Informational Articles for 2011+

The following article lists some simple, informative tips that will help you have a better experience with Procrastination.

Many people procrastinate because they fear they’ll look foolish if they fail. It took Edison more than 10,000 failed attempts to discover the tungsten filament that worked in the incandescent light bulb. A reporter asked him how he managed to go on working in the face of so many failures. Edison told the reporter that each failure gave him hope; every time he failed, he knew he was one step closer to finding the answer. Edison believed that “many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”

Successful people make more mistakes than others because they never stop trying to achieve new goals. If you’re not making mistakes, you probably aren’t attempting enough. Force yourself to get out of your comfort zone and take action.

One kind of fear is good: You should feel guilty when you don’t finish a job, and you should fear the consequences of sub-par performance. That kind of fear can be a powerful motivator to perform at your highest level.

Think about what you’ve read so far. Does it reinforce what you already know about Procrastination? Or was there something completely new? What about the remaining paragraphs?

Does it help you to think about the consequences of procrastination? Knowing the consequences of our actions doesn’t always keep us from doing the wrong thing, of course. If the consequences of not finishing an important job are not getting you motivated to start it, why not? What’s going on? You have to start asking these questions to get at the roots of the problem. What is really causing you to procrastinate?

English actor Christopher Parker said, “Procrastination is like a credit card: It’s a lot of fun until you get the bill.” We have all heard smokers say, “I want to stop smoking but I can’t”-as they light another cigarette. The person who says this doesn’t know what his real problem is. As we watch them smoke, it’s clear that they don’t want to quit smoking at all.

Talking about quitting lets smokers go on enjoying their habit while deluding themselves into thinking that they really are making an effort to stop. They want to avoid the part of smoking that causes them to get lung cancer-we have no reason to doubt that. But it’s plain to see that they enjoy all the other perks they get from smoking. Smokers are not likely to give up their habit until they are able to face the real cause of their problem.

Think of a time when you could have procrastinated but didn’t. How did you feel? How could you turn that into a good habit? When fear threatens to immobilize you, ask yourself this question: What’s the worst thing that can happen? Write down your answer as precisely as you can. Be prepared to accept the worst. Now write down as many solutions as you can think of. Decide on the best action and do it. Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Don’t waste your life in doubts and fears: spend yourself on the work before you, well assured that the right performance of this hour’s duties will be the best preparation for the hours and ages that follow it.” Face your fear and do it anyway.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson (Click on the link to learn more about me)

All procrastination is the result of deluding ourselves. Procrastinators deny reality, refusing to accept responsibility for their lives. To defeat procrastination, we must stop playing games with ourselves. You can’t overcome procrastination until you accept the fact that you are responsible for what you make of your life. That may be more honesty than many people are capable of, but there is no other way to achieve a richer life.

The first step toward overcoming procrastination is recognizing that it’s a problem. Procrastinators have big problems and small problems, but most of their problems are caused by procrastination.

All procrastinators share certain traits:

- They know what they should do about a problem, and in many cases they know what specific action needs to be taken. Yet they find reasons to avoid action.

- They are reluctant to do anything about a problem now, but vow to take action at some vague time in the future.

So far, we’ve uncovered some interesting facts about Procrastination. You may decide that the following information is even more interesting.

- They promise to take action when the “right” circumstances present themselves. By making performance of the job depend on something else, they justify their decision to delay action. They delude themselves into thinking that their hands are tied. They would like to do something but can’t-it’s not their fault.

Research shows that you can develop new habits in just two weeks if you’re serious about changing. Think about people you know who always get things done. What are their work habits? How do they approach unappealing tasks? How do they stay focused?

Here are some simple tips that can help you take charge of your life today:

- Mentally prepare yourself to be productive. I begin every day in prayer and meditation. I keep inspirational messages where I can see them. Then I visualize my success during the day. Procrastination is a real monster, and it won’t go away unless we do something about it every day. If I’m passionate about a job, I can get it done at any time of day and under any circumstances-the problem is when to tackle the hardest and most tedious jobs. Always ask: At what time of day am I most productive? Most people say they’re most productive early in the morning; by mid-afternoon it’s harder for them to sit still and concentrate on work. Try to schedule the hard jobs for your most productive time.

