Procrastination is a more serious problem than you may know. It sucks time and enegery and take your attention away from the most important things you need to get done.
5 Ways to Stop Procrastinating1. Harness your productive times. Many times we procrastinate because we are just not in the right frame of mind to do the work we have in front of us, so we go into avoidance mode. Most people have many facets to their job: big thinking work (aka, the stuff you were actually hired to do), and then maintenance and research, and mundane tasks. If you try to do your big thinking work when your energy is low, you're probably going to procrastinate. Schedule your time so your energy level matches your work.
Example: I know I do my best writing in the morning and in the early evening. If I try to write between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., it's a real struggle and I end up surfing the web, not getting anything done, and then beating myself up for it. I try to schedule my writing times early in the day and then later in the day; in the afternoon I either go to meetings, or do maintenance work like research, copy editing, and planning (I love planning, and can always get motivated to do that).
During my most low-energy times, I do really mundane tasks and I make sure to have my favorite drink with me (peppermint tea), and some good tunes going to stay motivated.
In short: Take the time to figure out your most productive times. If you can match your energy level with your work, you are less likely to procrastinate. Read about how others organize their daily routines in My Daily Routine. I love to read about how people plan their time, and if you're interested in being interviewed, email me, or leave a reply in the comments.
