http://www.artwoo.com Returned search results for procrastination Copyright 2008 Sun, 23 Nov 2008 08:23:37 +0000 http://www.artwoo.com/rss/procrastination http://www.artwoo.com/article/overcome-procrastination-with-the-right-solution http://www.artwoo.com/article/overcome-procrastination-with-the-right-solution#comments Fri, 10 Aug 2007 21:25:00 +0000 procrastinationlevels of stressbrain worksquit smokingprocrastinatorshypnotherapisthypnotherapy http://www.artwoo.com/article/overcome-procrastination-with-the-right-solution Procrastination is a problem that affects a person's ability to function in a motivated sense. It can stop a person from being able to complete assignments in a timely manner and it can often keep people from performing well at a job. Usually, this kind of problem is something that comes as the result of many years of laziness that leads to a pattern of procrastination. Procrastinators are often people who feel that their work is sub par and they do not want to experience failure, so they put off the work until the last possible moment.

Procrastination is a huge problem because it can put lots of stress onto a person's plate. Performing tasks and different assignment is stressful enough without having to worry about putting things off until the last possible deadline. Because procrastination can lead to such high levels of stress, it's important that it be taken care of very early on. Procrastination is simply a psychological issue in which a person's mind allows them to think that it's alright to put off work.

One treatment method for stopping procrastination is a thing called hypnotherapy. Hypnotherapy, or hypnosis as it's sometimes referred to, is a treatment that impacts the brain's subconscious. A hypnotherapist can help you change the way that you brain works. That person can take the blocks off of your brain as you learn to think more clearly. In addition, hypnosis is known to help things like procrastination because it takes pressure off of the person and relaxes them. A more relaxed worker will always get more work done than a very tense worker with lots of stress.

In my time as a hypnotherapist, I have seen many clients for a lot of different issues. People come to me when they want to quit smoking and when they can't control their anger. They also come when they can't beat procrastination. After all, procrastination is a pretty normal thing for most folks. It just becomes a problem when it's the norm rather than the exception to the rule. I feel that the success rates for hypnosis in dealing with procrastination are very high. If you need to get over this problem and you haven't found a solution that works, I encourage you to get some more information on hypnosis or self-hypnosis and make a determination on whether or not hypnosis is for you. This is one decision you shouldn't put off! Want to learn more about overcoming procrastination or just more about procrastination in general? Then Check out Richard MacKenzie's site http://www.richardmackenzie.co.uk/shop/procrastination-mp3.htm and http://www.richardmackenzie.co.uk/procrastination.htm ]]> http://www.artwoo.com/article/procrastination-kills-kill-procrastination http://www.artwoo.com/article/procrastination-kills-kill-procrastination#comments Fri, 20 Jul 2007 02:35:02 +0000 procrastinationdreamslives of quiet desperationkill mosquitoprocrastinatingtelevision advertspotentials http://www.artwoo.com/article/procrastination-kills-kill-procrastination television adverts were launched and they all ended with the same message: "mosquito kills, kill mosquito!" In my own fight against a destroyer of destinies, I will also want to adopt the same theme.

Procrastination has destroyed so many people with great potentials. It has made the grave the richest place on earth all because by procrastinating; so many people have died without utilizing the huge potentials within them.

So many people are living lives of quiet desperation not because the do not know what to do but because they have put forward what they were supposed to do, far too much. They have procrastinated on what they were supposed to have done in order for them to achieve their dreams and by so doing have not being able to achieve much in their lives.

Procrastination, if not dealt with, is going to cause so many damages in the lives of so many people. People that do not act on their dreams are in no way different from people that have no dreams. They all end up with the same result in their lives and that is retrogression. I am sure you don't want this to be your lot.

The only known antidote to procrastination is ACTION. When there is something to be done, all you need to do, is to follow Nike's advice: JUST DO IT! When you act on your dreams, procrastination dies and it has no root within you.

Without action, nothing can be achieved and by acting, there is so much to be gained. I wonder if the technological advancements we are witnessing today would have being possible if those that conceived their ideas had procrastinated.

I believe you can achieve so much in your life if you begin to do what you are supposed to do NOW. Make yourself a person of ABSOLUTE action and in the nearest future, your dreams will become a reality.

Remember: PROCRASTINATION KILLS, KILL PROCRASTINATION!

This is to your success as you become a person of absolute action.

Adebola A. Oni Adebola Oni is a life changer. His writings have helped touch a lot of lives all over the world. If it is your desire to start living your dreams, then you need to subscribe to his Ecourse, Overcoming Procrastination Guide by sending a blank Email to: prokiller@aweber.com. Don't delay any longer. ]]> http://www.artwoo.com/article/simple-steps-to-beat-procrastination http://www.artwoo.com/article/simple-steps-to-beat-procrastination#comments Fri, 19 Oct 2007 12:35:00 +0000 overcome procrastinationhow to manage timeprocrastinatingstep in the right directiontake one step at a timeone step at a timebreak down http://www.artwoo.com/article/simple-steps-to-beat-procrastination how to manage time in the best and most effective manner and though procrastination is a very common occurrence in our lives, there is still a need to overcome procrastination so that many of the adverse consequences of procrastinating do not end up spoiling your life. Thus, any help you can get cure your procrastination would be welcome and so there is a need to look at some of these steps that can do the trick for you.

A very simple step you can take in order to beat procrastination is to do the task that you consider is the worst at the top of all your other tasks and the advantage of taking this option is that much like swallowing a frog, once you get that into your system the rest of the tasks will pass off much better and will be easier to do. A second step that you can take if you want to cure procrastination is to break down tasks into easily manageable smaller tasks, and if you remember that the best way to climb a mountain is to take one step at a time then the wisdom of breaking down tasks into smaller tasks will make more sense to you and thus prove an effective remedy to procrastination.

Those putting off exceptionally difficult tasks can learn how to overcome procrastination by thinking of the task in small pieces rather than a large problem. Think back to other projects that were completed and relate them to the existing one. To help learn how to overcome procrastination avoid planning long projects, start with ones that can be done in five or ten minutes and do not stop until the either the time expires of the job is complete. Either way it will be a positive step in the right direction.

You can also beat procrastination by delegating work to others including friends, and once you get a task begun, the rest of the task becomes easier to perform and in the same vein you can also try and do parts of a particular task that is more pleasing to do first and then do the rest of the task later. That way, the unpleasant tasks don't seem so unpleasant and you will have taken a step forward which often is the hardest part about doing your work on time.

Another useful method that can be employed at conquering procrastination is taking just fifteen minutes on every task that needs to be performed in which time you can get the task moved ahead and then a momentum can be built that will make the rest of the task easier to complete. Other steps that you can take to beat procrastination include tracking your goals and trying your best to keep the tasks moving ahead, and best of all you should have a system of reward and punishment for tasks completed on time and those have remained unfinished respectively. The best part of procrastination is that it is something that is not permanent and though you may be successful, procrastination can still affect you, and remember that with some of these simple tips, you can easily beat procrastination. Steven Quinn Hosts other informational website's like: http://www.arthritus-webinfo.com ]]> http://www.artwoo.com/article/dealing-with-procrastination http://www.artwoo.com/article/dealing-with-procrastination#comments Sun, 23 Sep 2007 13:14:58 +0000 hypnosisprocrastinationassignmenthabittime deadlinesnecessary improvementsconcerted effort http://www.artwoo.com/article/dealing-with-procrastination Procrastination is a problem that usually affects students, but it can be found in the working world, as well. For many students, getting an assignment that is due in two months is a great thing. They have two months to slowly work on the assignment, making necessary improvements all along the way. That is how it is supposed to be done. Other students plan to get to work on that assignment, but they never get around to it. Then, the due date rolls around and that student is left pulling an all-nighter so that he or she can barely make the deadline the next morning. Does that sound familiar? If it does, then you probably have a problem with procrastination.

