Do you find yourself unmotivated and putting things off until the last minute or maybe forever? It’s time to figure out how to stop procrastinating!
We often think we have to wait until January 1st to make big changes and start our goals. But I’m telling you that there is nothing magical about January 1st or simply waiting until next week or next month.
The time to start is now. We lived in our home for 2 years before I finally updated my kitchen cabinets. I knew I wanted to update them with Briwax for over a year, but I kept putting it off. I was afraid it wouldn’t work, or that I wasn’t skilled enough to do it. So I just kept putting it off.
Until one day, I finally ordered the Briwax and made my plan of action. It only took my 2 days to finish the cabinets, and I couldn’t believe I had waited SO long to start. A project I had been putting off for years was finished in 2 days!
But that’s just one thing, there are things every day that are easy to put off. When I first became a stay at home mom, I’d put off doing the dishes or laundry until the end of the week.
Then I had to deal with huge piles of dishes and laundry. However, I’ve learned the secret to getting motivated and stop procrastinating. I even created an entire online course called The Motivated Homemaker.
So let’s jump into some practical tips to get you accomplishing more and procrastinating less!
How to Stop Procrastinating
1. Understand WHY you are procrastinating.
In order to make lasting change, you have to understand WHY you are procrastinating in the first place.
So ask yourself some questions:
- Am I overwhelmed?
- What is stopping me from starting?
- Am I afraid of the outcome?
- Are you feeling low on energy?
- Am I afraid of failing?
Maybe more than one of these questions resonate with you. It may be a combination of feeling overwhelmed and low on energy. Once you have addressed why you are procrastinating, you can take action. The following steps will help you.
2. Focus on one thing at a time.
If you try to change your whole life at one time, it could become overwhelming. Maybe there are several goals you didn’t accomplish this year, that’s okay.
Don’t become discouraged at what didn’t get done. Instead, choose one task to focus on.
You will be more likely to finish one task if you put your mind to it, rather than trying to do so much that you end up not even completing one.
Maybe the whole house is a mess and it feels overwhelming, so you don’t do anything. Instead of putting off cleaning your home, pick one room or one corner to clean. It could be as simple as clearing off the dining table or washing all the dirty dishes.
Only pick one task to focus on at a time, then once that is done, move on to the next task to accomplish.
3. Make a plan.
After you have chosen your one task, now it is time to break it into manageable steps. What is the process needed to accomplish your goal?
Here’s what I wrote down for my pantry makeover:
- Peel the contact paper off the shelves.
- Wipe down the shelves.
- Divide food into categories.
- Assign a category to each shelf
- Put food back on designated shelf
If you have a huge task like cleaning the house, break it down to each room. Maybe you want to start by cleaning the kitchen. Look around at everything that needs to be done and write it all down.
This will give you clear direction and you will be able to cross off each step as it is completed. Crossing things off a list is motivation to keep going! And if you need more cleaning motivation, there are a few other things you can do found in this post.
4. Start with the first step.
I was not able to finish my pantry project at one time. But I was able to spend time here and there throughout the day for a couple of days until it got done. I had to be intentional with my time and simply take the first step.
The same is true for you. You will never get to the last step, until you have started with the first step. Think about what you want to accomplish and work your way backwards from your goal until you get to the very first thing that must be done.
What is the first step? Do it. Then take the second step. Before you know it, you’ll have the momentum you need to get the job done. Decide today that you will start your project even it means just a small step. Those small steps add up.
You’ll look back and see how far you have come!
I like to think about the law of motion that we all learned in high school Physics class. “An object in motion will stay in motion.” The same is true for you. You are more likely to accomplish a task once you have started it.
That’s why I believe how you start your day sets the tone for the rest of the day. Be sure to have a productive morning routine in place, so you begin the day without procrastinating.
What have you been putting off? It’s time tp stop procrastinating and accomplish the things that are important to you. If you have been wanting to drink more water, start with the next beverage. Replace whatever it is with water.
If you want to clean your kitchen, go to your kitchen the next time you have a few minutes instead of scrolling your phone or watching TV.
You may not be able to designate an entire afternoon or evening to your project, but 10 minutes every day adds up to an hour a week!
5. Gain energy by taking care of yourself.
Sometimes we procrastinate simply because we are tired and have no energy. If you don’t have the physical or mental energy to devote to a task, you’ll put it off.
A way to combat that is through self care. Two of the best things you can do is get enough sleep and drink water. Those two things are free to do, but often the most overlooked.
Start following an evening routine to go to bed on time. This will help you not be so tired and you’ll be less likely to stay on the couch. To drink more water, replace sodas and sugary drinks with water throughout the day. You’ll notice an immediate boost of energy when you drink water!
Put these 5 simple steps into actin and you will be on your way to becoming more productive and procrastinating less!
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