How to Fix the 7 Habits of Procrastinators
Here are the 7 most deadly habits of procrastinators and how you can start fixing them.
They Set Expectations Too High Split up big projects in bite-sized pieces and set achievable daily goals like “research language apps to learn French” or “make a sitemap for the website”
They Are Relentless Perfectionists Stop yourself from spending 80% of your time on the last 20% of the project by reminding yourself that “done is better than perfect”. Make it a rule to get started on something as long as you have 70% of the information, 70% of resources and are 70% sure that you will succeed — because you can never by 100% prepared for anything
They Lack Purpose Don’t do it and focus on the things that are actually more important in your life or 2) Find a strong enough reason WHY you want to do it
They Let Their Fear Hold Them Back Get clear about what exactly you are afraid of: Imagine the worst-case scenario, realize that it is not that bad and make a contingency plan for what to do when it actually happens. Make it a habit to go out of your comfort zone: The more steps you take towards the things you are afraid of, the more your fear will turn into confidence and catapult you forward
They Have Bad Self-Management Structure your day by scheduling EVERYTHING into your calendar — even your commute, grocery shopping, cooking and free time. This forces you to estimate the time that things will take as well as set actual priorities in your day. Secondly, take care of your body by eating well, sleeping well, working out and taking time off.
They Only Work Well Under External Pressure Impose artificial deadlines on yourself and gamify the process by giving yourself rewards or punishing yourself for not meeting your goals. If that doesn’t work, get an accountability partner
They Are Victims of their Circumstances Pro-actively engineer your working environment and external distractions. Find out what works for you and replicate it as often as possible when working on important projects