Procrastination is not limited to the world of academia, though. In the work world, many jobs are lost because a worker did not get to the work in time. Deadlines are missed because a business plan wasn't given enough consideration early on. Even worse than that, droves of workers sit at their desks and do nothing for hours, just killing time before the clock says that they can go home. These things cost businesses large amounts of money in lost productivity. What is at the root of all of this procrastination? Some might say that it is laziness, but it is really just a problem with mindset. People are so conditioned to putting off work that after a while, it becomes a habit.

It is difficult to stop this terrible habit. It takes a concerted effort a long time to truly change your ways. By doing that, you would be changing the way your mind processes work. In my time as a hypnotherapist, I have used hypnosis to deal with this problem. Like many of my colleagues, I can use hypnosis to stop people from smoking and keep them away from stress. I find that it is a reliable solution for a host of other issues, as well.

Many people don't even consider hypnosis as a treatment option because they associate it with the shows in Las Vegas and the depictions on television. That's not what hypnosis is about, though. Hypnosis is really about changing a person's basic senses so that their thinking is permanently changed. This sounds like a perfect way to counter procrastination, doesn't it? If you want to change your ways and get to work, you should get information on hypnosis and make a big change. You will be happy that you did. Get the help you need in overcoming procrastination and also get more info on procrastination from Richard's site http://www.richardmackenzie.co.uk/shop/procrastination-mp3.htm and http://www.richardmackenzie.co.uk/procrastination.htm ]]> http://www.artwoo.com/article/the-perfect-antidote-to-procrastination http://www.artwoo.com/article/the-perfect-antidote-to-procrastination#comments Wed, 22 Aug 2007 07:35:01 +0000 overcome procrastinationrupert murdochmaimingted turnerobscurityantidoteacted http://www.artwoo.com/article/the-perfect-antidote-to-procrastination maiming their destinies.

People blame so many things for not achieving their dreams but often overlook the impact of procrastination. This is because it is never noticed by anyone but the end result is always devastating.

To eradicate procrastination, the antidote must be embraced by all and sundry. The perfect antidote ever known to mankind for eradication procrastination is ACTION This is the act of doing what you have to do NOW it is not later, it is not tomorrow, it is not next week or next year, it is doing it NOW!

If you are ever going to overcome procrastination, you must become a person of action. To achieve anything meaningful in life, the role of action can NEVER be relegated to the background. You must be able to do whatever you have to do when it is required of you to do them.

Hundreds of men go to their graves in obscurity because they lacked the pluck to make a first effort, they procrastinated when they should have acted. These are those who could have resolved to act and would have gone to astonish the world by their achievements and successes.

I wonder if we would have been able to celebrate the heroes and heroins of this world if they had not acted on their dreams. Obscurity would have become the lot of the likes of Edison, Ford, Bill Gates, Rupert Murdoch, Ted Turner and so many others if they had procrastinated on the idea that catapulted them to stardom.

To attain success in any area of your live, you must be a man/woman of ACTION. There is no other way. When your goal is made, you must ACT NOW! To do otherwise would be drifting upon waters.

Let me leave you with this golden advice I saw in a book I read some years back. Heeding to it will do you a lot of good:

"Tomorrow-men accomplish NOTHING in the world."

This is to your success as you become a person of ABSOLUTE action.

Adebola Oni Adebola Oni is a life changer. His writings have helped touch a lot of lives all over the world. If it is your desire to start living your dreams, then you need to subscribe to his Ecourse, Overcoming Procrastination Guide by sending a blank Email to: prokiller@aweber.com. Don't delay any longer. ]]> http://www.artwoo.com/article/five-empowering-procrastination-tips http://www.artwoo.com/article/five-empowering-procrastination-tips#comments Tue, 06 Mar 2007 10:27:10 +0000 procrastinationrealizationempoweredsteady progressinvisible forcedestructive effectschronic problem http://www.artwoo.com/article/five-empowering-procrastination-tips destructive effects of procrastination is the fact that it makes you feel out of control. Procrastination is like an 'invisible force' that keeps you from doing the very things you know you must do. With the increasing demands on our time and attention there seems to be an increase in procrastination as a chronic problem, especially amongst those people that want to succeed the most. Procrastination usually sets in when you feel overwhelmed by all the 'have to's' in life and instead of making steady progress you take on too much without ever getting any of it done.

Feeling out of control takes away all your power to shape and direct your own life. It's true that there are many things over which you have no control, but you always have full control over what really happens to you -- and what really happens to you is a mental process and independent of the circumstances and events of the outside world. Being empowered means that you realize that you already have the power and this realization also gives you the ability to take action. Here are five empowering procrastination tips that can help you to reach this realization and become empowered to effectively deal with procrastination and inaction.

It's All Inside: Procrastination is an internal process and although it might feel like it's happening to you, you are in actual fact responsible for it. This procrastination tip can help to put you back in control almost immediately. Procrastination is not an external force, but an internal response and evaluation. The simple realization that it's 'you' that are doing it to 'you', gives you the power to do something about it.

It's All You: When procrastination drags you down it's all to easy to think that 'it just is' and that you can't do anything about it. Although it feels like you have no control, you actually do. In fact this is why you feel out of control -- because you believe that you can't do anything about it. There are two very important beliefs you need to develop to help you break free from procrastination. The first is that you CAN overcome procrastination and the second is that YOU can overcome procrastination. No one else can do it for you and because you created it, you can un-create it.

It's All In Your Head: The reason why most people remain stuck in patterns of procrastination is because of fear. At the most fundamental level, all forms of procrastination comes down to fear. What you don't face controls you. To overcome the fear and the procrastination that comes with it, you need to confront and do the very things you don't want to do. The instant you do, you take charge and it no longer has any control over you. The ironic thing is that fear only exists in your imagination -- it's always something that hasn't happened yet. Procrastination is not real -- it's only the way you evaluate things in your mind.

It's All about conditioning: Success at anything in life relies on consistency. The best of the best at anything are those who can repeat their greatness consistently. The way you get consistent is through conditioning. Your nervous system operates through conditioning. When you do something over and over again it becomes 'normal' and when it's normal you don't have to think about it -- it becomes automatic. The challenge is that this principle works both ways. Whether your conditioned responses support you or whether it pulls you down, your nervous system does not make that distinction. If procrastination is your conditioned response you will always feel out of control, simply because that's what you've 'learned' to do automatically. You simply need to 'recondition' yourself to a new response; to teach yourself to respond in a different way..

