5 Secrets That Will Break Your Procrastination Habit

Several weeks ago, I spoke to an organization in my local area. At the end of my presentation, I offered the audience members a one time only special -- if they e-mailed me that day, I would send them a free copy of my ebook on procrastination prevention, One Moment in Time. I emphasized the fact that they had to e-mail me that day for the offer to be valid. 

Several people sent e-mails immediately. One lady approached me afterwards and said: “Eric, I have a serious problem with procrastination, so I will e-mail you sometime tomorrow to get your ebook!” 

This encounter inspired me to share with you my five secrets to overcoming procrastination. They are listed under the following acronym: “G.R.E.A.T” I chose this acronym because you will feel GREAT after implementing these techniques. 

1. (G) Gratitude -- Dedicate the first thirty minutes of your day to making a thank youlist and reflecting on everything in your life for which you are grateful. I have discovered that doing this makes you feel better. When you feel better, you tend to be more proactive and less likely to procrastinate.


2. (R) Recognize – By recognize I mean recognize your power times. We each have a genetic clock that allows our energy to peak at certain times of the day. For example, I am a morning person because early in the morning is the time of day when I have the most energy. 
   
   The key to success is to schedule your highest priority activities during the times of day that you have the most energy. If you attempt to complete a high priority task when you have low energy levels, you will be more likely to procrastinate.


3. (E) Exercise -- According to the National Institute of Health Statistics, the higher a person’s income, the more likely they are to have a regular exercise routine. Habitual exercise produces endorphins in the body that give you the feeling of a “natural high”. As previously stated, the better you feel, the more proactive you will be.


4. (A) Automation – This is the mentality of always looking for ways to free yourself from activities that take time away from your priorities. If you delegate those tasks that are necessary but of low priority, you have an automation mindset. Utilizing a virtual assistant to handle administrative tasks is a great example of this mind set.


5. (T) Task Lists – Get in the habit of making a list at the end of the day of your priorities for the following day. I have found that this helps me to sleep better at night because once I put the tasks on paper, my mind is clear. You will wake up with a game plan, instead of hitting the snooze button.

So there you have it. If you implement the five tips just mentioned, you will maximize your time, minimize your stress, and break the habit of procrastination. Have a G.R.E.A.T day! 

Sincerely,
Eric M. Twiggs
Your Procrastination Prevention Partner

PS. If you found this to be helpful, feel free to share it using the social share buttons at the bottom of the page. 

What Scares You?

“If you want something that you have never had, you must be willing to do something that you have never done.”

Thomas Jefferson

In 1998 actress Helen Hunt had reached the very top of the acting profession. She won the highly coveted Oscar for her role in the movie As Good As It Gets. She was asked by a reporter, what she planned to do for her next role. While her answer surprised me, it also helped me realize why she reached the top. She said, “I will choose the role that scares me the most." 

You Validate What You Fail to Confront
Fear is at the root of procrastination. I have discovered that people are most afraid of the unknown territory. The problem is that your goals and dreams reside at the end of the unknown path. You must go down the unfamiliar road to get there! 

For example, everyone would be a millionaire if the requirement was doing what you have always done. What separates the self-made millionaire from everyone else is her willingness to do the uncomfortable. She may be afraid but she faces her fears. Once a fear is confronted, it is no longer unknown. 

What scares you? Is it the thought of speaking in public? Is it the idea of making cold calls to generate sales? Could be the prospect of starting your own business? As you continue to read, I will teach you a technique that will help you face your fear. 

Practice Under Pressure
If you are able to practice in an environment that simulates the risk, you can confront the unknown. For example, back when I was studying karate, I always questioned if what I was learning would apply in a real self-defense situation. Initially, I participated in safe sparring sessions with my friends at the school, but the thought of sparring in an unknown environment scared me. 

To overcome this fear, I entered tournaments against competitors that I did not know at locations with which I was unfamiliar. To my surprise, I won more matches than I lost, and gained an understanding of how I would respond under real pressure. By facing my fear, it was no longer and unknown. 

Anytime I feel anxiety about delivering a big speech, I reflect on my karate experience with the knowledge that I can respond under pressure. What are some ways that you can practice? Below are some scenarios based on the most common fears that I mentioned earlier:

Starting a Business
Before launching out on your own, get a job in the industry that interests you. For example, if you want to open your own restaurant, get a job working at a restaurant so you can understand how they operate, the challenges of owning one, and practice interacting with customers. This would give you valuable experience, and make entrepreneurship less of an unknown. 

Public Speaking
Join an organization such as Toastmasters International where you can practice your speeches in a safe environment. The average club has about 20 members, so you can gain experience speaking in front of a group. You will have more confidence when making a presentation at work because you have already confronted your fears at Toastmasters. 

Cold Calling
Set a minimum goal of how many calls you will make each day and stick to it. Start with an achievable number like three per day in the beginning. If you stay with your plan, your ability will improve and you will find the calls easier to do. The key is to place more focus in completing the three calls each day than on the result of the calls. In 30 days you will have made at least 60 calls. You will be more proficient at call 60 than on the first call.

So there you have it. Doing the thing you fear is a key step to achieving your goals and dreams. If you commit to confrontation, you will be like Helen Hunt and look the part! 

Sincerely,
Eric M Twiggs
Your Procrastination Prevention Partner

PS. To get additional information on how to achieve your goals and dreams, download my ebook. 

How to Move From Long Shot to Legend

“I thought that I was waiting on the right opportunity, but really the right opportunity was waiting on me.”

When I was growing up, I wanted to play in the NBA like Michael Jordan. One day, a “friend” of mine told me that there are 17,500 Division 1 college basketball players. He then told me that out of that number, only 48 actually get drafted to the NBA. That is a staggering statistic. 

