you, your work still needs quality hours of input to come out completed and successful on the other side.

[ctt title=”“Your dreams don’t work unless you do!” – John C. Maxwell” tweet=”“Your dreams don’t work unless you do!” – John C. Maxwell via @thecarlivh http://ctt.ec/4_cda+” coverup=”4_cda”]

Now I’d love to hear from YOU!

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As always, desire to inspire!

Xx

Carli

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