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Procrastination is one of the hardest bad habits to break. It's a catch-22, because honestly, how do you stop procrastinating when you keep putting it off until a later date?
It's a common trait among internet entrepreneurs because we work from home, AND on the internet. Most people have a hard time being on the internet and focusing for long periods of time. YouTube, Facebook, and Google are at our fingertips, but we need to write articles, edit videos, and respond to emails.
I am a terrible procrastinator, but I still get quite a bit done in the day. The methods I'm sharing with you here are not a cure-all solution for all procrastinators. I only hope to inspire some people with ideas they may not have tried before, and open up the discussion to other ways to beating this common personality trait.
1. Don't stop cold-turkey
One of the things that absolutely kills me about forming a new habit is going 100% from day one. If I want to start going to the gym, and suddenly start gong 6 days a week for two hours, I'm going to get burnt out real quick. If I ease into it, perhaps once a week, then move up to twice or more per week, the slow, new-habit forming will allow me to shift gears smoothly.
If I decide I want to stop putting things off until later, making 1, end-all decision to start 'being on task' and 'doing what I'm supposed to' will likely last only a day or two. By day 3, I'll be back in my my old groove.
Make a list of things that need to get done, and do just one per day. If you decide to do more, great. If not, no worries. In week 2, say that you will get 2 things done, and so on. One or two months down the road may seem like a long time from now, but imagine that at the end of this time period, you'll be getting 8 important things done EVERY DAY!
Really, two months is not a long-term committment, so you could be a changed person in a relativel short amount of time.
2. Make a Verbal Announcement
With as well as we're connected in the world today, you've probably got lots of friends and family on Facebook, Google+, and Twitter. Make an announcement that you are trying to be on task, and would appreciate if someone reminds you to get something done.
Depending on your industry and how you've branded yourself on your business accounts, it could be fun to interact with people in your industry, followers, or visitors and bring them in on it. Something like, "Man, I really need to get this tutorial video up. Anyone who reminds me at 4:00 PM gets a prize", or something like that.
Most people will ignore you, maybe all. But the fact that you made an announcement and they might check up on you could be a good motivator.
Honestly, I've never tried this method over the internet, but I have told friends in person that I'm doing something, and the thought of them thinking of me as a "quitter" was decent enough motivation to get my butt in gear.
This is not a great long term strategy, but could work if you have something really important to do, or are tired of being responsible for keeping track of yourself.
3. Allow Yourself Some Breathing Room
If you are a procrastinator, then sorry, that it might just be your personality type. It's going to be a long, arduous process to change this about yourself.
Buy why try to be something you're not?
Work within a time-frame that allows for your natural attention span and desired work flow. Tell yourself to focus for just 10 minutes, then do anything you like. It's very probably that after ten minutes has passed, you'll be interested in whatever work you've got line up, and just keep working on through.
If not, ten minutes is better than nothing, right?
I find that setting small goals like this helps me to break that horrible barrier that procrastinators face, and once that seal is broken, it's easier to sit down and do what needs to be done.
Because we've got to get something done some time, right? After all, we are enjoying the greatest career of all; working from home, so we shouldn't sit back while our businesses spiral down the toilet and we only think to ourselves, "Oh well, I'll get to it tomorrow".
Do you have any techniques to beat procrastination? Let me know in the comments below. It's my hope that future procrastinators can view this article, choose from a variety of methods, and find a solution that suits them best.
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