Make progress every single day and you’ll beat procrastination for good
It’s hard to believe but we are coming to the end of our seventh blog to get off your butt and finally beat procrastination. I hope you’ve been following along and more importantly that you’ve been making progress on at least one of the things you’ve been procrastinating on. We end today with the most critical advice and the main lesson I want you to take away from all this.
Make progress every single day!
Of course, that’s easier said than done. That’s why I’m leaving you today with three simple hacks or strategies to help you. Give them a try and see if you can’t get into the habit of being productive every day instead of procrastinating.
Plan For It
It’s easy to make progress every day when you know exactly what you should be working on next. Make a plan and then decide what you will do each day of the week. Write it down in a planner and adjust daily as needed. In the morning, you can see at a glance what it is you should be doing. Then get to work on it first thing before the day gets away from you. I find it helpful to have my planner sitting right in front of me at my desk, keeping me on track.
Don’t Break The Chain
There’s something to be said about a chain or a streak. Record every day you don’t procrastinate on something. You can mark it on a monthly calendar, or create a chain of sticky notes, stickers, or even one of those paper chains you used to make in school. The goal is simple. Don’t break the chain. Once you have a few days under your belt, you’ll be motivated to go the extra mile and do that one thing you need to do to avoid breaking the streak.
Check In With Yourself
As you progress on the things you know you need to be doing, you should feel your anxiety reduced. Instead, you will feel your confidence go up. Don’t be surprised to feel proud of your accomplishments. Instead, use those feelings to propel you forward to more procrastination free days. Procrastination is a habit. It’s something you learned to do, which means it’s something you can unlearn. Stick with it, make progress every day, and enjoy those feelings of accomplishment.
Make progress every day, and enjoy those feelings of accomplishment. Share on X
Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, coaching you virtually using Zoom. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situations. She uses her love of teaching to reduce clutter, in your home, office, mind and time. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
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I feel this way about exercise. I need to get up and do it first thing, every day, or I will fall off the wagon. By doing it first thing, almost before I’m even awake, I get it in before I am able to talk myself out of it:)
I agree, my first thing is my walk and then I do my social media so I don’t skip them. I treat them like one thing and get them both done. The “first thing in the morning slot” is a very important time slot and should be used for those things that help you most in your life to be happier and more productive because those feeling build confidence.
Great tips, Julie! Thanks for sharing this procrastination series.
I find that my planner is distracting to me when it is placed in front of me. Instead, I place it to the left of me when I am doing work. I then, look at the planner after the completed task. Then, move on to the next task. It works well. I also find that sound bothers me and distracts me, so wearing a noise-canceling headset helps me focus.
Great tips Sabrina. I sometimes find myself updating my planner instead of working on a task. It is funny how we can use any tool to help us stop procrastinating or to help us procrastinate more. Your idea to move it to the side solves the problem. Definitely moving a task from a To-Do list to a planner gets it down.