National Procrastination Week is also known as Procrastination Awareness Week and is celebrated this year from March 3rd through the 7th. The focus of the week is to educate people about procrastination and strategies to manage it.
Procrastinate means to put off doing something until a future time. When people sit down to write they can find all kinds of clever ways to procrastinate: reorganizing the paperclips, calling everyone they know, scrolling through social media and even cleaning. I don’t mean to brag, but I am a great procrastinator. Who better than me to share some of my strategies for procrastination. Before we get to the strategies it is important to know why we procrastinate.
Why do we procrastinate?
There are many reasons for procrastinating, including:
1. Fear of failure or success
2. Lack of motivation or interest
3. Perfectionism or fear of making mistakes
4. Overwhelming or unclear tasks
5. Distractions and lack of focus
These things can make it hard to get started on a task, but there are strategies to help us overcome them.
Create a productive environment
Your environment can have a big impact on your productivity and motivation. If your workspace is cluttered, noisy, or uncomfortable, it can be hard to focus and get things done. This is a big one for me, I must have a clean desk for me to write.
Find and accountability partners
Sometimes, the best way to stay motivated and on track is to enlist the help of others. Finding an accountability partner can be a powerful way to overcome procrastination and stay committed to your goals. I have accountability with my writing groups both in person and online.
Use the 2 minute rule
I recently attended a webinar where I learned about this strategy. This rule states that if a task takes less than two minutes to complete, you should do it right away.The idea behind this rule is that getting started is often the hardest part. By tackling small, easy tasks first, you can build momentum and motivation to tackle bigger tasks.
Change your thinking
Procrastination is often rooted in negative thinking patterns, such as perfectionism, self-doubt, or fear of failure. By changing your thinking and adopting a more positive mindset, you can overcome these mental blocks and stay motivated. Using positive self-talk to boost your confidence and motivation. I take a deep breath and I say one of these statements aloud.
“I can do this.”
Or
“I’m doing my best and that’s all I can ask of myself.”
Setting goals and deadlines
Another key strategy for overcoming procrastination is to set clear goals and deadlines. When you have a specific target to aim for, it’s easier to stay motivated and on track. Each week I set my writing goals with my accountability partners. We record our goals each week, we celebrate our successes and failures because that’s how we grow, and then we set new goals for the coming week.
Take breaks
When you’re feeling overwhelmed, stressed, or burnt out, it’s easy to fall into procrastination mode. But by taking regular breaks and prioritizing self-care, you can recharge your batteries and come back to your tasks with renewed energy and focus.
These strategies can help you can boost your productivity. Overcoming procrastination is a process, not a one-time event. It takes time, practice, and patience to build new habits and thought patterns.
Why not use National Procrastination Week to start one or more of these strategies. You may be surprised by the progress you make. Let me know if you have any other strategies that might help a fellow procrastinator.
With gratitude …
I am so glad you’re here. Thank you for taking the time to read this post. I am grateful that I can share my writing journey with you. It is an endless journey of learning and growing. A journey that I am enjoying.
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