I hope the title of this article has caught your attention!! What a great time of the year to tackle procrastination. Here is a bold idea to consider: the way to stop procrastinating starts with the choice to stop procrastinating. It is that simple ~ there is nothing complicated about this concept.
Test it for yourself. Think of some specific task you have been procrastinating. It should be something that would only take you 5 minutes to complete. Then do it today. Check it off your list. Isn't that empowering??
Tomorrow, do the same thing; choose a 5-minute task and do it. The next day, do the same. Now you are picking up momentum! After committing to one week, congratulate yourself for breaking the habit of procrastination!
If the habit of procrastination has stopped you from getting what you want, then clearly using this strategy can start you on a new path in 2013. The costs to you for having procrastinated in the past have been huge. Imagine yourself as a person who now has a vision and goes for it.
Why not start a list of things you would like to accomplish? You could start a "today list", then a "this week list", then a "this month list" and then a "this year list". Have fun with it. The success of completing small tasks can be very contagious.
What is also helpful is to become aware of your procrastination style. Your procrastination style is the key to continuing on your new journey of not procrastinating. Linda Sapadin, a psychologist, has identified 4 types of procrastination styles.
Are you the dreamer type? They have big goals but seldom have specific plans.
Are you the worry type? They tend to focus on the worst case scenario and talk more about problems than wanting to solve them.
Are you the defiant type? They often resist taking on new tasks or say they will and don't follow through.
Are you the over-do-it type? They have difficulty delegating tasks and/or setting priorities, resulting in more work than needed.
Lastly, we have the perfectionist type. They are so fearful of making a mistake or not doing it well enough, they put off the tasks indefinitely.
Now that you have become educated regarding the procrastination styles, you can observe your own behavior. There is not any harsh judgment about you. Just observe and record the facts. Change can happen when we know what to change.
You are now ready to declare your new path by making intention statements. After formulating a variety of new declarative statements, post them in an obvious place that you will be sure to see. Sticky notes work well and can be updated and added to periodically.
You are ready to take action! Remember, success breeds success. The more you work this plan the more you will want to accomplish!
Now that you are committed to stop procrastinating, you may realize that you have been putting off making an appointment to work on some issues that have been bothering you. Trained mental health professionals at
Perspectives Counseling Centers
are ready to help!
248 - 244 - 8644
