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How to Stop Procrastination in 10 Simple Steps D0 ever find yourself sitting down at the end of the day and saying to yourself " Where did the day go, I don't feel like I have achieved anything today?" If that is you, you are just like millions of other people on this wonderful planet of ours, you are a procrastinator! Procrastination is the reason why you are still in the same place as you where this time last year. Procrastination is the reason why you continually find yourself living in the past or in the future. Procrastination is a dream stealer! However, there is light at the end of the tunnel, I have recently realized that what has helped me to become more productive hasn't changed, but more importantly the methods I use work just as well for the other people I have introduced these methods to as well. So if you truly want to get more done EVERY day, move towards your goals and dreams like never before! then read on as I reveal to you the simple 10 step process that I and thousands of other people just like you, use on a daily basis to finally learn how to stop procrastination!. Step 1. Focus. Focus on one task at a time. Don't begin to think about your next task until you have completed the present task. Don't think about the previous task AT ALL once you have moved on to the next one. If the task you are working on is part of a larger project, define a specific goal for that period of time (e.g., read for a half-hour, or a certain number of pages, or brainstorm for ideas). Step 2. Do the Hardest Task FIRST. Whichever task you are inclined to look at and immediately start giving yourself excuses NOT to do it, is the task you should do first. Why? Because by doing this you are giving yourself the shot of enthusiasm you need to complete your list with GUSTO! The feeling of success you will generate by completing the most arduos task first will catapult your productivity to stratospheric levels. Step 3. Clear your Desktop and Clear Your Mind. Clearing your desktop allows you to keep your focus on one task at a time. And guess what? you've probably heard it before, a tidy environment equals a tidy mind. So get rid of those piles of paper and keep your desk and your mind FREE from clutter. Step 4. Keep Hydrated and Take Regular Short Breaks. Sometimes when you feel like you are beginning to lose focus, it could be that all you need to do is to have a drink of water. Scientists have now proven beyond doubt that regular fluid intake is vital to creativity, so make sure you take regular 5-10 minute drink breaks away from your work area, and also do some exercise like a short walk. I find a short 5 minute meditation works extremely well, also. Step 5. Working Online! Filter Those Links. Don’t click, bookmark! How many times have you been researching a topic online, clicked on a few links and within what seems like only a few minutes, find yourself reading something completely unrelated to the original topic of your search? Once you start clicking and delving deeper into a topic, you can easily lose your focus and energy. If you absolutely feel that a link is such incredible value to you, simply bookmark it, and schedule some time later to take a look at it, however, I find that I very rarely go back to the links I bookmark, which can mean lots of time saved! How to Stop Procrastination in 10 Simple Steps. Step 6. Create a Reward System. It sounds great, doesn't it? But most of us probably don’t do it on a consistent enough basis. It’s a fantastic incentive to push forward with a project. So create a reward system for yourself and you’ll suddenly find yourself being much more motivated to put one foot in front of the other, even when the going gets tough. Step 7. Be Enthusiastic. Do you think you learn more when you are enthusiastic about the subject? Cast your mind back to your schooldays. Did you learn more from the teachers who were enthusiastic about their subject matter or from those who were just going through the motions? So, even if you are only counting pennies, even if you are putting out the garbage, do it with enthusiasm, do it to the best of your ability, always bring positive energy to the task. Use positive self-talk to convince yourself that what you are doing is important to the big vision. The real key to this particular stage of the process to eliminate procrastination, is to cognitively trick yourself into thinking what you’re doing is just fantastically important to your success. Step 8. It Doesn't Have to be Perfect. We can often delay acting on something because we want it to be perfect. Rationally, we know nothing is perfect; however, it’s difficult to find the balance between doing something perfectly and not doing something at all. Don't wait to start, start from where you are now, with whatever you have NOW! Leave your comfort zone behind. That in itself can be the largest hurdle of all to overcome. How to Stop Procrastination in 10 Simple Steps. Step 9. Turn off Your email Program. Let your email rest. When I am working, I quit my e-mail program at the time and write my e-mails in plain text documents saved to my desktop, to send later in one block. Then, I send the e-mails all at once when I complete a chunk of my work. This saves me tons of wasted time reading emails that are NOT conducive to my task completion. Step 10. Relabel “Procrastination” and use Something Else Instead! Even the word "procrastination" can have negative undertones. So it’s important to switch your mindset to something more positive. For example, you’ve been doing some online research on the internet and browsing different websites. Now the thing is, you originally only went online to find one particular piece of important information, but almost an hour later you still haven’t found the info you need. Now, there are 2 ways you can go. You can get annoyed with yourself for wasting valuable time OR you can label that time as a break that was needed to reenergize and move forward. Then what you have done here is taken control of the negative emotion attached to procrastination, turned it around and used it to your advantage. So there you have it. Overcoming procrastination is not easy, but it can be simple. Take the 10 steps listed above, begin using them TODAY! and stop procrastination in it's tracks. All the best -Jon Jon Leuty is a successful internet marketer who is dedicated to helping others succeed online. To find out more about Jon and to grab some awesome FREE training & FREE gifts go to whoisjonleuty.com
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