10 Ways to Kick the Procrastination habit! By Plenty

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10 Ways to Kick the Procrastination habit! - By Plenty ----------------------------------------------------I recently read about a survey (by the University of Chicago) whichsuggested that those who relish challenge are more likely to live up to 10years longer than those who spend their lives inhibited by timidity.Trying to realise our ambitions, even if we don’t always meet them, ispreferable to not having the courage or motivation to take the risk. Sonot making any resolutions because we fear that we’ll break them is havinga defeatist attitude, as we allow procrastination to become an insidioushabit which stops us from leading more fulfilling lives.The following offers 10 ways to kick the procrastination habit!1. Personal values development. Take the time to

find out what you really want in life, what your personalvalues are. Do you want more time, more money, better health, greater selfesteem and confidence, more fulfilling relationships, a different career,set up a business? When we procrastinate it’s often because what we areplanning to do is not really aligned with what we truly want. We may bescared of our skills (or perceived lack of) or fear ridicule from others.2. Make health a priority. Without good health we are less likely to have the energy and dynamismneeded to make positive changes in our lives and it’s easier (andnecessary if you’re very ill) to procrastinate. So ensure that you have anourishing diet, sleep well, exercise and meditate. Incidentally, it isthought that regular meditation helps delay the worst effects of theageing process.3. Visualise your life without procrastination. See and feel the benefits in your life if you

didn’t procrastinate. Whatcould you do and achieve? Begin to act as if you’re not a procrastinator.Write down, draw, imagine your life as a film. Use affirmations to helpyou.4. Banish the Gremlin. That little voice which runs on auto in your head – that dismisses anyidea that you might have. It says things like “I’m not in the mood†“Idon’t have time†“I can’t do thisâ€. Stop running on auto, replace the“should’s†“oughts†“have tos†with “want to†“desireâ€. You have a choice.Acknowledge your choices and banish the Gremlin. Again, using affirmationscan help you replace the Gremlin with more positive alternatives.5. Overcommitment. Saying “yes†to everything – often leaves you feeling tired and withoutthe energy to focus on what is most important to you. This leads toprocrastination as projects and tasks are dropped. Identify what is

mostimportant to you and only focus on those areas which will make the biggestdifference to your life. It will enhance your focus and motivation.6. Setting personal professional goals. It’s hard to motivate yourself when you don’t have a good idea of what youwant to accomplish. So when setting goals think about what you want toachieve in the short term and long term. Techniques for doing so includethe SMART strategy. S = specific M = measurable A= Action R = Realistic T= Time based. Use goal setting software to help you in goal planning andsetting.7. Prioritize Your Goals. Develop a plan or schedule to help you reach your goals. In doing so youwill begin to identify whether some elements need to be included orenhanced or dropped completely. Also remember to be flexible, revisit yourgoals regularly and modify or drop if appropriate. Just because a goal iswritten down doesn’t mean that it is

set in stone!8. Divide and conquer. Once you’ve prioritised your goals, divide them into smaller chunks.Sometimes we procrastinate because a project seems really large that thescale of it overwhelms us and puts us into a temporary form of paralysis –you don’t know where to start, so you don’t start at all! Approach eachproject – especially large ones – on a step by step basis.9. Reward yourself. Once you start to complete tasks, reward yourself by giving yourselfsomething that you want. So instead of seeing a film before you complete atask, see it afterwards and make it a reward for you.10. Just get started. No excuses. Don’t wait until you’re “in the moodâ€. The mood never comes!It is a clever camouflage and a delaying tactic. What you resist persists!Start with what is easiest, so that you experience immediate success,which will give you the fuel and motivation to

upgrade and take on largerprojects.Do any of the above and you’ll be well on your way to Kicking theProcrastination Habit. And if you’re procrastinating over doing any of theabove :.), then remember that life is the biggest deadline of all!About the Author Plenty is a Personal and Business Coach who coaches self employedcreative professionals to live more creative, fulfilled lives and increasethe success of their business. To sign up for the Life Design newsletterand register for a special offer on her forthcoming ebook on Kicking theProcrastination Habit! visit:http://www.self-help-personal-development.com http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/AffirmationstoDe-Stress A positive thinking, positive affirmations support group, that empowers us with ways to sail through daily life stress. Come aboard! PJ and Gang