1.
Overcoming Procrastination
DON’T ALLOW IT TO EAT AWAY YOUR TIME
Mike Gardner
The Time Doctor

2.
Procrastination
It’s a common problem and is typified by putting off tasks
It can affect us when we’re tired
Sometimes a task can seem overwhelming so we tend to delay starting it
There are some tasks that we simply do not want to do

3.
Identify why you’re procrastinating
Is it because you’re worried about failing?
If the work is for someone else, are you worried that it won’t be good enough?
Do you feel resentful that the work has been passed to you by someone else?
Do you just not want to do the task?

4.
Make a plan
Work out a schedule to complete your tasks and write your plan down
Break your tasks down into smaller chunks if necessary
Smaller steps to get to completion of tasks will seem less of a chore and more
manageable
Write down timescales for completion and steps needed to make it happen

5.
Be realistic
Accurately estimate how long tasks will take and what you can achieve
Break one task into 4 steps if necessary
Accept that some tasks might take a while but you can complete certain stages, so
that you feel that progress is being made

6.
Get started
Sometimes you just have to make a start, no matter how hard the task might seem
Just writing one paragraph initially feels like progress
Starting something makes it now a work in progress rather than a task to start
Making a start helps mentally

7.
Take breaks
If you promise yourself a break to go for a walk or have a coffee, it can motivate
you to get started
Don’t allow breaks to become too frequent, you need to make progress
Treat breaks as a reward for working or an opportunity to think about tasks in a
different setting
Breaks are not another avoidance tactic

8.
Overcome procrastination
If you’re someone who procrastinates regularly, practice these steps and get more
done
Don’t let procrastination eat away at your time
“It is only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on earth –
and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up – that we will begin to live
each day to the fullest, as if it was the only one we had.”
Elizabeth Kubler-Ross