If you regularly have an important task on your to-do list that should have been done 2 weeks ago and you keep telling yourself that you will get to it tomorrow, you might just be a procrastinator.
We all tend to procrastinate every now and then but there are different forms of it and if you are continually putting off important tasks to do something that you are more comfortable with you will need to relook at how you get through your day.
You need to find out what is causing this mental block before it puts a damper on your career or potential to start your own business. The life of an entrepreneur involves countless to-do lists, especially in the early stages, so this means organisation, determination and concentration are essential traits if you want to make it in the business world. There is no place for ‘I’ll do it tomorrow’.
“You may delay, but time will not.” ― Benjamin Franklin
Bring Your Power Back
One way to start wanting to get things done is to remind yourself that you have a choice. Instead of telling yourself that you have to do something, rather replace it with ‘I want to’ or ‘I choose to’. You have the ability to empower yourself anytime you need to.
Now that you know what you want to get done, don’t just jump right to thoughts of the end result, this will just put you off again. Instead, focus on the individual steps that you need to complete one at a time and before you know it you will have ended up at the finish line without breaking a sweat.
Trick or Treat
Set yourself a goal in exchange for something you enjoy. Aim to finish that new proposal in exchange for a 15 minute coffee break on the balcony or your favourite snack. If that’s not enough, get someone to check up on you after a certain amount of time. This should encourage you to stay on track at the risk of having to explain yourself.
Another important point to remember is to not overdo it. Keep your tasks for the day manageable by dividing your tasks up. Aim to get 1 big task (3-4 hours), 2 medium tasks (3 hours) and 4 smaller tasks (2 hours) done that day so that you aren’t overwhelming yourself with just the major tasks but in the same breath you won’t just be focusing on the smaller tasks.
“Procrastination is the thief of time, collar him.” ― Charles Dickens
Know the Difference
Don’t get confused about the difference between procrastination and prioritisation. There will be times when you need to prioritise tasks that come your way purely because they are more urgent. It’s when those important tasks are building up because you are doing miscellaneous things that the problem comes in. You have the chance to turn your week around today. Just do it already.