It's All about awareness: Procrastination does serve a purpose - and a very important one as such, but only is you are aware of the benefits. We only procrastinate about those things that have value to us. At some level, either directly or indirectly, you believe that taking action will benefit you. If it didn't it would not bother you, right? Be grateful for procrastination and use it as a guide to 'know' what you need to act upon. Being aware of this fact, and developing an awareness for what you do and fail to do can empower you to be in charge of yourself on a much higher level.

When you are empowered you are in charge, and even if things seem to go wrong on the surface, underneath you know that you have the power to deal with it effectively. Procrastination is disempowering and it takes away your ability to take immediate action and deal with any situation. Always remember that you are ultimately in charge of you. Tomorrow will be today tomorrow. Don't delay. Act! http://www.Overcoming-Procrastination.com: You can overcome procrastination in less than a week. DonE is a free eCourse that really hones in on the essence of procrastination and the most vital strategies for becoming highly effective.Enroll @ http://overcoming-procrastination.com/freecourse.php ]]> http://www.artwoo.com/article/how-to-stop-procrastinating http://www.artwoo.com/article/how-to-stop-procrastinating#comments Wed, 21 Mar 2007 15:39:59 +0000 how to stop procrastinatingprocrastinationprocrastinatedictionaryintense fearfear of failurerush job http://www.artwoo.com/article/how-to-stop-procrastinating rush job and then the job gets done, but often not as well as it would have been, had we taken the time to do it properly. For most people this happens from time to time and is not a major issue for us.

If you are one of those people who procrastinate regularly, you may be interested in this article to hear about ways regarding how to stop procrastinating. This article reviews some of the challenges as well as methods that people use to try to avoid procrastination.

In order to understand procrastination, we first must understand what procrastination actually means before we examine how to stop procrastinating. As defined in the dictionary, procrastination is defined as the deferment or avoidance of an action or a task, which requires completion by focusing on some other task or activity. Procrastination can contribute to increased stress as well as guilt for many individuals. Chronic procrastination can be not only increase the stress in your life, but may also be an indicator of some other physiological or psychological issue in your life.

So, how to stop procrastinating, begins with figuring out what is the underlying reason for your procrastination. There are a multitude of reasons and we will list some of these here, however fundamentally you need to figure out what is contributing to your need to avoid or delay things. Procrastination can be caused by avoiding difficult tasks in favor of easier tasks, intense fear of failure, social self consciousness, anxiety, low moods, working too much, perfectionists who are unwilling to start something because they fear not completing the task to their satisfaction, underlying mental health issues, compulsive behavior such as spending too much time playing games, and a host of other reasons that contribute to putting things off until another day. Readers should examine their reasons for delaying something and if it is related to mental health issues seek professional help.

There are a number of steps also that readers can consider helping them avoid procrastination. Fundamentally the process is to identify the reasons for the negative behavior, set goals that are realistic and then make progress to achieving these goals. Even if you have to set small goals and make progress you will be heading in the right direction. One helpful trick is to use the five-minute method. Basically, start a task that you have an aversion for with the idea that you will spend 5 productive minutes working at this task. Just starting the task will reduce some of the anxiety you have and make it easier to continue. Continue in 5 minute chunks, gradually increasing the time you spend until the task is completed.

There are various types of procrastination including perfectionism, academic procrastination, relaxed procrastination and the tense afraid type. Each takes a different approach to procrastination and requires various solutions to getting on with the task. The five-minute rule works well for many of these types of procrastination. Peter Vermeeren is the owner and webmaster of: http://www.kamikaze-portal.com and http://www.googlear.eu ]]> http://www.artwoo.com/article/how-to-get-rid-of-procrastination http://www.artwoo.com/article/how-to-get-rid-of-procrastination#comments Sun, 06 Jan 2008 15:35:00 +0000 jot downmonthly planneraccomplishing your goalsprocrastinationpassage of timelazinessterm goals http://www.artwoo.com/article/how-to-get-rid-of-procrastination procrastination. Procrastination is a synonym for laziness. We get so lazy sometimes that we think that we have a long time to accomplish the task, knowing the task can take more time we assumed. Then we tend to do work in last moments and most of people fail to hold their patience and get tensed to that extent that they make situations worse or do the things in a wrong or ineffective manner. After that we mourn over our procrastination but now nothing can be restored. Thus, to emerge successful one needs to get rid of procrastination and this than be done in following manner:

First of all if you feel you are victim of procrastination you need to get organized. Get organized from today. The best way to start is with your room. Organize your room, your time, your life and your things. The sense of organization will bring stability in you and you will tend to stay organized, thus every time you see anything out of order, you will place it in a proper place. Slowly with passage of time you will imbibe a order in you, helping you to overcome your procrastination.

The next thing is to make a routine. Take your monthly planner with you and write down your short term as well as long term goals and also jot down ways to accomplish these tasks. Make a habit of doing the things as mentioned in your routine and make sure to mention even minor things like ironing of clothes in your routine. Though initially, you will find it hard to follow the routine but once if you started sticking to it, you will dwell the habit of doing things at specified period of time. This will help you in accomplishing your goals in a timely manner and thus you get rid of habit of not doing work on time. Drawing your future plans holds another advantage too. Earlier you had no work to do and could sit idle for hours but if you know what you need to do before hand, a pressure will always be there on you to do the things in timely manner, otherwise your other work will hamper.

Along with planning, managing your time in a productive manner always help you get rid of procrastination. You need to finish the tasks in the allotted time period and this organizes your lifestyle. Moreover, if you start managing your time well you will be always left with plenty of time at the end of day allowing you to carry other activities which was not feasible earlier due to your procrastination.

The most important aspect to get rid of your procrastination is to build just do it attitude. Always think it's now or never whenever you feel like skipping the work or task that needs to be accomplished and you will always get rid of procrastination. Joel Teo loves to help people succeed in their lives. Visit his self hypnosis site at http://www.mybestselfhypnosis.com/ today and learn how to change your life with change self hypnosis at http://www.mybestselfhypnosis.com/Change_Self_Hypnosis.html ]]> http://www.artwoo.com/article/a-short-but-accurate-definition-of-procrastination http://www.artwoo.com/article/a-short-but-accurate-definition-of-procrastination#comments Mon, 12 Feb 2007 16:27:07 +0000 definition of procrastinationsubconscious levelirrationalsubconsciouslyprocrastinaterationalfrustrating http://www.artwoo.com/article/a-short-but-accurate-definition-of-procrastination frustrating habit that often prevents them from ever achieving any of their dreams and goals.

There are many definitions of procrastination, but they all seem to point to one common characteristic in behaviour, or rather, lack of behaviour. When you procrastinate you are quite literally 'stuck' between advancing and staying where you are. Consciously you want to advance, but subconsciously you want to stay. On a subconscious level you are preventing yourself from taking the very actions that you know you need to take to achieve the results you desire from a conscious or rational point of view. The frustrating thing about procrastination is that although you know what you want, and even how to get it, you still remain immobilized and 'unable' to act on it.

Probably the most accurate definition of procrastination is that it's the irrational delay, aversion or even evasion of a task or action. It's irrational because we cannot explain this behaviour from a rational point of view. We can only explain and understand it from an emotional point of view because the reason why we procrastinate is because at a subconscious level we have an emotional association to the task that prevents us from taking the action. Wanting one thing and then doing the opposite seems stupid and completely irrational, but that is why procrastination can be such an odd behaviour to deal with effectively.

