How to Stop Procrastinating and Start Being Productive.

How to Stop Procrastinating and Start Being Productive.

Procrastinating is something that most of us to do on a daily basis.  And in a world that makes money off of procrastinating people by creating addicting television or more addicting Facebook, Instagram and other social networking.  Yeah, I am pointing at you "PINTEREST".  Companies will spend as astronomical amount of money just to keep YOU hooked.  And it works.

Now I am not saying that I have not been enthralled by the grasps of late night pinterest viewing or a late nighter binge of Friends.  And its ok to do this everyone in a while, but when it consumes you every day life then something needs to change and you know it.

 But there are so many great things we can do to motivate us and free up time.  So that you can get back to doing the things in your life that really matter.  And that make you feel proud of yourself when you actually do something rather than avoiding the task at hand that will just make you feel lazy and unsuccessful.

What Causes procrastinating 

1. Distraction. 

2. Telling yourself you will just do it later. 

3. Fear of failure. 

4. Fear of imperfection-ism.

5. Not prioritizing 

6.  Saying you deserve this.  Sometimes this is ok.  But doing it too much can be and issue. 

1. Starting your day with a good habit. 

Instead of giving your self a boost of procrastinating every single morning. Power through and get up the first time you hear your alarm.  It will help your whole day.  Get up, take a shower(It will help wake you up if your not a morning person) and drink a nice cup of hot coffee. 

I like to have a project that I have previously committed to that I plan on doing in the hours before my kids get up. So if i get up at 4 AM I have 2-3 hours to do whatever I want. I MEAN what "mom" out there doesn't want a little tinny bit of time to herself.  I sure do!!
I also plan out how I will spend my time.

   1.  So first off a grab myself a cup of coffee, sit down in my favorite chair and read my bible and devotion for an hour.
   2.   Second I work on my blog for an hour to and hour and a half.  I also make sure o get my first quart of water in.  Maybe even listen to a podcast to motivate me further or learn.
   3. And if I am feeling extra motivated I like to write a bit, but this one doesn't happen all the time.

Now just because I get up at four doesn't mean you have to get up that early but it does help heighten your brain power and helps you function throughout the day.

2.  Don't start something that you know you will have a hard time stopping 

"Its effortless to stop something if you don't start it in the first place"

Sometimes its just easier to hold off getting on your phone or turning on the tv.  Because you know that once you turn on your favorite show you will just want to watch one more episode, and then another and the next thing you know you have wasted hours of time that you will never get back. 

If you know you have a problem with it and have a really hard time stopping just do something that you aren't addicted to.  

3.  Plan Ahead 

Planning ahead can help you stay sane. Weather its having a daily planner or planning ahead on birthday parties, even dinner and just your everyday tasks. 

 It will help you know whats happening in your life and feel less flustered or even stressed.  Having stability in your life will do wonders. and it involves way less effort than stressing about something you forgot or didn't fully plan. 

One way you can easily do this is to spend a couple minutes a day (or once a week) writing down what you want to accomplish that day or week or month.  This will help you have a order in your daily life and feel more organized

4.  Make lists. 

Make to do lists, grocery lists, literally anything lists.   Yeah I know it's a little old school but I do this almost everyday because I am constantly forgetting what I was going to do that day.  Which is not that big of a deal if you just planned on dusting but if you forget an appointment or bill that is due(something I am always doing). 

As a mom I think that kids take some of your brain sells because I never expected it to be this bad.  And a couple months back a old friend of mine and myself  tried to get together so we could catch up and our boys could play together.  And you know what?  We BOTH forgot. I mean totally spaced it.  I went shopping and she never remembered.  So if we forget that what else am I forgetting on a daily basis. 

5. Make a routine 

Making a routine will help you get more into a habit.  And habits will help you keep busy.  

Try getting up at the same time every day and make it a routine.  Yes there will be days that you cant keep to your routine but having an order to your daily activities will make you feel better about yourself and less time to procrastinate. 

6. Be Flexible 

Being flexible will be a huge part of being organized and eliminating procrastinating.  Just because you have have your day planned out doesn't mean you can't have some flex room or even down time. 

Since it is a good thing to have your daily activities planned out give yourself some leg room.

For instance if you plan on getting up early and lets say clean.  Ok? You plan to get up at 5 and clean for and hour straight before the kids get up.  Instead of cleaning the whole time and completely tiring yourself out or even procrastinating right off the bat.  Why don't you try getting up an hour earlier and clean for an hour and then do something for you for the next half an hour.   This way you have you get what needs to be done, and You don't end up running your cleaning time.

This 30 Minutes will also be your grace period.  So if the cleaning takes you longer than you think it can just run into the 30 flex minutes and you wont be late to with any other priorities.

And just because I said cleaning doesn't mean its always cleaning.  You can put this practice with any tasks you have to do. 

7. Make sure you leave time for you

You time is very important! And you don't realize it sometimes until you actually get some time to yourself or worse yet you have a meltdown.  And those can happen a lot in the high stress environment of taking care of little people.

 When you have 1 or more children following you around all day continuously saying MOM, MOM, MOM, MOM, MOM, MOM,  And hiding in the bathroom just doesn't cut it, you know its time for some actually alone time.  Get a babysitter or have your husband or grandparents take the kids for the evening and go relax

Here are some ideas:

1. Listen to music
2. Read a book
3. Take a bath
4. Have a actual HOT cup of coffee (None microwave)
5. Go see a movie
6. Sing along to your favorite show. (It is relaxing)
7. Take a nap
8. Do a puzzle

8. Motivate yourself.

Motivating goes a long way.  If can get you pumped up as well as keep you going throughout the day.  Listen to some upbeat music. Look at something that motivates you (for me its pinterest). 

9. Imagine the feeling when your finished

The feeling when you have accomplished what you have spent time on, and you get to look at what you have finished is one of the greatest feeling. 

 Looking over a freshly cleaned floor is pure bliss even though you know it will only be clean for the next 2.5 seconds before your littles come inside with a fresh mud pie that they are dying to give you. 

Imagine the couch with no laundry on it or the sink with no dirty dishes.  

This will help you get done what needs to be done. 

10. Take it one step at a time. 

Taking it one step at a time can help you accomplish all of your daily task instead of just trying to do everything at once and never finishing anything.

Make a list of everything you want to do that day and just take each task to the finish before you start on your next.  And make sure that you check each task that you finish.  Writing that little check mark will also motivate you to complete that checklist

11. Two minutes rule. 

If you need to procrastinate give your self a two minute rule. Give yourself two minutes to procrastinate and then proceed to do your task. 

Don't get to overwhelmed

There will always be days that you will not being able to get everything done and make sure you don't dwell on those days.  We are human and can't be perfect and you know what? It's OK!
Just remember you are an amazing person. 

Thank You so much for supporting me and reading my writings.
And as always if you have any questions feel free to ask me or give me any input.