Pooh-pooh Procrastination - Staying Motivated Is Key To Better Things
November 22nd, 2008

Procrastination is a damaging habit. It can keep otherwise successful people from accomplishing anything. Everyone experiences procrastination now and then. There are often events and tasks in our lives that we simply don't want to begin. Procrastination starts at an early age for many people. Some children will procrastinate with school work or other chores until the last minute. Often, this results in the child staying up all night to finish a report or other project.

Procrastination is particularly bad because of two reasons. The first reason is that it causes unnecessary stress. When you procrastinate, you are placing extra stress on yourself. You may stress over the task each day until it is complete. If you are one that can put it out of your head completely, you will still be under great amounts of stress when you actually do have to get started. Something that you might have had two weeks to complete will seem completely overwhelming if you only give yourself 12 hours to complete it.

The second reason why procrastination is terrible is because it prevents you from doing your best work. No matter what the task may be procrastination will cause you to rush through it. If you wait until the last minute to get something done, you will be rushing to finish. Instead of taking your time to do your best work, you will be focused on getting done instead of the quality of work. If you want to stay more motivated and avoid procrastination, you should try these three tips.

Make a Schedule

Those people who tend to push things off until the last minute will really benefit from making a schedule. When you have created a schedule that breaks up exactly what you have to do to complete the task on time, you will allow yourself a lot more breathing room throughout the task. By actually writing the schedule out, you will be more likely to follow it. When you break down tasks that you are putting off, especially if they are large or time consuming, you will find it much easier to get started. Often getting started is the most difficult aspect of it all. Once you begin, you will likely sail right through. A schedule will help you keep that motivation and get through the task.

Hold Yourself Accountable

When you notice you are procrastinating, you should always hold yourself accountable. Tell yourself all of the reasons procrastination is harmful. Note that when you don't procrastinate that you are much more productive. When you want to use others to help motivate you, you can tell them about your task and what you need to do. When you get off course, they can help you stay motivated by reminding you what needs to be done. Telling others allows them to hold you accountable as well. Just remember that when they do remind you of what you need to do, they are not nagging, just simply keeping you motivated.

Reward Yourself

Sometimes the best motivation is a reward. Tell yourself that until you get through the task you will not be able to watch television, take in a movie, or check your email. This will help you get the motivation and desire to finish the task and make things roll along much more quickly. These rewards are nice when you are done, but if you try to do them throughout the task, they will only distract you and take up much more of your time. So, be sure to save the rewards until the end to get the most out of your time.

Remember that procrastination is something that can hold you back from better things. To avoid it, be sure you make a schedule, tell others and hold yourself accountable, and reward yourself for positive behavior. When it comes to doing difficult tasks, no one wants to get started. There are often times in life where we must do things we don't want to do. It is during these times that procrastination creeps up slowly. Recognize when it begins and know how to stomp it out before it takes over. When you do this, you will find that your motivation is steady and that you can do anything you want to do

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