The definition of procrastination, when translated from the original Latin, means 'in favour of tomorrow' and although you might 'intentionally' postpone your tasks there is an underlying reason why you do it which is irrational, emotional and stored in your subconscious experiences. You might want to loose weight and even though you can see how fat you are and how your health and vitality is deteriorating, you still can' get yourself to exercise. Why is this? Well, on a rational level it's very obvious that you MUST take action, but on an emotional level it seems to painful to give up the foods you're addicted to and to sacrifice an hour of TV-time to go and kill yourself on the treadmill.

This association to exercise and changing your diet is nothing but a belief and an association that exists in your mind. Because you believe it, you will act upon it, even if it only exists in your imagination. On a very basic level all our actions are driven by need to avoid pain and the desire to gain pleasure. Procrastination is nothing but this basic truth in action. When you procrastinate you're your beliefs about what will be painful and what will mean pleasure are what prevents you from taking action. Since your beliefs reside mostly in your subconscious level of thinking, you will be immobilized even if you say you want the opposite.

The definition of procrastination as an irrational behaviour is indeed a very accurate one and explains the frustration when you can't seem to get yourself to act on your conscious desires. Procrastination guarantees a life of frustration and striving. You must overcome procrastination if you really want to make any significant progress in your life.

Here's a new definition that you might want to adopt to empower you to be more effective and to consistently act on your ideas, dreams and desires:

Procrastination is a call to action. It is a signal that you must act on the very things that you do not want to act on and DO the very thing that's holding you back. It is the necessary resistance you need to be able to grow, develop and gain confidence that only comes from actually doing it. When you do break through the short term 'pain' that held you back you come out on the other side with an increased sense of esteem for yourself and you start to see yourself and your abilities from a different perspective. The fact that you are procrastinating about something means that it hold significant enough value for you to be uncomfortable with not taking action.

The things that are holding you back most are that which will free you most - once you take action. What will free you most is taking action. Not because of the absence of procrastination, but despite the procrastinating. Deon Du Plessis from http://overcoming-procrastination.com is a former chronic procrastinator who never managed to get anything done. He now teaches some of the most powerful strategies for overcoming procrastination in A Course Of Action.Enroll (Free) at http://www.selfimprovement-gym.com ]]> http://www.artwoo.com/article/tips-for-overcoming-procrastination http://www.artwoo.com/article/tips-for-overcoming-procrastination#comments Sun, 28 May 2006 12:32:06 +0000 overcoming procrastinationprocrastinatestressboredprocrastinatingpersonal experiencepoor time management http://www.artwoo.com/article/tips-for-overcoming-procrastination
Do you frequently find yourself putting essential tasks off until tomorrow, later, or never instead of doing them today? If procrastination has worked its way into your life, it may be time to change the way you think about your tasks and goals and begin to utilize better ways of tackling those things you've been procrastinating on.

As you can imagine and probably know from personal experience, when you procrastinate it not only affects the task but it can also affect you emotionally and bring on feelings such as guilt, inadequacy and stress.

There are many reasons that you may procrastinate. Poor time management, anxiety about a certain task and being bored by a certain task are just a few of the reasons that people procrastinate. In the end, procrastination usually leads to more stress.

Here are some tips for overcoming procrastination and building momentum:

Can you approach the task differently? Always be mindful of how you approach tasks. Ask yourself: Do I need to use a different technique? Will a new way of approaching this task make me feel better? How can I get some JOY out of starting this project? We all work in different ways and are inspired by different things. Find what works well for you and go with it.

Be sure you have what you need: Make certain that you have the right information, equipment and energy level to enable you to complete the task.

Plan, plan, plan: Did I say Plan? The time we spend in preparation and planning to see a task to completion is imperative. Set a time limit for yourself. Put a deadline on your tasks and work to reach that deadline.

Break it down: Big projects can feel overwhelming. Break them down into the smaller subparts. You'll get more done if you can do it piece by piece. Even the most dreadful tasks can be done in small increments.

Boost yourself up: Give your own motivation a good boost. Trust in your strengths. Take a moment to reflect upon other tasks that you have accomplished and feel good about! Keep reminding yourself that you can be successful!

Reward yourself: Celebrate and let yourself enjoy the completion of your tasks (large or small). It is important to never minimize your accomplishments.

Overcoming procrastination can be done and it usually involves both better organizational and time-management. You can start overcoming procrastination now and in the process, feel much better about yourself. Once you get the hang of it, you'll be surprised at how much joy, exhilaration and sense of accomplishment is on the other side of procrastination. Aurelia Williams, is the owner of http://reallifesolutions.net/personal/motivational.html, where you can find more motivational tips and information to help you reach your goals. ]]> http://www.artwoo.com/article/the-boomerang-effect-what-are-the-causes-and-effects-of-procrastination http://www.artwoo.com/article/the-boomerang-effect-what-are-the-causes-and-effects-of-procrastination#comments Wed, 21 Feb 2007 14:27:04 +0000 fear of failureprocrastinationisaac newtoncause and effectcoincidencehuman phenomenonboomerang http://www.artwoo.com/article/the-boomerang-effect-what-are-the-causes-and-effects-of-procrastination cause and effect is visible everywhere. The effects, or the evidence, is mostly what we can see and what we experience, while the cause is often more far reaching and indirect. Nevertheless, we can always trace the effect back to a cause. Most people end up blaming circumstances on 'coincidence' or 'luck' or 'chance', but in reality all these effects are nothing but a natural law asserting itself.

On a very practical level we are all very familiar with the concept of action and reaction. For every action there is an equal, but opposite re-action. This is one of the laws that Isaac Newton uncovered and is still one of the most fundamental laws by which this universe we live in is governed. On a much more metaphysical level the law of action and reaction, or cause and effect, also holds true. In the ancient eastern philosophy it was referred to as the law of Karma, where every single action will come back to you in like kind. Like a boomerang, what you put out will come right back at you, although it's often disguised as something else.

A lot of the 'effects' in your life are caused by this strange human phenomenon called procrastination. Although it's quite obvious that every action has a reaction, it's a little less obvious that every in-action also has a re-action. It is not just what you do that makes the difference in your life, but also what you fail to do. Procrastination is that strange (lack of) behaviour where you want to do something, but still you don't. The question that arises is 'what are the causes and effects of procrastination?' Well, there are many. Let's look at three of the most common causes and effects of procrastination, keeping in mind that for every cause there is an effect.

Cause and Effect #1: The Fear Of Failure

The fear of failure is a major cause for procrastination. In fact, all forms of procrastination has some kind of fear at it's roots. The fear of failure is a common fear that we all share. As human beings, we are not designed to fail. We are designed to consistently progress and improve. This fear then keeps you locked up in procrastination as a way of keeping your from failing. The effect of this form of procrastination then is quite obvious: failure to utilize opportunities. If you don't act on opportunities they aren't really opportunities are they? It is never a case of whether opportunity is knocking, but rather a case of whether you are acting on this opportunity and utilizing it.