Not believing that I had a chance, I practiced procrastination instead of basketball. I thought of myself as a long shot. The basketball world would not be what it is today if Jordan had procrastinated the way I did. Young players from around the world would have to find another source of inspiration. 

Have you ever had a lofty goal, but let someone talk you out of it because of the long odds? Is the fact that 90% of small businesses fail keeping you from pursuing your dream of entrepreneurship? Only a small percentage of books become best sellers. Is this keeping you from becoming an author? Like Mike, you were born with a greatness to contribute. The question becomes, why should you pursue a goal even though the numbers are not on your side? 

Purpose
To answer this question I will share a personal experience. One morning, I arrived at the airport with the goal of catching an early flight. When I got to the security terminal, I discovered that the line was wrapped around the corner with other people that had the same goal. I would surely miss my flight. Then I saw my friend Paul near the front of the line. He motioned for me to come up where he was. We embraced and he let me in front of him. 

Your purpose is like my friend Paul - when you know and embrace it, you can move to the front of the line ahead of others that have the same goal! It would be a tragic shame to let someone talk you out of what you were born to do. Being clear on your purpose and moving forward with passion will allow you to become a legend instead of a long shot. 

Sincerely, 
Eric M. Twiggs
Your Procrastination Prevention Partner

PS. The key to achieving your big dream is accomplishing small daily goals. For additional information on the goal-setting process, download my ebook One Moment in Time. 

How To Procrastinate

“There is never enough time to do everything, but there is always enough time to do the most important thing.”

Brian Tracy

Procrastination is not necessarily a bad thing. Now that I have your attention, let me clarify my point by sharing the following illustration. Several weeks ago while visiting a friend in the hospital, I happened to pass the emergency room. While in the emergency room I noticed an interesting pattern. 

Patients were not being serviced in the order that they arrived. Those that had cold symptoms and minor bruises were forced to wait while the patients with major injuries were taken in immediately. 

There was a Triage Nurse on duty, whose job was to make sure that the injuries with the most urgency received the highest priority. This was not a first come, first served system. The emergency room is a reminder of the fact that your most important priority is not necessarily the first task that comes to your attention. 

Too many of the to do lists that I see are first come first serve. If there is a list of ten items, most people start with the first item on the list. The problem is that the first item may be the least important while item number ten could be urgent. So, how do you determine what is urgent and what can wait? Keep reading and you will learn how to procrastinate. 

Triaging
Triaging is a system for assigning priorities based on urgency. The nurse in the previous illustration is called a Triage Nurse because her main job is to prioritize. 

I truly believe that if you have more than three priorities that you really don’t have any. When I attack my to do’s, I place a star by the tasks that are truly urgent. The star tells me that if there was a power outage and I could not get anything else done, completing this task would make my day a productive one. For me, checking e-mail, checking voicemail, or sending social media communication is not urgent and does not get a star. I can procrastinate on these tasks because they are not priorities. 

Many of the people with whom I work have a habit of checking e-mail first thing in the morning. They react to a message and spend a significant part of their day putting out fires. The problem is that the truly urgent items take a back seat to something that is of lower importance. They either spend more time in the office or ignore what is truly important. 

If you embrace the process of Triaging, you will have more time for your priorities by procrastinating on those tasks that are not urgent. A failure to triage you will cause you procrastinate on your priorities which is never a good thing! So there you have it. If you know someone who can benefit from this week’s message, please share it using the social share buttons at the bottom of this posting. 

Sincerely,
Eric M. Twiggs
Your Procrastination Prevention Partner

PS. For more information on How to Procrastinate, read my ebook. 

Address the Root; Not the Result

"It’s not the towering sail but the unseen wind that moves the ship."

Asian Proverb

Back in my childhood days, I would help my parents by working in the backyard on the weekends.  They provided me with a set of clippers that I used to trim the bushes closest to the house. One day, I came across a weed growing nearby. In an effort to be helpful, I used the clippers to cut the weed so that it was no longer visible. I was proud of myself for eliminating this eye sore in an otherwise beautiful lawn. After several weeks, I was disappointed when I saw that the weed had grown back. The reason the weed grew back was that I failed to cut it at the root. I only dealt with what I saw on the surface. 

Procrastination is like that weed in the backyard. What you see on the surface is not the total picture. The consistent delay and constant lateness represent the surface. If the root cause is not addressed, this habit will continue to appear. Today you will learn the most common root cause of procrastination from my experience and what you can do to deal with it. 

Perfectionism
The root of perfectionism will delay you from beginning a project until you have ALL of the answers.  Everything has to be perfect before the perfectionist gets started.  Sometimes the key to success is to start moving from where you are, and as you move the answers will come.   The solution to perfectionism is to break your major projects down into small and actionable next steps.  As you approach the project, the question you should ask is “What is the next action?” 

For example, if your project is writing a book, the next action may be to select a title.   If you are cleaning the garage, the next action may be to create a throw away pile.   If you are hiring a new employee, the next action may be to create an employment ad.  Each action will put you one step closer to your goal.   The most important aspect of the next action is that it is an observable behavior that is specific.  The following test will help you to determine if your action is specific enough:

Picture Test

If you can take a picture of yourself performing the action, you will know that the action is specific enough. You can take a picture of yourself creating an ad, throw away pile or book title so they each pass the test. Vague steps like trying harder, doing better, and working on it, do not pass the test.

Eliminating perfectionism through clear and observable action steps will help you to address procrastination at its root and improve your results. 

Sincerely,
Eric M. Twiggs
Your Procrastination Prevention Partner 

PS. I am finalizing the world’s most comprehensive e-book on time management for executives and entrepreneurs. Please send me an e-mail with your most pressing time management concern. I will send you a free copy of the e-book as a thank you gift.