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10 Tips to Overcoming Procrastination

1 Apr

This is the first year – EVER – that I am not dreading April. Usually when we hit April 1st, I am less concerned about pranks and more disturbed by the fact that in 15 days I will be turning in my taxes. This year I finished them on March 15th (Number 1 on the 10 Tips to Overcoming Procrastination list). It worked for me. It looks like there is hope for me yet.

Most of us procrastinate in one or more areas of our lives. There are those who are right on top of all their business related activities but fall behind on the personal. Others, procrastinate on certain aspects of their work that they do not enjoy – such as the detailed part such as accounting or taxes.

Here are ten ways to overcome procrastination

10. Write down a list of all the projects you have put off.

9.    Prioritize them by date you need to have them completed.

8.    Decide what needs to be done first and DO it!

7.   Divide a big project into manageable parts and tackle one a day.

6.   Get a timer and set it for 15 minutes. Focus on that one part without allowing yourself to get distracted.

5.   Get someone to help you get started.

4.   Find an accountability partner and report your progress.

3.   Make a game out of it and have fun!

2.   Celebrate progress and keep going.

1.   Set a fake deadline before the real one.

I set a fake deadline for my taxes and have enjoyed a sense of smug accomplishment for the last two weeks. Good luck with your deadlines and remember, be kind to yourself!

What tips can you add? What are your secrets to avoid procrastination?

Karen Sebastian is a serial entrepreneur who wants to help you succeed in your business. Please email her at hopepreneurs@gmail.com if you would like to book her as a speaker or want one-on-one coaching. Subscribe to this blog for more inspiration on how to become a HOPEpreneur.

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5 Crazy Ways to Get Unstuck

7 Mar

Have you ever been stuck? Your plans were all laid out perfectly and you just knew that by this time you would have been at your destination (with time to spare). Instead, you are stuck in a mire of paperwork and nowhere near your projected timeline. You just want to give up. What can you do? Here are a few of my favorite ways to start moving in the right direction again:

5 Crazy Ways to Get Unstuck

1.  Get up and do some jumping jacks.

Nothing gets the juices going better than to start moving. Walk around the block. Make this part of your routine. Instead of putting your head in your hands, jump up and down a few times. However, be aware of those around you, as they will have proof of your insanity.

2.  Smile for no obvious reason

Smiling will drive people absolutely crazy and they will want to know what you are up to. Keep them guessing. The interesting part about facial expressions is that they telegraph your body that you are okay. I smile a lot when traveling because it is what I can control. When I get on an airplane, once I get to my seat I sit back and relax. I will close my eyes and encourage the corners of my mouth to go up in a smile. It works for me!

3.  Do the opposite of what you’ve been doing

This can be very scary because you love your rut. You’ve grown comfortable in doing things this way. Well, it’s not working. Shake things up a bit. What do you have to lose? Stop playing it safe. Stop doing what those around you are doing. Put a different spin on it. You know you’re doing what needs to be done if you feel uncomfortable. The point is to get out of your comfort zone.

4.  Create a mindmap

I can feel overwhelmed when I think about all I have to do. I start too many projects at once and have too much rattling around in my head. That’s when I need to get it down on paper. I get my timer and set it for 5 minutes. Then, I draw a circle in the middle of the sheet of paper and start drawing lines out from it. There’s no right or wrong way to do this. I just need to get it out of my head and in a place where I can look at it. This works for me every time.

5.  Start laughing

What do you do when feeling pressure? I like to laugh. The quicker you find humor in difficult situations, the sooner you will make progress. I am always looking for stories for my speaking engagements and blogs. I look for parallels, remember past struggles and rejoice in ways I’ve overcome. If nothing else, I say to myself, “This is going to be a great story one day.” And it always is just that.

Karen Sebastian is a serial entrepreneur who wants to help you succeed in your business. Please email her at hopepreneurs@gmail.com if you would like to receive one-on-one coaching. Subscribe to this blog for more inspiration on how to become a HOPEpreneur.

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