Cause And Effect #2: Feeling Overwhelmed

We all have a limited mental and emotional capacity. Just like your physical capacity, you have a limit to what you can take on at any given time, and only you know what that limit is. When you overload yourself physically, your body usually breaks down in some form or another. When you overload yourself mentally and emotionally, your mind will intervene, usually in the form of procrastination, to keep you from a 'mental overload'. The effects of this form of procrastination is that you start to avoid tasks, especially the important ones that you know you 'must' do.

Cause And Effect #3: Postponing Important Tasks

Procrastinators are actively seeking out diversions, no because they are lazy, but because at some level they fear the task that they are avoiding. By postponing a task you actually 'lie' to yourself. Instead of giving up or quitting -- all you are doing is to make yourself feel a little better by saying 'I'll do it tomorrow'. By postponing important tasks, you postpone important results. Remember that for every cause there is an effect and when you postpone the actions you also postpone the results.

The are no definitive answers to what are the causes and effects of procrastination, as the effects are often far reaching. The simple fact is that without positive and constructive action on a consistent basis, you will rarely produce any significant results. Procrastination is what keeps you immobilized and locked up in where you are. To get to where you want to be, you have to break free and break out of this mould. You can overcome procrastination and you can learn to develop both your mental and emotional capacity to take your life to a whole new level you never thought possible before. Author Deon Du Plessis (http://overcoming-procrastination.com/) is a specialist in the field of behavioral psychology and author of the acclaimed Course Of Action, a (free) eCourse designed to compel you to action and make your ideas real. Enroll now at http://www.selfimprovement-gym.com ]]> http://www.artwoo.com/article/painlessly-overcome-procrastination-foot-dragging-and-writers-block http://www.artwoo.com/article/painlessly-overcome-procrastination-foot-dragging-and-writers-block#comments Fri, 27 Jul 2007 15:29:59 +0000 procrastinationfearambivalencewholeheartedlymarcia yudkinpersuading on paperdeliberate choice http://www.artwoo.com/article/painlessly-overcome-procrastination-foot-dragging-and-writers-block procrastination nags at you, you need some way to convince yourself to get moving right now. Try these five steps when you're delaying on a consequential project:

1. Articulate what exactly you are doing or not doing, in place of the label "procrastination."

Example: I just can't get started. Or: I keep quitting halfway.

The all-purpose label "procrastination" isn't as illuminating as a more specific description of your problem.

Get the medicine for writer's block that gets you writing quickly, easily, consistently and well, and that you'll enjoy "taking" again and again.

2. Ask yourself, "What could I possibly be afraid of here?"

Perhaps: Fear of talking with strangers; Fear of ridicule; Not knowing what you'll do once you finish.

Unacknowledged fears are the #1 cause of continually postponed projects. Just naming the fear often enables you to ignore or overcome it.

3. Ask yourself, "Do I really, wholeheartedly want to get this thing done?"

Choices: Yes; No; or Maybe.

Ambivalence is the second major cause of procrastination. If you resent having to do something, or aren't sure it's the best course of action, recognizing hesitations allows you to make a deliberate choice of whether or not to go ahead.

4. Brainstorm ways to get the task done that would be fun for you.

For instance: Invite friends over for a most-hated-task party; do your exercise walking at a favorite place; turn music on and dance while cleaning up.

Who said your task has to be unpleasant? With a little imagination, you can re-engineer it so you'll have more enjoyment getting it done.

5. Take some step immediately toward completion every time you find yourself thinking about the task you have the problem with.

Do something small right now! Make a phone call; collect your tax records; find the supplies you need.

By taking advantage of the energy of the moment, you make progress. The author of 11 books, including 6 Steps to Free Publicity and Persuading on Paper, Marcia Yudkin teaches people how to become prolific by creating their customized writing process. Learn more about her proven program for getting going on any kind of writing project at http://www.yudkin.com/firstaid.htm ]]> http://www.artwoo.com/article/procrastination-and-fatigue-a-deadly-combination http://www.artwoo.com/article/procrastination-and-fatigue-a-deadly-combination#comments Tue, 06 Mar 2007 10:27:12 +0000 procrastinationfatigueprocrastinatelimited capacitytimely actionemotional levelsleeplessness http://www.artwoo.com/article/procrastination-and-fatigue-a-deadly-combination procrastinate on the small things, but it's quite another to procrastinate on the big issues in life. You can trace almost all your personal problems back to the failure to take effective and timely action.

The effects of procrastination are mostly indirect and often far reaching. One of the most devastating effects of procrastination is fatigue. In fact, procrastination and fatigue goes hand in hand. Procrastination is not only the result, but also the cause of fatigue. Because of procrastination you keep postponing important tasks and because you postpone it you become fatigued. There is a big difference between being tired and being fatigued. Fatigue is emotional and mental while tiredness is mostly physical. Getting enough rest can solve the problem of being tired, but it won't really do much for fatigue.

We all have a mental capacity which determines how much we can comfortably deal with in our lives. Everything that's 'on your mind' is something that you have to deal with on a mental and emotional level. When you deal with it you feel a sense of accomplishment and you feel like a load has been taken off your proverbial shoulders. In reality, this sense of relief is the result of offloading some of your emotional load by dealing, and completing some task that was on your mind.

Everything that you feel like you have to do has got some value to you. We only procrastinate about the things we care about -- otherwise it's won't concern us whether we do it or not. It's only when we fail to take action that procrastination sets in. Every time you fail to take action and complete a task you fail to offload what's on your mind. This tends to add to your 'emotional load' and since we all have a limited capacity, we tend to feel fatigued.

Fatigue can lead to more serious issues, ranging from depression to sleeplessness to a loss of self confidence. When you procrastinate you can easily turn the simplest task into a mountain and the more you think about it the harder it gets. Now you have to climb a mountain in your mind every time you think about doing it and every time you fail to act on it your mountain gets bigger and your fatigue get worse. Although procrastination and fatigue

The most important things to remember when you suffer from fatigue due to procrastination is that a sense of accomplishment is self reinforcing. Every time you finish a task you feel good and it's this feeling good that motivates you to do more and to be more effective. It's one of the most effective ways to conquer procrastination. More than anything, procrastination is an emotion -- it's a feeling and by taking charge of your emotional state you can take back control and empower yourself to take action and complete what you know you 'must' do. Unfortunately this fact is also responsible for fatigue. When you fail to complete a task, or worse, when you fail to even start, you create the opposite effect. You feel bad and you tend to act on this feeling which is what keeps you from approaching the task in the future.

Procrastination and fatigue is a cycle and the one tends to lead to the next and because it's so self reinforcing it tends to keep many people tied up in an immobilized state of mind where they can't seem to make any real progress. One of the simplest ways to snap out of this patterns is to design some simple task that you can easily complete and to gradually build your emotional strength. If you are procrastinating on something, break it up into three or four simpler tasks and then focus only on one at a time -- forget about the rest. Each time you complete one you will 'offload' a bit of emotional baggage, your load will feel lighter and your sense of accomplishment will motivate you to do more.

