11 Procrastination busting tips

Money loves speed. On the other hand procrastination kills speed (and takes us away from potential money we could make!).

Here are 11 powerful tips to overcome procrastination and speed up your productivity.

1. Bite Size tasks: Make each task to be accomplished small enough to get started. Even writing a book can start with a small task like outlining or writing the first few words. If you are planning to run and find it difficult to get started, forget about the whole running process and commit to just one simple task – put your running shoes on. More often than not you will end up doing a run.
2. Kill perfection: Trying to get it perfect will stop you in your tracks. It does not mean you have to do a bad job. Start the task or project in any form to get it finished. When it’s finished you can look for ways to improve or make it better.
3. Change your ‘internal’ dialogue: Rather than say ‘I hate doing it’ why not say ‘I choose to do it’.  This will empower you to start it off even though you may not like the task (like tax returns etc). If you are having a bad day, it is easy to put off doing things as you are not in the ‘mood’. Don’t let the ‘mood’ control your life. Change the dialog to ‘I will start this now’.
4. Get a reward: Set rewards for accomplishments. These rewards can be simple treats at the end of tasks. I do not like sitting in my office for more than 45 minutes. So if I have to do something that is going to take 60 minutes, I look forward to finishing it so that I can treat my self to a brisk walk and cappuccino.
5. No distractions: You are in control of everything that distracts you. Turn the phone off (unless your task involves using the phone), move away from all ‘surfing’ devices and get on with your task. If you are likely to be interrupted by co-workers and visitors make arrangements not to be disturbed.
6. Worship your diary: Block out time for all the important tasks in your diary and set reminders if necessary. Let the diary guide your day. Get the key tasks done as early as possible as this allows you to be flexible later in the day to ‘react’ to unexpected events.
7. Get accountability:  Have someone (a colleague, co-worker or a coach) hold you accountable for finishing certain tasks. I share my diary with my coach. I hate giving excuses to her as to why I did not complete some tasks. This motivates to get on with it.
8. Review your time: Each day, review what you have accomplished. This is one of the most frightening exercises. You will find hours within the day that you cannot account for in terms of accomplishments. Our life is short and too precious to be wasted by procrastinating.
9. Clear Clutter: Although procrastination is function of your mind, physical clutter around you adds to your mental clutter. Your desk (or desktop) should be a place for job in hand and clutter free. Clutter adds to your frenetic mind and nothing else. Get rid of it.
10. No multi-tasking: Successful multi-tasking is a myth. It gives us an illusion that we are contributing towards productivity.  It is there for overly scheduled and stressed-out people feel productive and efficient. Under the illusion of multi-tasking we are in fact ‘serial tasking’. That is jumping from one task to another but think we are multi-taking (working on all those tasks at the same time!). Focus on one thing at a time until it is done!
11. Make a decision: Make a deliberate decision to fight procrastination and become a high productivity person.