A short book on how to overcome Procrastination, in it you will discover 6 possible reasons for your procrastination, 5 techniques to get your procrastination under control and a daily reflection to help you keep on top of your procrastination

1. Overcome Procrastination
Stop putting things off until tomorrow and stuff done
Mike Gardner – The Time Doctor
today!!
get
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2. Contents
The Procrastination Explanation.............................................................................................................3
6 possible reasons for your procrastination.........................................................................................3
What are the consequences of procrastination? ..................................................................................4
Top Tips from Scientists to Avoid Procrastination.................................................................................5
5 techniques to get your procrastination under control:......................................................................5
By keeping organised and utilising my time wisely, procrastination melts away. .................................7
Self-Reflection Questions:..................................................................................................................7
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3. The Procrastination Explanation
Imagine how much you’d get done if you never procrastinated. It’s pretty incredible, isn’t it?
Procrastination is the greatest barrier to achieving goals and getting things accomplished.
Time is a valuable resource, and procrastination is the greatest enemy of time.
Those who procrastinate the most are also the least effective. Does your most successful
friend procrastinate a lot? How about your least successful friend?
Waiting until the last possible moment to complete a task eliminates the possibility of finding
the most elegant solution. You’re doomed to experience mediocre results, assuming you’re
able to complete the task on time at all.
6 possible reasons for your procrastination
1. Fear of failure. This is perhaps the most common cause of procrastination. After all, you
can’t fail if you don’t try. Unfortunately, you can’t accomplish anything without taking
action. If you find your life has been stuck in the same place for a long time, you’re
most likely afraid of failing.
 Reframe the idea of failure and realize that it’s one of many possible results. You can
choose to learn from that result and apply it to your next attempt. Repeating this
process ensures success.
 Expect to fail. The more often you fail, the more quickly you’ll reach your goals.
Avoid allowing an irrational fear to become an obstacle to getting things done.
2. The need for perfection. Noting in life is perfect. The desire for perfection results in
procrastination. Decide how good it really needs to be. There will never be a perfect
moment or opportunity. Your results will never be perfect. Nothing needs to be perfect,
so just get busy.
3. Habits that don’t support getting started. Getting started is the hardest part. Some of
us have effective habits for getting started on new projects or unappetizing tasks. Others
have great habits for putting off these same activities.
 Develop the habit of taking immediate action on any unpleasant tasks. It can be small
and simple, but get started! You’ll often find that a small amount of momentum is
enough to do more work than you initially intended.
4. A lack of self-discipline. Self-discipline is a valuable commodity, especially for the
creation of new habits. Use your self-discipline wisely. It’s always in short supply. Use it
to develop the habits that will overcome procrastination.
5. Fear of success. You might think a fear of success is ridiculous, but it’s very common.
Success carries several burdens. You become more visible and have more responsibility
when you’re successful. You are the victim of higher expectations in the future.
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4.  Tell yourself that you can overcome the pitfalls of success. Avoid letting a fear of
success lead to procrastination.
6. The inability to deal effectively with discomfort. At the most basic level,
procrastination results when the thought of taking action results in more discomfort than
you’re capable of dealing with at that moment. It’s only when the pain of not taking
action becomes greater than the pain of avoidance that things get done.
 Some of us are more influenced by that discomfort than others. With practice, you can
learn to take action even in the face of great discomfort.
 Start small and tackle those tasks that are only mildly unpleasant. You’ll find your
resistance to those uncomfortable feelings will increase.
What are the consequences of procrastination?
It's no surprise that there are significant consequences when people procrastinate. A student
who procrastinates rather than working on a big project or studying for a final exam may
have difficulty passing their classes.
In the working world, procrastination may mean that you’re unable to meet your deadlines,
which could result in career challenges or even possible termination.
Procrastination and the stress associated with it can lead to serious medical issues. If you
ignore certain symptoms and put off going to the doctor, your health may suffer. Small
issues have a way of becoming bigger ones if you avoid getting them checked out.
Eliminating procrastination from your life results in getting more things done. And those
things will be done at a much higher level. If you procrastinate excessively, your entire life
suffers. Procrastination results in stress and poor results. Take control of your emotions and
rid yourself of the tendency to procrastinate. Your results will be worth the effort!