Procrastination is like running on an emotional treadmill -- you keep running but you are not going anywhere. It only leads to an emotional tiredness or fatigue that can greatly jeopardize your sense of well being, your level of motivation and your personal happiness. We all have a desire to progress with our lives and we at the back of our minds we all know what we can do to move forward and make our lives better, When we don't act on these ideas we feel a certain strain which comes from the knowing that we are not advancing. This strain contributes to fatigue and adds to your emotional load that you have to carry around with you. We all carry a little 'to-do list' around in the back of our minds. Ever time something comes along that you 'have to do' it automatically gets added. As a general rule, the longer your list, the more fatigue you will experience.

To effectively deal with fatigue you simply need to off-load your 'emotional load'. You have to deal with everything that's on your mind. And the most effective way to do it is to deal with it one by one. Start with the tasks you are procrastinating most about as they will give you the greatest sense of accomplishment. Procrastination makes an easy task hard, but action makes a hard task easy. Just do it. Break it up into smaller simpler tasks and just do it piece by piece. It's ironic, but the more you do the more you can do. The more you do the less emotional baggage you have - the lighter your load, the more you can carry. The wonderful fact about procrastination and fatigue is that when you eliminate the procrastination, you can eliminate the fatigue. Be kind to yourself. Free yourself from procrastination. Free Yourself from fatigue! http://www.Overcoming-Procrastination.com: You can overcome procrastination in less than a week. DonE is a free eCourse that really hones in on the essence of procrastination and the most vital strategies for becoming highly effective.Enroll @ http://overcoming-procrastination.com/freecourse.php ]]> http://www.artwoo.com/article/procrastination-what-is-that-about http://www.artwoo.com/article/procrastination-what-is-that-about#comments Sat, 27 Sep 2008 09:29:29 +0000 fear of rejectionhow to stop procrastinatingfear of failureself sabotagefear of successtime fillerprocrastination http://www.artwoo.com/article/procrastination-what-is-that-about Procrastination is an interesting topic. It's probably one of the top reasons why people do not fulfill their life purpose and achieve their dreams. If you think about it, procrastination seems like one of he most illogical things a person can do. You have a goal in life--yet you avoid taking action to realize that goal. Where's the logic in that? How can we start to undestand the dynamic of procrastination, what drives it, and how to stop procrastinating--without stress? Here are some ideas:

1.) One of the primary dynamics behind procrastination is a fear associated with taking action. It could be fear of success. It could be fear of failure. It could be fear that the task will consume too much time. It could be fear of rejection. It could be fear that we might be embarrassed. There is an unlimited variety of forms that fear can take. The important thing is to get clear on what fear is causing the procrastination and deal with it. This might be by deciding to take action in spite of fear. It might be to realize that the fear is ludicrous in light of what success might be.

2.) Another thing to look at is the possibility that procrastination might be a deliberate self sabotage on your part. This could come from many things: fear of being "above others", fear of losing love if we succeed in our dreams, fear of exceeding our parental accomplishments. All of these can be subtle and subconscious and driving self sabotage without our awareness. None of it is logical, but it is extremely common.

3.) Another thing driving procrastination can be simple lack of planning. Without weekly planning, and weekly assessment of accomplishment of your plans, you have have no urgency or accountabiltiy. Without a plan, without timelines and without clarity on what to accomplish by when, procrastination makes more "sense". It is simply a time filler you use to avoid taking action on something you are unclear about.

4.) What do you procrastinate about? This is an interesting question to ask yourself. Since procrastination is an avoidance behavior, you might take a look to see what it is you're avoiding. Are you avoiding what you fear might change in your life when you succeed? Are you avoiding being the greatness you are capable of? Are you avoiding actions required once you've completed the current procrastinated action? Are you avoiding truly committing to your life? Are you avoiding the great feeling you get when you handle what you've been procrastinating about? Are you avoiding taking charge of your life and instead "killing time" with trivial activities? Are you avoiding the great burst of energy that comes from action rather than procrastinating?

5.) In order to procrastinate, it's necessary to fill your time doing inconsequential activities when you know they are not the important actions to take. This usually gives a guilty, almost depressed feeling. We know we're not doing right by ourselves, but we get locked into a cycle going nowhere relentlessly.

The #1 solution to procrastination is to resolve to and to actually accomplish anything you've been avoiding--first thing immediately. Simply create a day where you handle that item first. Set things up so that you have the time. Get together everything you need. Prepare for the event. Make it your top priority. Don't do anything else until you have completed this item. Make sure there's enough time in your schedule. Take the time to create a winning situation. Don't give up until it is completed. Don't allow anything to get in your way. Don't be sidetracked by trivialities. Just do what it takes.

You will find that by meeting procrastination "head on" each and every time, you will release a huge burst of energy. From this burst of energy, you will find that, in the wake of breaking through procrastination, you will unexpectedly accomplish a large amount of other items. By creating the habit to "Do It First" rather than procrastinate, you literally break through a huge dam of self imposed stagnation. Experiment with this. You will be amazed at your results.Suzi Elton is a success coach working with highly creative types to create income that matches their talent.She has coached hundreds of clients to approach their goals strategically through tiny steps to bring about quantum leaps. Get free Life Purpose exercises, at http://mylifepurposecoaching.com.]]> http://www.artwoo.com/article/the-hidden-costs-of-procrastination http://www.artwoo.com/article/the-hidden-costs-of-procrastination#comments Wed, 12 Apr 2006 09:00:15 +0000 jobpeople noticemonotonousprocrastinateprocrastinatingprocrastinationleeway http://www.artwoo.com/article/the-hidden-costs-of-procrastination procrastination (to give it it's "proper" name) can cost us more than we can imagine.

Why do we procrastinate? In general, we procrastinate because the task we are putting off is unpleasant in some way. Either we don't like doing it (like calling a bank), or there is some physical discomfort (like going to the dentist). The task may even be boring and monotonous, or just plain difficult.

But the effects of procrastination can run deeper than just not doing the task. Other problems it may cause are:

Being branded as lazy: When people notice that you haven't completed particular tasks, you can be branded as a lazy person. Not only can this affect your job or personal life (promotions and the like), but it may mean the tasks you really want to do are offered to someone else who is considered more reliable!

Creates clutter: Many unfinished tasks can leave a lot of clutter around - books, papers or other items that are needed to perform the job.

Bad for morale: There is nothing worse than knowing you have a job you need to do, and knowing at the end of the day that the job wasn't done. It can make you feel down, and even preoccupy your mind while you're trying to concentrate on other things.

You have no leeway: When you put something off, jobs accumulate. This means if an urgent task suddenly comes in, you have no leeway to drop everything and work on it - there are too many other outstanding things that need doing.

It becomes more unpleasant: The job itself may not change by putting it off, but the feeling in our mind of how unpleasant we think the job will be grows. We think about how we have to explain not doing the job to other people, and the whole situation feeds on itself and becomes ugly.

Now to be fair, sometimes procrastinating isn't a conscious action. Particular jobs just never seem to get done, even though you never consciously decided not to do them. But at other times you do make the decision not to do the job at the moment, and just put it off.

But you can save yourself a lot of mental clutter, and perhaps even more discomfort later on, if you just adopt a "do it now" attitude. Decide that you're just going to get the job out of the way when it comes it, no matter how uncomfortable it may be. By doing the job straight away, often you will realise that the discomfort you associated with the task was simply your mind feeding on itself as you were putting it off. And the sense of relief you get from finishing the task is well worth it.

