Procrastination Part 2

Today, I am glad to say that I tackle procrastination and get rid of it at the beginning of the project. Well, except for this week. Now, at this point in my own personal development, I realize that there are multiple reasons I need to learn how to avoid procrastination. These reasons are to succeed at any project that is important to me, to have more confidence, and to increase my ability to handle bigger projects.

When I started blogging, I understood that it was important for me to get my blogs done every week. This success is important to me. My dream is to write inspirational blogs and stories. If I procrastinate, I am less likely to post on time. Plus, these blogs motivate me to write other stories and books. At this point, I am not only writing a blog on a weekly basis, but I am also working on a success book and seminar presentation.

On March 31, Brenton and I will conduct our first success seminar. This means that we have to prepare material, so we can teach others to have confidence in success. Procrastination is the one thing that can hurt our presentation. It can either keep us from going through with the seminar or it can stop us from giving a quality presentation. This is true for any big project I take on. At one time in my life, procrastination would have killed my opportunities, but I am now capable of working through the fear and pushing myself to finish each project.

It goes without saying that as I complete important projects, my confidence increases. This is a huge step for me. In the past I had no confidence to work on important projects. My desire is to confidently succeed at my purpose, which is to teach others the lessons that I've learned. Once I realized this week that I was procrastinating and why, I began to tackle the issue and make a plan to stop procrastinating.

When I procrastinate, my confidence decreases, anxiety creeps in, and, sometimes, depression gets me down. Depression is a sign to me that something is wrong and needs my attention. This week it was my procrastination. In the last year, I've learned is that it's okay to have a difficult week, because, through the difficulty, I have the opportunity to learn valuable lessons. Of course, the first thing I think about is teaching these lessons to others. As soon as I think this way, my depression disappears and my confidence increases, again.

Finally, I need to stop procrastination, because I want to increase the ability to complete even more difficult projects. For example, when my children go to school, they have to work on the subjects for their grade level. Each year they increase their grade level and the level of difficulty, because, as they get to the end of the year, that grade level has become easier. Our projects should be viewed the same way. When we get in and work on a project that is difficult, it gets easier and easier until we are ready to tackle an even more difficult project.

Here is the problem, when I procrastinate, I don't learn from the project. This means I am not ready for the next difficult project. My life becomes complacent and boring, so my stale life can once again lead to depression. To make sure my life is not stale and depressing; I need to make sure procrastination is not a part of my life.


At this point in the week, I have taken the next phase of procrastination. This phase is learning to refrain from procrastination. There are several techniques that I have used to minimize procrastination. These techniques are pretty simple, but I needed to learn to use them consistently. The techniques I use are taking big projects and breaking them down, turn-off all distractions, schedule your day, make a commitment to complete what I start, and do the hardest thing first.

The best way for me to deal with complex projects is by breaking them down. For instance, I had an idea for a book on success. This seemed like a huge undertaking, but I broke down the book subjects into blogs. These blogs I post each week, but, while I'm writing the current blog, I compile the old blog topics into one book. Sure, this means I have to change the blog a little, because the blog has to fit into a book format. All the work is worth the end product, which are weekly blogs and a published book.

All projects can be broken down into smaller jobs. In my college classes, I always seriously adhere to the syllabus. The syllabus breaks down the class into smaller projects. As I read over the syllabus, I focus on each individual assignment and not on the class as a whole. When I do this, I am less likely to procrastinate, because the smaller assignment doesn't seem as difficult. Also, most of the beginning assignments are easier and prepare students for the last difficult assignment.

Turning off distractions isn't always easy. Sure, in theory, I just turn off the television and cell phones and we're good. Well, I know this is not the only distraction that I will face. There is my spouse, children, friends that drop by unannounced, and neighbors having a loud party. These are just a few distractions that can interfere with important projects. Many times, these distractions just become my excuse for procrastination. If I eliminate these distractions, then I have no excuse to procrastinate and delay any completion of my project.

Brenton and I know people who either make distractions their excuse or they create the distractions themselves. This I know something about, because, like I said before, I have suffered from procrastination most of my life. When I am procrastinating due to distractions, I always check to see if I caused the distraction. It is important for me to acknowledge what caused my procrastination and to immediately start working on the project.

An example of causing a distraction to get out of work is a child who continues to break their pencil. This is just a way the child is procrastinating where their homework is concerned, because they keep breaking their pencil and need to get up every few seconds to use the pencil sharpener. One problem with this habit is that they usually end up missing out on play time. Usually, if they miss out on play time long enough, they will eventually realize all they have to do is complete their homework without distraction to play.
For several years, I have worked on planning, which also includes scheduling. Most of planning I understand and easily put into practice. Scheduling is not as easy, and I have struggled to schedule whole days. In my attempt to schedule, I am able to take my projects and schedule when I do each part. This way I know exactly when to work on the project, which makes it harder for me to procrastinate.
Scheduling is easier when done weekly.

This way I can look at the full week each day. What is great about scheduling is that it also takes care of distractions, too. When I write down each part of the project, I make sure everyone knows that I am working at that time. This helps them to stay away and let me work. It is also a good idea for me to turn off the phone, so I am not tempted to pick it up. It is important to let friends know when I am working, so they are not tempted to interrupt. If I schedule projects, I can also take myself out of a distracting environment. There are other places that I can work. For example, go to a quiet library or to a coffee shop with Wi-Fi.
Many times, I start projects, but quit them before they are finished. Completing my projects, like this blog, is important to my success. This is why I'm making a commitment to complete each project I start. This also includes creating a contract of completion. A contract keeps me from procrastinating too much. There are times I still procrastinate, but I am getting better every time I complete a project. Maybe someday, I will never procrastinate. That is a goal worth working toward.

One project that I started and completed is my bachelor's degree. My senior year was taking forever to complete. Sometimes, I would continuously put off taking classes (procrastination). Finally, I made a commitment to complete my senior year and actually graduate. This commitment was what I needed to succeed. A year and a half after I made my commitment, I graduated from college. Every time I was tempted to procrastinate, I would look at my commitment and push through the tough classes (math).

Although there are times that it's easier to start with the easiest part of the project. In some projects, it is best to start with the hardest part. When I clean my home, I always start with the kitchen, because it is the filthiest part of my home. This is a lesson that I now apply to jobs that are extremely hard and tedious.

Sometimes, when I get the hardest task out of the way, I am ready to tackle even more tasks. It gives me the boost I need to accomplish the rest of the project. The confidence I receive from completing these tasks makes me want to work even harder. This means the next time I am ready to start a difficult project, I am less likely to hesitate and more likely to jump in with both feet.

This week's challenge is to take the step necessary to stop procrastination. Remember, the benefits of diligently working on a project are higher than quitting because a project gets too hard. The confidence and satisfaction of a tough project completed is worth the difficult moments. Conquering fear and completing projects is the most important step to success, so I promise to never give into procrastination and make completing difficult projects a habit in my life.