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5. Top Tips from Scientists to Avoid Procrastination
Instead of working on your chores and meeting your deadlines, do you waste time on other
activities and avoid your assigned tasks? If so, you’re not alone! Scientists have found that
procrastination is a common issue for many people, both at work and at home.
However, you can prevent procrastination and the inevitable stress that comes from not
getting your tasks completed on time.
5 techniques to get your procrastination under control:
1. Understand procrastination. Why do you leave important things for the last minute and
waste time on other activities?
 Scientists have been studying the brain and feelings to understand procrastination. A
study, titled “Overcoming procrastination,” looked at why people put things aside
despite knowing their importance.
 Researchers believe self-esteem and world views can affect procrastination. People
who have low self-esteem and negative views of the world around them are more
likely to avoid doing important things on time. They’re more likely to see no point in
completing the tasks.
 However, procrastination can also be a simple bad habit.
2. Break up the work into smaller bits. Can your assignments or chores be cut up into
smaller pieces?
 One reason for procrastination is that large assignments or chores can seem
overwhelming and too difficult to finish. If you break up things into smaller chunks,
then each piece can be accomplished easier.
 Making timelines and schedules for each part of the project can also help you stay on
track.
3. Recognize your procrastination activities. Do you play games instead of working on
your project? Are you checking social media instead of finishing a report? Track and
analyze your activities.
 What do you do while you procrastinate? If you examine these activities and
thoughts, you can catch them before they happen.
 Social media, games, and Smartphone messages are distractions. Emails and phone
calls can also be an issue. Do you see how much time you waste on these activities
instead of completing the actual task?
 You can eliminate the distractions and activities that keep you from finishing your
work. Stop checking your phone and social media while you’re working on a task.
Avoid playing the games until you’re done with your chore.
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6. 4. Get others involved. You may need to involve friends, coworkers, of family to help you.
They can help you set goals, watch you, and stop you from procrastinating.
 If you have a friend or coworker who is also trying to accomplish an important goal,
then working together can make the process easier. You can inspire each other to
stay focused and finish.
5. Stop the excuses. Do you find yourself making multiple excuses for not finishing a
project? Do you blame your health or the health of others? Do you complain about the
amount of work or lack of instructions? Excuses can derail your efforts and lead to
procrastination.
 Common excuses also include thinking that you can finish it faster if you are on a
tight deadline or blaming your mood for not doing it. Another common excuse is
waiting for the time to be right or just perfect. These excuses are unhealthy and waste
your energy.
 Instead of coming up with reasons not to complete an assignment, focus on
finishing it.
Procrastination doesn’t have to be a permanent habit in your life. You can avoid it and
prevent it by following simple tips from scientists.
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7. By keeping organised and utilising my time wisely, procrastination melts
away.
Living an ordered life helps me accomplish my goals. I am so happy that I am in control of
my projects and goals.
Being productive is important to me because I want to live an active and purposeful life and
when I reach my goals, I feel proud of myself.
In order to be productive in my life, I keep organised. It is important for me to find ways to
organize my desk, to remove paper clutter from my life, and to arrange my home into a
peaceful environment. I do not put off tackling chores because I know that my neatness will
make completing any given task easier.
By managing my time wisely, I stay on track. Using calendars to mark important dates and
meetings, writing schedules in my planner, and setting deadlines for myself, are all ways of
making sure I use my time wisely. Completing tasks is so much easier because I choose to
manage my time effectively.
When I procrastinate, I feel frozen by inaction, but I can overcome this feeling. By keeping
organized and using my time wisely, procrastination melts away. Warmth spreads from my
fingers to my toes. All of that pent up energy is released and I am free to complete my
projects.
It is such a relief to be organised. The systems I have in my life make my daily chores more
manageable. I am able to classify projects and accomplish them in a sensible way.
Effectively using my time means I can get even more accomplished and by finishing my
tasks, I am prepared for the excitement of a new challenge.
Self-Reflection Questions:
1. How can I introduce more order into my life?
2. Have I invested enough energy into managing my time effectively?
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8. 3. How can I keep organised so I can eliminate procrastination in my life?
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