So, now you know about procrastination you have to ask yourself the question - "what am I going to do about it?" Hopefully you will decide to banish procrastination from your life, and reap the rewards of that decision! About The Author: Learn how you can take control of your life and get more done today than you ever thought possible by visiting http://www.timemanagementmentor.com where Jason Anderson passes on essential information about the art of time management and personal organization. ]]> http://www.artwoo.com/article/steps-to-breaking-the-pattern-of-procrastination http://www.artwoo.com/article/steps-to-breaking-the-pattern-of-procrastination#comments Mon, 11 Jun 2007 19:15:00 +0000 accomplishthomas edisonprocrastinationvisual cuejobprocrastinategive you what you need http://www.artwoo.com/article/steps-to-breaking-the-pattern-of-procrastination Thomas Edison when it comes to inventing and problem solving. But on the other side of things, putting those great ideas into action is the major problem in the lives of many people. Sometimes instead of getting these ideas off the ground we procrastinate and nothing ever gets a chance to take off. But there are proven techniques like list making and responsibility taking which will help us break the procrastination cycle. This article will walk you through an overview of these techniques and hopefully set you on the path toward success.

Making a list of all the things you need to accomplish may not be the most exciting or sexy technique you'll come across, but it is certainly one of the most effective. When things are down on paper you can see what really has to be done. The task at hand might not be as complicated as you thought, and so it might be easier to tackle. On the other hand, the job might be bigger than you realized and what you thought you would get to later might take more time than you were originally going to allow. A list also gives you a visual cue about the things you might be able to outsource so you can focus on the parts of a project you do the best.

One of the most common reasons for procrastination is waiting for someone else to do a part of the task, provide you with some sort of information you think you need to accomplish the job, or telling yourself it is someone else's responsibility and you really don't have to do it in the end. But each of these points of view can be a mask for not really taking responsibility for the things you want to accomplish in your life. If you were to take responsibility you wouldn't be able to wait for someone else to "give you what you need" and you couldn't blame someone else if you should happen to fail. On the other hand, how can you really feel a sense of accomplishment if a task is completed but you had to depend on someone else to make a part of it happen? By taking ownership of the tasks at hand, you kill any reason to procrastinate other than the fact that you simply may not want to do the task. If that is the case, be honest with yourself and ask if you're setting the right kind of work out for yourself.

Procrastination can bring loads of stress and anxiety, but facing a project with a couple of simple tools like a list or just deciding to take responsibility can help you break down the real reason you're not doing what you need to do and can help you break the pattern of procrastination. Robert Greenshields is a marketing success coach who helps business owners and independent professionals who are frustrated that they're working too many hours for too little reward. Sign up for his free tips on earning more and working less at http://www.MindPowerMarketing.com ]]> http://www.artwoo.com/article/wheres-your-head-at http://www.artwoo.com/article/wheres-your-head-at#comments Tue, 23 Jan 2007 02:27:07 +0000 journey of lifefuture placesomeday somewherepresent momentnegatetickingmentality http://www.artwoo.com/article/wheres-your-head-at ticking boxes' and traveling to all the 'major attractions' just to say that they've been there and done that. Then there are those who truly travel for the experience of traveling and who soak up everything along the way. The real purpose of traveling is not to reach a destination, but to travel.

This is also true in the journey of life. So many people go through life reaching for destinations and they end up never 'traveling'. Wherever your mind is, that is where you are. See, your whole life is actually lived within the confines of your mind. It is not what happens to you, but how you process it in your mind. Wherever you put your focus is where your attention will be. So often we fall into the trap of the 'someday-somewhere' mentality, where we think that 'someday' when we are somewhere else or with someone else or with something else we will be happy. 'Then' we will do x, y and z. We almost live in this 'other place' that we aspire to and we end up forgetting where we are right now - which is all we've really got anyway.

Life is lived in the 'now'. Now is all you will ever really own. Although you can escape to some future place in your mind, a place that you think will make you happy, you only really want that to experience that in a moment of now anyway. It's only when you are firmly rooted in the present moment and when all of you is here, that you can really experience something fully.



Being firmly rooted in the present does not negate having goals and aspiring to great things. In fact, it requires that. An awareness of where you've been and a vision for where you are going will color your experience of now. Set your course for where you want to go and then make sure that you are firmly rooted in the present. If you are driving your car and you are focused on something a mile ahead of you, you will miss both the hazards and the beauty that is right in front of you. Always remember that the purpose of traveling is not to reach a destination, but to travel -- it's all about the experience.

The danger in always being focused on some future goal or accomplishment is that it distracts us from taking action right here, right now. Procrastination is a 'future thing'. When your mind is at some place in the future, you tend to absorb all the potential problems that this (imaginary) future might hold. Since most of our fears are only imaginary we tend to start imagining potential problems and challenges that breeds procrastination. Remember that procrastination is designed to 'protect' you from unpleasant tasks and to keep you from taking action on those things that will be unpleasant. When you are rooted in the future you will continuously fabricate situations and circumstances that will encourage procrastination. When you are rooted in the present you will be empowered to take action because all you have to deal with is what's in front of you.

There is immense power in 'now'. When you are firmly rooted in where you are instead of where you want to be in some non-descript future, then you are mobilized. Procrastination immobilizes you and even if you know where you want to travel to, you will remain stranded in indecision and fear. You will be overwhelmed by everything that you think you still need to do to get you where you are not. If you are focused on the now, then all you have to do is what you can do right now with exactly where you are right now and with exactly what you've got right now. You don't need to wait for anything to be different before you can take action. Your attention is focused on what you can do NOW. This is empowering.

It's true that action will not always bring happiness, but there is no happiness without action. Procrastination steals your future by stealing your present moments. Be in the present moment. It will free you from the fears and problems that will keep you locked up in procrastination and indecision. To overcome procrastination, look at what's right in front of you and start there. Always ask yourself 'what you can do right now' - and do that! Never waste your present moments with what you 'could have' or 'should have' done and don't be held captive by your future. Always be mindful of where your head is at, because that is where you are, and where you are is what will determine what you will or will not do. Deon Du Plessis is the author of A Course of Action, a FREE e-Course designed to empower you to break through your limitations, take action and transform your ideas into reality. Visit http://www.selfimprovement-gym.com for immediate access to this great resource. ]]> http://www.artwoo.com/article/the-artful-dodger http://www.artwoo.com/article/the-artful-dodger#comments Mon, 17 Mar 2008 22:35:05 +0000 sense of guiltword changeprocrastinatorsstrong desirewayne dyerprocrastinationhousework http://www.artwoo.com/article/the-artful-dodger procrastination as a negative. But today I want to challenge this belief.

Wikipedia says procrastination is about deferment or avoidance of an action or task. It may result in stress, a sense of guilt, the loss of productivity, the creation of crisis, and the disapproval of others. But why do we procrastinate?

We procrastinate to avoid change. And fair enough I say. Change takes effort and if we're honest we don't want to change. In fact I don't want to change to such an extent I've recently started to cross out the word "change" in a book by Wayne Dyer (who I usually love reading). Simply, I'm fed up with people telling me to change. I DON'T WANT TO CHANGE!

