How to Stop Procrastinating?

First, realize that you do not have to deal with it alone

Do you procrastinate? Has it caused you problems? Has it cost you money, by paying bills or filing taxes late. If so, you are not alone. Many studies have shown that over 20% of adults procrastinate. If you are still in college, 70% of you do so. You have probably tried to stop procrastinating, but haven’t been able to, and your tendency to put things off is still a problem.

The definition of procrastination is putting off a task despite knowing that you will be worse off for it, but what is procrastination for an individual changes on a person by person basis . It is not totally unreasonable to choose to do something more pleasurable, like watch a ballgame or go shopping rather than preparing your taxes. A part of you knows that it is a poor decision, that the piper will have to be paid, and another part of you says, “Don’t worry. I’ll do it later”. Later doesn’t occur until it is either very late or even too late. 8.3 million people fail to file tax returns on time.

Why do people procrastinate and how can they stop?

There are different kinds of tasks we put off and different reasons we don’t do them. There are those that cause us discomfort such as anxiety or stress. Then there are those that cause problems with others, who might have been counting on you doing something by a certain time or who get annoyed that they have to pick up the slack you create. There is also the money it costs. Other than the larger, more noticeable consequences like having to pay a higher interest rate on credit cards or being turned down for a mortgage, there are the less noticed charges that add up to significant amounts. You might have received a gift you can’t stand, and you put off returning it until the store will not accept it back. You have a trip planned, but delay buying plane or train tickets. When you finally try to book it, the price is exorbitant.

As these examples show, there are a variety of reasons people delay their responsibilities.

We have developed a scientific way to stop your procrastination. You may have tried to do something about it before, but there are good reasons nothing has helped. However, as long as you are willing to ask, “why do I procrastinate?” then we can help. There are 20 different causes of procrastination. Each type requires a different intervention.

We start by identifying the type you have. Then we show you structured, behavioral steps to stop your unproductive hesitation once and for all. Another part of our program is remote support to help you after you learn the techniques. When you plan a specific task, you will receive periodic texts to remind you and reinforce your changes. You can also get personalized support.

Don’t wait any longer.

STOP PROCRASTINATION NOW.

Reasons that people normally procrastinate. Do any of these sound like you?

  1. You are not able to correctly estimate the amount of time for a task. The task takes longer than you think, or you leave too short a time to do it.
  2. You think a task will take too much effort, even if it is a small one.
  3. You avoid tasks that are unpleasant.
  4. You avoid tasks that are difficult.
  5. You are bored by the task and don’t like to do boring things
  6. You don’t do a task because you ­have to, or a version of ‘you can’t tell me what to do”.
  7. You get easily distracted.
  8. You have trouble paying attention and are impulsive.
  9. You have a fear of failing or not doing a good enough job at a task.
  10. You have a fear of succeeding at a task because more will be demanded of you.
  11. You feel that you do enough and deserve a reward, and watch a ball game.
  12. You don’t know where to start on a complicated task.
  13. Your emotions change quickly. You don’t follow through on what you plan.
  14. You believe that you can’t start something until you are in the right mood or inspired.
  15. You think that you work better when you are under pressure.
  16. You are a perfectionist.
  17. You have trouble prioritizing.
  18. You are feeling down or depressed and have no energy.
  19. You don’t go to the doctor or dentist because you are afraid they will find a problem.
  20. You don’t file your taxes or pay bills late because it’s too much work or your information is not organized.

If these sound like you, we can help. CALL US.