Hello this is Andrea Cairella Licensed Professional Counselor and Relationship Consultant on True
Potential TV the place where you can nurture your relationship, transform your life, and
enhance your wellbeing. Today we have a question from Heather and
she writes, I procrastinate and getting easily distracted by low priority tasks and put off
important tasks until the last minute? I tend to set such high and unrealistic expectations
for myself that my endless list of tasks leaves me feeling overwhelmed and exhausted. Can
you help me get a jump start to overcoming procrastination so I know how to avoid procrastination?
Thank you Heather for your question, and if any of you out there are tired of being in
overdrive going 100 mph and would like to recharge your batteries, you have come to
the right place. These helpful tips will steer you back down Time Management Highway so you
know how to overcome procrastination immediately and begin enjoying the scenery along the way.
One way to overcoming procrastination is: 1. Rate Your Current Time Management Skills-
On a scale from 1- 10, 1= no time management skills and 10= excellent time management skills,
rate the level of your current time management proficiency and then a description for each
subsequent level. For example, if your score is 5 you might describe the next number 6
as gaining awareness of what distracts you, learn how to redirect yourself, track how
you spend your time, and eliminate time wasters. Continue describing each number all the way
to 10. Since you have to know where you are going on the map in order to get to your destination,
creating a clear idea of where you want to go is an important first step.
How you can avoid procrastination is to: 2. Limit Yourself To 3 To-Do's Per Day: Often
when we are learning to manage our time or learning anything new and different, we need
to start small and practice the basic fundamentals. By limiting yourself to 3 to-do's you will
learn how to both set realistic expectations and lay down the basic foundations to this
new way of managing your time effectively. You can know how to overcome procrastination
by: 3. Track How You Are Currently Spending Your
Time- There are only 24 hours in a day, Once you subtract sleeping (8 hours), preparing
and eating 3 meals (3 hours) , getting ready for the day and bedtime (1-2 hours), self-care
time (1 hour) and getting to and from work, school, etc. (1-2 hours) there is really only
10 hours left approximately. Take a couple of days and track how you are currently spending
your time and see where you can eliminate potential time consuming pitfalls.
4. Eliminate Time Wasters- You can overcome procrastination by becoming consciously aware
of all the distracting time wasters that exist in your life. For example, surfing the internet
and responding to emails. Begin by setting a time limit for internet surfing and only
check your emails 1 time per day. By creating boundaries around these low-priority distractions,
you will begin to not only complete your top priority tasks but also be more focused and
empowered. 5. Prioritize Your Tasks At The Beginning
Of The Day- How you can avoid procrastination is by taking just 10 minutes in the morning
(or the night before) to decide your top priority tasks for the day, you will reduce low-priority
distractions and time wasters that steer you off course down Procrastination Lane.
6. Set Time Limits On Tasks And Stick To Them- Set realistic time limits for each task and
if the clock strikes and the task is incomplete move on to the next task. Although it may
be anxiety provoking for some perfectionists out there to move onto the next task when
the previous task remains incomplete, this will be a helpful tool to change your self-sabotaging
behavior and to become more a disciplined, accountable and effective time manager.
7. Learn To Say No- You can't do it all and you have to say no sometimes. Saying yes solely
out of guilt, obligation or fear of disappointing others are not good reasons for saying yes.
A starting point for learning to say no is developing assertiveness skills. You can begin
to assert yourself by telling the person or yourself that you need some time to think
about it. This will allow you to stop saying yes based on emotions and begin to start saying
yes OR no after careful evaluation. By allowing yourself some time to get into a calm and
clear state of mind you can more rationally evaluate the pros and cons of saying yes or
no. 8. Make Time For Fun- It is important to keep
in mind that life is not just about tasks and work, but also about play time. If you
deny yourself the simple pleasures of life and don't create specific blocks of time for
joyful and stress reducing activities, you will often feel depleted of energy and may
unconsciously sabotage your efforts when you are in work mode. It is vital to your overall
well-being to have some down time where you can take a break, slow down, and enjoy the
scenery. For example, take 5 minutes various times throughout the day to take a walk outside,
stretch or practice a relaxation exercise. Get your body moving by exercising and releasing
some of the built up stress in your body. Nurture yourself by taking a warm bath or
preparing a healthy meal for yourself. Recharge your batteries with a funny movie or just
spending time with people who make you laugh. Now I'd love to hear from you. How have you
overcome procrastination? How did you avoid procrastination? Share your stories tips and
suggestions. As always the best stuff always happens after the episode over at TruePotentialCounseling.com
so go over there and leave a comment now. Did you like this video? If so, subscribe
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time on True Potential TV.