How many times have we excused ourselves of not having time? Too many.
For the past three weeks, I have been all over the place. Making excuses for not having time to write, because I was busy taking care of sick kids, sleep deprived and my blood sugar levels all over the place.
If I would have wanted I would have made time for it. Plain and simple. I was just making excuses for my lack of motivation. What I was doing was procrastinating. Have you been here? The more you procrastinate, the bigger the habit it becomes. By the time you realize what is going on, is too late. You have wasted precious time.
So how exactly we overcome procrastination?
Life is full of choices. One simple choice you take leads to another and another. Duh! Right? Well, now think about this, a bad choice will lead you to your next bad choice, which at the end will leave you full of regret and a day full of bad choices. That guilt feeling is key, as it will set the tone for the next day. And guess who will be (continue) making bad choices? Yes, you got it.
Fortunately, now that you have realized what is going on it’s time to make amends. Just like one bad choice led to another bad choice, one good choice will lead to another good choice. Taking action immediately as you recognize this pattern is essential. It will not only boost your sense of accomplishment but will set the pace for your day, week, month, year … life.
“Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishments.” ~ Jim Rohn
Yes, I said life. The repercussion of a simple choice affects your life. That’s why I like to think about this as life management. Indeed all is around time, but at the end is your life you are affecting. And to think you only have one to live, you better live it well. Don’t you think?
My 3 tips to slay procrastination and conquer life management
1. Be held accountable. When you are open about the goals you want to accomplish and find an accountability partner, there’s no way back. This accountability partner can be your spouse, parents, siblings, best friends, and the best of all, children. Children’s blunt honesty and innocence will keep you on your toes. Accountability will keep you responsible for the choices you make, also will help you stay focused and stay on track.
2. Train your brain. Knowing what to do is not sufficient, you need to say it out loud and write it down. Being specific (as much as possible). Also, have a time frame as to when a task needs to be completed. When you change your way of thinking and way to view things, to a more positive and structure one, you have more than half of the way done.
3. Get enough sleep and shower every day. I’m being stone face serious on this point. We take for granted a shower and somehow sleep has become overrated. Sleep is important for your well being. It allows your body and mind to recover from the day. Look at the machines, they need to be turn off or reset often in order to work properly, so does our body.
Taking a shower is much more than the act of cleaning your body. It represents a purification of the mind and soul as well. Just like your body needs to be clean from dirt and germs to prevent illness, your mind and soul needs conditioning as well like: washing off bad vibes, negativity, and exhaustion. Next time you are in the shower let go of all the things that are holding you back, like self-doubt. You may end up feeling refresh, in peace, and full of energy.
Mr. Time waits for nobody
“The supply of time is truly a daily miracle, an affair genuinely astonishing when one examines it. You wake up in the morning, and lo! your purse is magically filled with twenty-four hours of the unmanufactured tissue of the universe of your life! It is yours. It is the most precious of possessions. A highly singular commodity, showered upon you in a manner as singular as the commodity itself!”
― Arnold Bennett, How to Live on 24 Hours a Day
Remember:
- The more wisely you use your time the better your decisions will be.
- Respect your time and other people time.
- The ultimate decision is yours. Do not blame others.
- There will be no waiting, Mr. Time waits for nobody.
Do you have a go-to hack to overcome procrastination? Mind sharing it with me? Please do! Would love to hear what you got to say about this subject. Leave a comment below or send me a message.
Edel
14 comments
I need more sleep actually, with warmer weather we are busy enjoy the outdoor until almost dark, kids are busy entertain them self outside too, so the bed time become later and later.
I know! Have the same problem. And I’m like the chickens can’t go to sleep if not dark outside. Oh well! Have to work around it 😉. Have fun and enjoy your time with the family.
Sometimes we just have to buckle down and complete the job! I have been procrastinating on reducing sugar due to family being in town and lots of tasty food, but I’m changing that starting today! 😉
Stopping something cold turkey may seem challenging but sometimes it is easier than it may seem. You can also do it gradually, one day cut in half, next day another half and soon you won’t even notice you are sugar-free. Best of luck and success!
#1 is get enough sleep, I procrastinate and make terrible decisions when I am tried. #2 always knock out the easy items first! Great topic! I pinned it too 😉
Thank you, Sharon! 😘 I agree with you. Sleep is essential and doing the easy task first will boost our productivity. Thanks for sharing and stopping by.
I am so bad with procrastinating. I’ve really tried lately to just get things done when they need to be done so that I’m not creating unnecessary stress for myself. I’ll definitely use your advice.
Hi Noel! Thanks for stopping by and glad you found my post useful.
I have found that I procrastinate more when the job seems big. If I break it down into smaller tasks it is much easier to get it done.
Definitely, that’s the way to go. Smaller tasks seem more doable and less intimidating than a bigger one. Thanks for reading, Karen.
I can find 10 ways to procrastinate on any given task. Now if only I can follow these steps to actually get things done!
Hi Mandy! I know, it’s easier to procrastinate than to follow through our plans. Try doing one thing, small, at a time. You will feel encouraged once completed. Thanks for stopping by.
Unfortunately, I have not figured out a tried & true way to help myself overcome procrastination. Some tasks are more difficult than others to get moving on!
Hi Nicolette! It’s a personal trial and error. You will find a way to accomplish and get things done, that work for you and your circumstances. Thanks for reading.