As you can see from my post on November 19, procrastination is not something that is a struggle for a few…it plagues everyone. And, over time, delay can become a harmful habit that gets in the way of our ability to succeed and to experience quality living (how many hours a day do you spend thinking about what you need to do rather than enjoying life?)

With the state of our economy and business world, it has never been more important than ever than to act on those activities which are critical to getting results. The reality is that many people place their focus on things like shuffling papers, reading the news (which I do recommend that folks take a break from the news for about a week just to catch your breath) and doing the easy things rather than tackling the big stuff.

People often ask me how I can juggle all that I do. I am a consultant who sees clients every day, I write for 6 blogs, I speak to the public and I maintain a household. My answer is that I attack my big priorities first each morning, and I am a “do it now” person rather than a “do it later” person. I don’t have any “to do” lists. I get up each day, and I scan my house and office and I literally “just do it”. It is 7:41, and I am writing my blog and drinking coffee. I will write until about 7:45, will feed my dogs, spend some time with Mike, I will go to the gym to work out (another high priority for me), then I am driving to Chapel Hill to have lunch with a colleague and will see my kids while I’m there. So, I find a way to mix business with pleasure.

If you think about what procrastination really does to us, it is actually harmful both mentally, emotionally and physically. Procrastination most often

1) Gets in the way of our ability to focus

2) Causes an enormous amount of worry and anxiety

3) Creates a nagging feeling, which often leads to a head ache, back ache or stomach pain

So, rather than go on and on about procrastination, I am going to share with you 16 tips to help you bust through the cycle of procrastination.

1) Adopt a “do it now” policy. Why put something on a list? Just go do it now. If you cannot do it right now, put it on your list and head out to do it tomorrow.

2) Write down everything you know you have to do in detail. Set a timer for 30 minutes, and knock out as many things as you can on your list. The momentum will probably turn into more like 45-60 minutes of work, which is a good thing.

3) Adopt a “worst in, first out” policy. We often have things on our “to do” list that we don’t enjoy doing, so we keep moving them down the list. I recommend doing the tough stuff first. Then, the easy stuff is a no-brainer…it just gets done.

4) Write down each of your volunteer jobs and resign from all but the one that brings you the most joy. I am a big supporter of volunteer work, but the thing that drives me crazy are the people who sign up to volunteer who never show up. It is better to have one volunteer activity that you can actually fulfill than 5 that cause you to worry and fret.

5) Delegate out as much of your “I hate these to do lists” as possible to someone other than yourself. There may be things on your list that you don’t enjoy that someone else would LOVE to do.

6) Look closely at why you are procrastinating. Is it fear, doubt, overwhelm, lack of knowledge, or because you just don’t enjoy that activity? Once you have identified the cause of your procrastination, talk to a coach about what’s really going on, and design a solution to address the block.

7) For big tasks, break this down into smaller steps, and write out a calendar to get the smaller steps accomplished. With this approach, you will get much more done than if you decide to take on the entire project at once. If you are going to take on the entire project in one block, schedule the time on your calendar to work only on that project. If you are working on it while you are doing other things, you will add about 50% more time overall to the project.

8)Drop the perfectionism. You don’t have to have every task you take on be perfect. Get the job done, and then delegate out the “perfecting” stage to someone who can shine up the project.

9) Work on projects even when you feel like you are in a bad mood. The completion of a project can actually release endorphins that can lift your mood.

10) Before you tackle a project, take a 10-minute brisk walk and drink 10 ounces of water. If you can drink coffee, a cup of coffee will also get you going. The energy and fluid to the brain will get you moving and in the direction of accomplishment.

11) For housework and busy work, turn up a fast-paced piece of music to increase your pace.

12) Invite someone to join you in taking on your task. Getting the job done is a lot easier when you have someone there by your side to urge you on.

13) Take a piece of poster board, and draw a visual of what the task looks like once completed. Keep that visual right in front of you while you are completing your task.

14) Declutter. One of the things I love on the Clean Sweep show is the way they declutter. They take everything out of the room, and they put things in 4 boxes: Keep, Give Away, Throw Away and Store. If your space is clean and organized, you will get a great deal more done.

15) Tell at least 3 people that you are going to complete a task. Ask them to hold you accountable to the task.

16) Reward yourself and celebrate once your done. Hey…you deserve it!

If you are someone who is dealing with procrastination, and if you feel you need an accountability partner to get the job done, send me an e-mail to bea@beafields.com. I am happy to offer you a 20 minute consultation to see if I can assist you with breaking through the cycle of procrastination.