“I’ll do it tomorrow” is a famous line that many of us use, especially when we don’t feel like doing something that does not need immediate attention. For instance, that English paper that’s due at the end of the week or the pile of dirty laundry left untouched for days or maybe even that doctors appointment you’ve been meaning to make since February. I was the Lord of putting things off until the last minute but what I’ve learned is that delaying things is extremely unhealthy and it causes unnecessary stress. In this essay I will be explaining to you how to get things done promptly and efficiently to avoid procrastination. Waiting to complete tasks and procrastinating can be avoided if you stay committed to reversing your ways.
When you have a task to complete or something that needs to be done, do it immediately. Do not wait or push it off unless absolutely necessary. Doing this will lessen your load, you won’t be putting off a million things and taking forever get caught up on what you could have been taken care of from the start. Make a schedule and plan out your days. When a new task presents itself write it down so that you know what needs to be done. Commit yourself 100 percent on getting things accomplished in a timely fashion. Set daily and weekly goals to keep yourself on track. Write down how you feel when you are behind and compare it to the feeling you feel when you’ve accomplished what you needed done without pushing it off or waiting until the last minute.
Why put off for tomorrow something that can be accomplished today. That is an excellent and very truthful saying.. Why wait? I mean if it is important to you shouldn’t it be a priority? Shouldn’t it deserve immediate attention? When you are faced with a task, try breaking it down and really analyzing it. Ask yourself if it would take you only a few minutes to complete and if so knock it out. You should eliminate all distractions and try to surround yourself with people that motivate you along with you motivating yourself. Set aside time for you to accomplish big tasks and the same for minor ones as well. Set goals and consequences for not reaching them. Push yourself to do better. Reward yourself when you reach your goals. Set incentives like a new purse or an extra “something” that’s gratifying to you.
Procrastination is much more than a bad habit it is a lifestyle. Those that procrastinate are more likely to be messier, sloppier and more stressed than the average proactive person. Procrastinators are never really free because they always have some prior commitments that they’ve put off for ages to complete. They are usually unreliable, forgetful and unable to focus on the tasks at hand. Beating this nasty lifestyle is an absolute must for anyone that wants to achieve any type of success in their lifetime. No one likes a procrastinator and I sure would hate to be that one that no one likes. Other ways to kick it is to make your intentions public; you don’t want to seem like a liar right? When you allow others to see what you are trying to accomplish they may be able to help you by keeping you on track and not allowing you to lose sight of your goal and what needs to be done.
After years and years of procrastinating I was able to truly appreciate the feeling of having nothing to do versus the time I spent with incomplete tasks dangling over my head like butcher knives. Getting my life in order and on the right track was indeed the best decision I’ve made because it helped me “declutter” my mind. Making the change from procrastinator to proactivator (lol) is hard but definitely worth the time and patience. It is an absolute must as an adult to be able to take care of things in a timely manner. You can’t move forward in life if you’re still caught up in your past. It is rewarding to be able to kick your feet up and say that you’ve accomplished things throughout the day or week rather than worrying about things that you had absolute control over that could’ve been done and out of the way.