Procrastination is a habit, though a habit that can be changed like any other. Procrastination is not infinite or terminal and can be eradicated through the forming of new and productive habits.
It only takes twelve weeks for a new habit to form (see this article) and so in twelve weeks or less you can beat procrastination completely. In fact, simply starting to develop new habits has already beaten procrastination and with repetition it will never come back. The reasons for procrastination may go back many years and could involve fear of failure, criticism from parents or the overwhelming nature of a large project. The root causes do not really matter, for if we reprogram ourselves to think differently, then the procrastination will be over!
One way of stopping procrastination is to take a project and segment it into various pieces. These smaller pieces are thus less overwhelming and one can take one task to complete. It is a good idea to take the smallest and the easiest part and determine to finish it completely before moving on; once achieved you can cross the completed task off the list. The list is actually a very good visual and if you have all tasks written down then the sight of each one being crossed off can give you an emotional boost. This starts to let your sub consciousness know that you can complete a job and that you are productive. Carry this activity on for twelve weeks and you will start to naturally complete tasks without ever worrying about procrastination again.
Another way to stop procrastination is to take up a new activity. Keep it simple and don’t overextend yourself; just choose a simple activity to do every day. It may be a 15 minutes of meditation or stretching exercises or Chi Qong. It can be anything that one can do quickly and easily and that requires little preparation; in fact, the simpler the better.
If you can keep this up for an extended period of weeks and beyond, then you will be training your mind to stick to a plan and it will no longer be used to the old habit of procrastination.
Procrastination is a simple habit that can be broken by simply starting something and carrying it on for its full course. Don’t worry too much as to why you procrastinate, just simply start a new productive habit that prevents procrastination form ever interfering with your life again.
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