What’s your motivation? What drives you to get up in the morning
and do what you do? The answer to this question will determine
whether you are focused on your goals or just procrastinating and
putting thing off until the next time.
Many people often ask, how do I find the time to run a business,
invest in real estate, take care of family, write books and blogs,
stay active in my church and civic responsibilities and do all the
other things that I do. I simply tell them that I stay focused on
the task at hand and minimize my distractions.
Have you heard the old cliché, an idle mind is the playground of the
devil? Well, I think that the idle mind keeps us from doing the
things we need to do to live the kind of life we want to live. In
our society, there are so many things that distract us from being
the best that we can be.
You see most successful people value productivity. They like to get
things done. They choose the things that they do well, which make
that thing more pleasurable. They never expect work to be as fun as
say a vacation, but they feel it’s a worthwhile tradeoff. So they
work, not as little as they can, but as much as possible without
hurting their health, relationships or the quality of their work.
They put their heads on their pillows each night feeling good about
themselves that they got something accomplished which will be them
closer to their goals.
Below are five steps to help you turn procrastination into
productivity.
1. Understand why you procrastinate
Procrastination often is a way for you to put off change or the
unknown for a little while longer or to hold back from doing
something that can be scary. I’ve also found that people
procrastinate because they’re not ready to do something. Until
they’re ready, they’ll put off their next steps, whatever those may
be. Understanding the reason behind your procrastination can be the
first step to realizing how to move forward.
2. Know what things are distractions
A recent study found that procrastination is on the rise and it is
making people poorer, fatter and unhappier. Even with the best
intentions, being productive can be challenging. With technology all
around, distractions are often effortless and unnoticeable.
Particularly for those of us who have iPhones, iPads, Droids,
computers, and TV. These distractions can derail all productivity.
Try to avoid distractions by turning off these devices. Also resist
the urge to check Facebook, Tweeter or other social media during
your most productive time.
3. Master Productive Procrastination.
Sometime even with no distractions it’s sometimes difficult to
suddenly stop procrastinating. That’s why you should begin by
listing the tasks you have to do, in order of importance from the
most urgent to the least important. With your tendency to
procrastinate, you’ll avoid items on your list by completing others,
and actually become productive in the process.
4. Manage the Details
When you have managed to complete the smaller, less important tasks
on your “to do” list, facing the bigger, more important projects can
be challenging.
In the Savvy Investor Program™ I often develop a list of five things
clients can do to break past the procrastination. Then we help them
decide on one action for the week from this list of five that they
commit to taking that week.
I believe that by taking larger goals and breaking them down into
smaller steps makes the process more manageable. For example, if you
have a report that’s due, you can break down the project into
smaller pieces: brainstorm topic, create outline, write
introduction, etc. Once you have completed these smaller tasks, you
can commit to one action item to focus on until they’re all complete.
5. Get Coaching
No matter how you plan out the details, sometimes the one thing you
need to be productive is coaching. Coaching helps you to be
accountable. All successful people have coaching as part of their
formula for success. Coaching allows you to create accountability in
a number of ways. It keeps you focused and helps you strategize the
goals that you have set for yourself.
With these five strategies to use, you’ve got all the tools you need
to be productive. So what are you waiting for? Get to work! Join us
at The Book On Investing (www.thebookoninvesting.com) to learn more on what you
need to help you create the life of your dreams.