- Don’t over-socialize at work. Office chitchat and gossip keep many people from getting more accomplished. Let people know when you don’t want to be disturbed. Think about the things in your work environment that contribute to staying focused. What things distract you or make you want to postpone a job? How can you redesign your environment to eliminate causes of procrastination? (A workspace doesn’t have to be neat, if you know where to find things.)

We are not victims of our circumstances. You can overcome procrastination now-you can do the things that need to be done. And you can learn to distinguish between the things that need to be done now and the things that can wait.

Take time to consider the points presented above. What you learn may help you overcome your hesitation to take action.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson (Click on the link to learn more about me)

Research shows that people spend most of their time and effort working on activities that have nothing to do with the success of their projects. I’m convinced that procrastination is the main reason people fail to live richer lives. If you want to get serious about eliminating the habit of procrastination, you can start right now by recognizing that your most valuable asset is time.

- Learn how to use your time efficiently. Make sure that people know when you don’t want to be interrupted-don’t blame other people when you don’t have enough time to finish a task. When you miss a deadline, plan how you’re going to finish the remainder of the work instead of making excuses about why you didn’t get it done on time. Then do it.

- Procrastination is the No. 1 cause of stress. Do you ever wonder why the most successful entrepreneurs-people like Bill Gates, for instance-always seem so relaxed in interviews and public appearances? They work harder than most of us and they make billion-dollar decisions that the rest of us will never have to face in life, yet they never seem stressed out, worried, or depressed. Why not? Research shows that stress is caused by leaving too many things undone. That’s why habitual procrastinators always complain about chronic fatigue-putting things off creates enormous stress in our lives, which manifests itself as fatigue.

Those of you not familiar with the latest on Procrastination now have at least a basic understanding. But there’s more to come.

- Break down your long-term goals into manageable segments and milestones. Without a way of measuring your progress on long-term goals, you can easily delude yourself into believing that you’re making progress when you’re just spinning your wheels. Setting project milestones is a good way to measure your progress and stay focused.

- Reserve some time each day for working on your long-term projects. Spend most of your time on the things that need to be done this week, but try to spend some time each day on work that helps you make progress toward your long-term goals. The tasks that help you achieve long-term goals are easy to leave undone. They don’t seem urgent in the way that telephone calls seem urgent, but they usually represent our most important goals in life. In many cases, these larger goals get pushed off the radar screen by the countless distractions and “urgent” but unimportant things that demand our attention throughout the day.

You need to spend 75 to 80% of your time on jobs you have to wrap up this week. Dedicate the rest of your time to projects that need to be finished in the next six months. Have you set milestones for these projects? How are you measuring your progress on each project?

Always ask yourself: What have I learned about the consequences of procrastination, based on the decisions I made-or failed to make-yesterday? Never lose sight of what’s most important in life, and ask yourself every day: If I only get one thing done today, what must that one thing be? Then get it done.

Those who only know one or two facts about Procrastination can be confused by misleading information. The best way to help those who are misled is to gently correct them with the truths you’re learning here.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson (Click on the link to learn more about me)

The more you understand about any subject, the more interesting it becomes. As you read this article you’ll find that the subject of Procrastination is certainly no exception.

Mark Twain had something to say about almost any topic you can imagine. On the subject of how to avoid procrastination, Twain said, “Never put off until tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow.” Everyone can enjoy the humor in Twain’s comment. But for many of us, Twain’s insight on the danger of procrastination is painfully true.

You can take the first step toward a more satisfying life by getting serious about overcoming procrastination. And the place to get started is in your own mind-that’s where the war is won or lost. To overcome procrastination, you have to change your attitude. All successful people know that you have a better chance of completing a job when you approach it with a positive attitude:

- Your attitude is a choice. Many people procrastinate because they tell themselves that they will increase their chances of success if they wait for all the circumstances to be “right” before tackling a project. To be successful, you must force yourself to make a decision and do something no matter what the circumstances say.

