simply jeanne B

As Gloria Estefan sang,  “there’s always tomorrow ♫  . . .”.   Ah, yes, we procrastinators can totally relate.   In fact, I’ve been thinking about writing this post for a few weeks, now, but have found other “more urgent” things to do, lol.

Procrastination is such a precious time waster.  So, without wasting any more of your precious time, I will leave you with a few tips for fighting the urge to procrastinate.

#1. Eat the frog first.  Mark Twain once said “If you eat a frog first thing in the morning, the rest of your day will be wonderful”.   This is the premise of Brian Tracy’s book, Eat That Frog!, 21 Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time. The idea is that if you take on your least desirable project first thing and get it over with, you’ll have the rest of the day to accomplish things you might actually enjoy!

#2. If you have a big project looming and you’ve been putting it off because you don’t know where to begin, start by breaking it done into smaller, manageable tasks. Begin by focusing on just one smaller task at a time. Before you know it, that big task will be complete.

#3. Prepare a Six Most Important Things list.  At the end of each work day, prepare a list of the six things you’d like to accomplish the next day, starting with your most important item first.  Charles Schwab once received this advice from efficiency expert, Ivy Lee, and said it was the most profitable lesson he had ever learned!

#4. Develop an affirmation for yourself that you say first thing in the morning, last thing at night and as often as you can in between.  Something like – “I feel good about using my time wisely. I am capable of organizing and completing my tasks in a timely fashion.”

#5. Reward yourself for making progress.  Don’t wait until you’ve finished the big task, celebrate the little victories along the way.  Maybe a five minute music break, a walk outside to smell the roses, a quick phone call to a friend.  Just make sure you don’t get yourself off track from the great start you have to completing your projects.

Good luck and remember, there’s no time like the present!