How to Stop Procrastinating for Good
You are here because you want to learn how to stop procrastinating for good and, I am not surprised. Overcoming procrastination can seem impossible, but it really doesn’t have to be.
Procrastination delays success
Procrastination delays our success, so it is massively important that we beat procrastination once and for all.
What is Procrastination?
Procrastination is the act of delaying, or putting off, important tasks that you know you need to finish. Sometimes this can be a result of feeling overwhelmed with the workload or the task at hand.
When we keep putting off a certain task, we can feel guilty and our to-do list can often grow as a result. Sometimes, unimportant tasks- that we don’t want to deal with- can actually end up becoming important and this can end up stressing us out as a result.
Procrastination Problem
When most people start a business, their mind is filled with ideas which they want to turn into completed tasks, but along the way, they can end up getting in the bad habit of just thinking about all the things they need to do, and then spend a great deal of time planning the important tasks that they need to complete to reach their goals.
Then once that is all done, they delay actually completing the tasks.
Does this sound like you?
When I began my business, I knew it was a long road to success, and I knew that in order to reach the success I desired, I needed to avoid procrastination like the plague, but, as busy business owners, it is very easy to slip into bad habits without realising.
How to Overcome Procrastination
A year into my business I was working 2 days in the week, plus every evening and weekend. I knew that the plans I had for MyBump2Baby needed a team, rather than just little old me, but I simply couldn’t afford that.
I knew that I needed to look at my productivity and try and make some improvements where I could.
Look at your Complete tasks
I looked at my task list and I spotted a pattern. I seemed to complete the easier tasks and the small tasks very well; These were the tasks that I would see results from right away! However, when it came to the hardest tasks (the ones that I wouldn’t see results from right away) I would put them off and finish tasks that didn’t really matter.
I would even go as far as to create tasks that actually didn’t need attention, just so I didn’t have to deal with the other tasks that seemed more difficult and that wouldn’t give me instant satisfaction.
Avoiding these longer tasks was not looking after my future self, in fact, this procrastination behaviour was actually stopping me from having financial freedom in the future.
Look at your task list from this week, what is ticked off and what isn’t? Could you be avoiding a particular task?
Eliminate Distractions
What distracts you? For me my phone needed to be on aeroplane mode while I was working; the self-control was simply not there when my phone was buzzing away. I would give myself set break-times where I would take a break and have 5 minutes with my phone. Removing distractions was the best way for me to stay focused on the task at hand.
Set Deadlines with your Business Coach
A business mentor that keeps you accountable is the best investment I made; I am not just saying that because I am an online business coach now, but rather, by having regular monthly meetings with my mentor, there was always a deadline looming, which made me take charge and complete tasks that I otherwise would have left.
Working towards specific deadlines is really important, so, even if you don’t have a business coach or mentor right now, set non-negotiable deadlines with yourself.
Look into what time management techniques work for you
Of course, everyone works differently, but there are lots of ways you can use time-management to beat procrastination. Here are a few that work for me and my clients:
Time batching for maximum productivity – This is when you group similar tasks together so you are only focusing on one difficult task at once.
Working to timers – This is really useful if you have loads of little tasks you need to get off your list quickly. Set a timer and try and beat the clock; this is something that works really well for me.
Closing emails – This may sound simple but it works really well for me when it comes to focusing. I have my emails open at only 2 points throughout the day, these are 9 – 11 am, where I respond to emails, and 3-5pm where I respond again. I like to keep the customer service level high with my clients, so I don’t only want to send an email reply per day, but I do know that my hours in-between are precious, and being distracted by emails doesn’t help with time management.
Simple changes in daily life that can help you stop procrastinating
Get enough sleep – If you feel tired it will be harder to focus.
Avoid working in a coffee shop – You may see people you know and you can also end up subconsciously listening to peoples chats (that might just be me).
Take a break – Be kind to yourself. Don’t work yourself into the ground. Set working hours which still give you a chance to enjoy the flexible working life, so that you can go to the gym, or go for a good walk. This helps with energy levels, mental health and helps you take time for you.
To find out more about working with me on your journey to financial freedom, click here. I also offer a wide range of e-courses if you would like to work with me on a smaller level.
Carla is the founder of MyBump2Baby. Carla has a huge passion for linking together small businesses and growing families. Carla’s humorous, non-filtered honesty has won the hearts of thousands of parents throughout the UK.
She has previously written for the Metro and made appearances on BBC News, BBC 5 live, LBC etc. Carla is a finalist for Blogger of the Year award with Simply Ladies inc. Carla is also the host of the popular Fifty Shades of Motherhood podcast and The MyBump2Baby Expert podcast.