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Do you procrastinate?

Updated: Apr 6, 2023

"I never put off till tomorrow what I can do the day after."

- Oscar Wilde -


Let's be honest. We all would love to be more efficient right? More time smart? Productive? Savvy? Actually get things off the list? Use our time wisely? Enjoy our time?


We are so busy. We live in a fast paced, frenetic world filled with images and shiny things giving us FOMO at every given minute. We fill our day with things we think we should be doing, rushing around from task to task, attempting to multi-task, doing 'everything'.

"I'm so busy", we say. "There isn't enough time in the day". "I wish I could relax but there's always stuff to do".


I hear you. I've been there.


Actually, I used to pride myself on being busy. I'd wear it like a badge of honour. As if being busy directly related to how in demand I was, how smart I was, how needed I was. And ironically, how efficient I was. Even though in truth, I put the 'pro' into 'procrastinate'.


I felt that being busy was something to be celebrated. I absolutely do not feel this anymore! Sadly, we do live in a society where this belief and behaviour can often hold true.


But does it feel good? Is it useful? When you are busy, are you busy by choice? Are you productive? Do you include your downtime? Do you delegate? Do you focus?

Or do you say that you are busy and get to the end of the day not having done half the things you wished you had.


Let's flip this! It's time to get productive and stop procrastinating.

 

Here are my 5 top tips to getting stuff done:

 

1. PLAN YOUR DAY


Take 20 minutes to write a fresh list every day. Not a list of everything ever that you must do … just a list for that day.


What really needs to be done?

What needs to be started and/or completed?

What deadlines are you up against?

 

2. PRIORITISE


Are you tempted to get the small things of the list because it makes you feel like you have done more? That’s inefficient busy-ness! Order your list from most important to least and start at the top.


What causing the most overwhelm?

The most stress?

The most reluctance to actually do?


That’s where you start. You will feel SO MUCH BETTER getting the important or stress causing priorities off the list rather than the little bitty quick bits.

 

3. TIME BLOCK


This is an AMAZING TOOL to keep you accountable, is use your time wisely, to not spend too long on a task.


Timetable by splitting your day into sections and put the tasks in a section.


Give yourself time deadlines to do the tasks so that they don’t spill into the rest of your day and reduce your efficiency.

 

4. DON'T TRY TO MULTI-TASK


We can’t truly and thoroughly multi-task. We can’t write an email whilst planning dinner right?


You will get much more done FOCUSSING ON ONE THING AT A TIME than trying to flit from thing to thing to thing.

 

5. GIVE YOURSELF BREAKS


You need to rest!


Timetable breaks for a walk, for a healthy lunch, for a chat with a friend, for whatever you need.


We are so much more productive when we allow our brain to REJUVENATE even for as little as 10-15 minutes.

 

If this article has struck a cord with you, perhaps you recognise that you procrastinate and would love to change but find it tricky to get started on a new path, please contact me for a free mini 121 to chat about ways I might be able to help.


And don't forget to join my mailing list for more tips on money and time management!


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