How To Stop Procrastination From Destroying Your Goals

By Author: Sam Sander
Total Articles: 60
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Do you never seem to have enough time in your day? Do you spend all your time at work and never get time for family or recreation? Unfortunately you can't create more hours and minutes in the day, but you can make the most of what time you have. This article talks about some of the simplest, and most effective, time management tips.

One of the best habits you can develop to manage your time effectively is to prepare a list of daily jobs. Writing down your chores will give get you back in charge of your agenda and enables you to achieve more in less time.

After you achieve each task cross it off your list. You'll feel great that you've achieved something and gives you the motivation to keep on going.

Every morning look at your list of tasks and rearrange them so you are doing the most important jobs first. Then make sure you have time to do them all. If you need to push some things out until tomorrow, then do so. The aim of having a list is to take the worry out of getting things done, and getting important things done first.

Another vital time management tip is to say no when you need to say no.

Procrastination ...
... is simply putting things off - and we've all done it at some point, even if you're a high flying success! It doesn't mean you're lazy or not productive, it just means you may be focusing on some tasks at the expense of others, or maybe you're just having some difficulty overcoming the momentum of getting a particular task started.

And goal setting is one of the first things to get put-off because it's often seen as a non-urgent activity, even though it's extremely important. So effectively managing your time is critical for achieving goal setting success.

But whether you're putting off action on a goal or any other task in your ball-court, the important question is, Why?. And if you know WHY you're procrastinating then you are well on the way to being able to defeat it.

The reason why we procrastinate is different for everyone. Some people procrastinate over seemingly routine or mundane tasks, others simply lose interest in a task. Some people may waste time trying to achieve unnecessary perfection, others may avoid tasks that take them out of their comfort zone.

It is important to recognize that there will be certain tasks that you are more likely to procrastinate over than others, but there are also some common causes:

1. There are just more fun things to do! Or perhaps you're just waiting to be in the right frame of mind for launching into action.

2. There are other tasks to do that are in your 'comfort zone' and therefore easier to do.

3. You may find the task a little overwhelming and not know where to start, particularly if the task is not within your normal skill set.

4. You have a Fear of failure, and this is the reason many people don't achieve their goals.

5. You just can't get started. Building up enough momentum to get the ball rolling can take unforeseen effort depending on the task.

You know yourself better than anyone else. Are you prone to procrastination? Why? Now, be honest with yourself here. Understanding whether you are likely to procrastinate on certain types of tasks is vital to overcome this period of inaction.

So, how do you deal with procrastination?

First of all, you will KNOW WHEN you are procrastinating on a particular task. Use a daily schedule and just monitor your progress against these to see the impact of procrastination. Specifically for goal setting, you can also monitor your progress against your goal action plan to see if you are falling victim to procrastination.

The important thing is to ask yourself 'why' and then you will know 'how' you can overcome it.
You can learn more about how to manage your time to achieve all your goals by reading this FREE ebook - "The Time Management Secrets that will Set You Free". You'll also find lots of free tips and tools on a range of self-help topics from success to emotional intelligence.