Why?

I think I should "like me" as I am. In fact, I think I should "love me" as I am. And I think you should love you too. Even if life is a mess, beating yourself up because you didn't do something or forgot to do it for, say eight weeks of the new year, isn't really a good policy.

Sometimes procrastination can be useful, if used correctly.

There are three type of procrastination:

1. Doing nothing 2. Doing something less important 3. Doing something more important

Type three, I think, is excellent procrastination and the type that can be used effectively.

Some of the greatest people are "type three procrastinators". Sometimes type three procrastinators have been known to forget to eat or are too busy to eat all three meals in a day.

To me, housework is less important than working with a client. Housework is also less important than spending time with my family or helping a friend or neighbor. I procrastinated so much on housework last year that in the end we asked someone to clean for us so we could spend more time doing "something more important" as a family.

The way I think about procrastination is like this: If I won't get a mention for it at my funeral, it's probably worth procrastinating on.

This isn't lazy thinking. I have a strong desire for excellence in what I do. I believe my work effects people positively and that my family life is extra-ordinarily loving and happy. And to keep things that way, I'm happy to procrastinate on minor things that don't motivate me or find an alternative - such as the example of a cleaner.

When building CommunitySoul I became aware there were jobs I didn't like doing. I began to procrastinate on them and the whole business slowed down. I felt bad because I hadn't done something and that effected the things I was motivated to do, because I kept thinking about the other stuff.

Then I got smart. I started to find people who could do what I procrastinated on. More recently I've discovered that there are things I like doing and there are things I absolutely love doing. Now I find people who can do the things I only like doing so I can focus more effort on the things I absolutely love doing.

From today's article I hope you've got two things:

1.It's okay to procrastinate, if you are focusing on something more important

2.Find ways to alleviate yourself of the burden - find someone to do the things you procrastinate on

Love and best wishes

Neil To find out more about CommunitySoul and join their weekly personal development newsletter go to http://www.communitysoul.co.uk sign for the free newsletter and get a free gift ]]> http://www.artwoo.com/article/are-you-being-a-good-guy-or-a-plain-old-procrastinator http://www.artwoo.com/article/are-you-being-a-good-guy-or-a-plain-old-procrastinator#comments Fri, 17 Nov 2006 12:27:11 +0000 procrastinationunacceptable levelprocrastinatorprocrastinatingmonumental feattime tomorrowproduct creation http://www.artwoo.com/article/are-you-being-a-good-guy-or-a-plain-old-procrastinator monumental feat for some people. Are you able to say "no" when it's important to your own success?

Say, you have your hour, your day, your week or whatever time planned out. You are on a quest to accomplish more and manage your time better than ever before. You have even made the "to do" list to follow.

Then, along comes a friend or colleague who asks for your help in completing one of his/her tasks. How likely are you to help this person without even giving it a second thought to your own plans? Are you being a good guy or just practicing procrastination?

Procrastination could very well come to mind in a situation such as this. Procrastination usually comes about when we need to do something that we don't want to do because it is boring or requires too much effort. We'll do anything for anybody rather than to do the task at hand.

People who make a habit of procrastinating are left with a perpetual feeling of things unfinished, and that is not good for them or their morale. Putting things off results in jobs accumulating, and accomplishments, if there are any, at an unacceptable level. You (and others as well) might begin to see yourself as a lazy person who has no interest or focus.

If you are easily distracted and have the tendency to put off until tomorrow what you should be doing today, don't try to fool yourself into thinking you'll have more time tomorrow, because you won't. Just face it. Try a new tactic. Get the job done today. The relief you'll feel when you can free your mind of unfinished business is well worth the effort you have put forth.

I love Nike's slogan. It should become the mantra of every procrastinator... Just do it! I invite you to check out my Information Product Creation course. I show you how I created a product and had my first customer just 35 hours after I started... with only 5 hours of work. I recorded everything and you can watch over my shoulder: http://www.InfoProdCreation.com ]]> http://www.artwoo.com/article/procrastination-a-dangerous-obstacle-for-a http://www.artwoo.com/article/procrastination-a-dangerous-obstacle-for-a#comments Thu, 01 Jun 2006 09:32:07 +0000 procrastinationprocrastinaterealistic goalsaction peoplesuccessful peopledictionarybusiness entrepreneurs http://www.artwoo.com/article/procrastination-a-dangerous-obstacle-for-a Procrastination seems to be getting hold of you and the progress you hoped to make in your Home Business appears to be eluding you. This scenario is not new and is encountered by quite a few new Home Business entrepreneurs.

They started hoping their path will be a bed of roses but when they find the going getting tough they tend to procrastinate.

Yes, what is Procrastination? The dictionary defines it as "deferring or postponing action" People who are afflicted by Procrastination know it themselves. Few make a genuine attempt to change but many don't. They allow things to drag on or refuse to take the first positive step towards any solution.

Successful people seldom procrastinate. This is what propels them towards their goal and success in life. Even when they do procrastinate at times, they don't allow procrastination to take hold of themselves.

How then can you stop procrastination and succeed in your Home Business

1. Set Realistic Goals.

Never undertake to do anything much more than what you can chew. If you attempt to do something that is beyond your capacity, the whole exercise might become overwhelming and prevent you from getting started. You then tend to procrastinate.

2. Prepare Lists.

It is always advantageous to prepare a list of the things you want to do. This will help you to achieve your goals and also help you to prioritize the tasks. A list with a short term objective and another with a long term objective. Break them again into smaller steps. The whole purpose of two lists is to motivate you to get started and to stop procrastination. A person with a tendency to procrastinate will never get started if he views a long list of tasks to be accomplished. On the other hand viewing a shorter list can encourage him to get started.

3. Always have a Deadline.

Deadlines always play a very important role when you plan to achieve some task. It has to be realistic and attainable. Unattainable deadlines can only cause frustration and develop a feeling of incompetence with respect to your ambition of operating a successful Home Business.

4. Get Started.

Once you have done all the preliminaries such as reading, planning, getting good advice etc. put your best foot forward and gets started. Perfection is not necessary. All your preparatory work will be of no avail if you hesitate or vacillate. This reminds me of a Chinese proverb: "He who deliberates fully before taking a step will spend his entire life on one leg."

5. Read Success and Inspiring Stories.

Regular reading of the lives of successful men and women will inspire you to emulate them. Successful people seldom or never procrastinate and reading these stories will gradually wean you out of your tendency to procrastinate.

6. Reward Yourself.

Whenever you complete your task or achieve your minor goal, reward yourself. Take time out and enjoy the company of your friends or take your family out. This will give you a sense of joy, fulfillment and achievement and will motivate you further to be a successful Home Business entrepreneur.

Conclusion.

Successful people no doubt deliberate fully before making a positive move but they don't procrastinate. They don't hesitate to take the first step forward and that is what matters most. You too can stop Procrastination by following these methods and propel your Home Business to the top. Copyright © 2006 Kanaga Siva Kanaga Siva has a wealth of experience in Marketing, operating a successful Home-Based Business and as a Social worker. You are welcome to visit his http://www.business-fromhome.com website for Tips, Ideas and Advice. ]]>