Overcoming Procrastination

Dec 20, 2010

Written by: Adam Freeman, Wilmington Personal Trainer, O2 Fitness Wilmington

When a person is bored or uninterested, certain tasks and projects can seem like torture! This feeling usually leads to procrastination, and procrastination often leads to guilt. Here are some practical ways to avoid these situations and overcome procrastination:

1. Recharge Daily: Be sure to get enough sleep and rest each day so that you have the necessary energy you need to accomplish your tasks.

2. Get a Friend Involved:
It's harder to procrastinate when another person is involved. If you have a task you aren't looking forward to, invite a friend over to help you out. If you have errands to run, find a buddy who you can run errands with.

3. Reward Yourself: You're much more likely to complete that boring task if there is a dinner out or a new CD waiting for you when (and only when) the task is complete.

4. Do Things in Pieces:
Procrastination often comes from feelings of overwhelm. Break tasks, even small ones, into steps so that they are manageable and provide you with a sense of direction.

5. Use Music: Turn on some fun and upbeat music and let it pump you up! 80s music and show tunes are often great pick-me-ups that will give you needed energy to tackle your tasks. Try O2 Fitness’s playlists available on the website!

6. Don't Be Afraid to do 2 Things at Once: Don't be afraid to balance routine or monotonous tasks with something that is  more likely to hold your interest. You can pay bills while you watch TV, or talk on the phone while cleaning up the house.

7. Delegate:
Do you find yourself procrastinating on chores at home like cleaning and  laundry? Or maybe paperwork at the office? Delegate them! Kids, cleaning  people, laundry services, administrative assistants and more are all  available to take some of those boring tasks off your list and free up  your time for the stuff you'd rather be doing.

8. Prioritize:
Perhaps you're procrastinating on a task because it's really not that  important. Maybe you'd love to re-organize your book shelves, but never  get around to it. If it sounds like a good idea but in the end it's  really not that important to you, don't let it hang over your head.

9. Get in Touch with the End Result:
Before you begin a task or project that has high procrastination potential,  get in touch with the outcome. When the task is finished, what will that mean to you? What will be better in life as a result?

10. Just Do It!! Don't think about it too much, just jump in and get it done!



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