- Your attitude determines the outcome of your actions. People who are successful at what they do are rarely those with the greatest natural ability or the highest IQ. People who are constantly able to complete jobs successfully have a positive attitude-they believe they can complete the job.

- You cannot control the past, so move on. Thinking about how you might have responded differently to a difficult problem in the past is an important part of preparing to be a better problem-solver today. Analyze what you could have done differently, chalk it up to experience, and then forget about it.
The following quiz will help you identify areas where you can take action today. Answer “yes” to each statement that describes you.

See how much you can learn about Procrastination when you take a little time to read a well-researched article? Don’t miss out on the rest of this great information.

1. I don’t wait for the “right” set of circumstances to tackle a job-I know the circumstances will never be perfect.

2. I believe my project will be successful if I give it my best effort.

3. When I fail, I don’t blame circumstances beyond my control; I ask myself what I could have done differently to bring about a different result.

4. I don’t fret over decisions once I’ve made them-I stay focused on what I’m doing in the present.

5. I know when to wrap up a job-if I spend more time on it I’m only making up excuses for not starting something new.

If you answered “no” to any of the above statements, make a commitment to change your attitude today. Choose one item and do something about it. Don’t move on to the next item until you can truthfully answer “yes” to the previous one. “Be not the slave of your own past,” Ralph Waldo Emerson said. Cut the chains of procrastination and start living life to the fullest.

Now you can understand why there’s a growing interest in Procrastination. When people start looking for more information about Procrastination, you’ll be in a position to meet their needs.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson (Click on the link to learn more about me)

Have you ever wondered if what you know about Procrastination is accurate? Consider the following paragraphs and compare what you know to the latest info on Procrastination.

Research shows that most of us spend up to 80% of our time on activities that have nothing to do with the success of our projects. We load ourselves down with endless tasks that keep us feeling busy, yet at the end of the day we wonder why we have accomplished so little.

Why do we miss deadlines, put off doing things we dislike, and accept stress and procrastination as a necessary part of life? What experiences have shaped the way you think about time? Do you need to rethink your views? If you were asked to speak to a group of students about the best way to use time, what would you say to them?

This quiz will help you identify areas where you can take action to overcome procrastination today:

- I often delay taking action and making decisions because I need to gather more facts.

- I have a hard time knowing when to wrap up the research phase of a project. I worry about not having enough information to complete it.

- I tend to get stuck in the middle of a project if changing circumstances suggest the need to make adjustments.

If your Procrastination facts are out-of-date, how will that affect your actions and decisions? Make certain you don’t let important Procrastination information slip by you.

- I always feel that I’m using my time well as long as I’m gathering information for a project.

If you answered “yes” to any of the above statements, you need to recognize that procrastination is keeping you from achieving all that you can in life. Many people delay taking action by convincing themselves they need to gather more facts. Successful people know that effective decisions are based on opinions and experience first, facts second.

Set deadlines for yourself, even when you don’t have to. You will never be able to gather all the facts. You must learn when to say enough. Make the best decision based on the facts you have now. The important thing is to act. We live in an increasingly complex world; our information-gathering techniques can’t keep up with all the changing circumstances that affect our lives. We cannot control many of these circumstances, and we cannot control how other people respond to them.

Force yourself to act. Whatever decision we make today, we will have to rethink it-and almost certainly modify it-when circumstances change. No matter what you decide to do now, you will need to make corrections as you make progress toward your goal. Delaying a decision in order to gather more facts is one of the most common ways that people waste time.

Always ask yourself if a task needs to be done at all. The Bible says, “How forceful are right words! But what does your arguing prove?” Ask yourself: What do all my tasks prove? Focus on getting things done, rather than on filling your day with more activities than you can possibly get around to. If you want to overcome procrastination, stop gathering facts and get started on your project.

Is there really any information about Procrastination that is nonessential? We all see things from different angles, so something relatively insignificant to one may be crucial to another.