The best way to overcome procrastination is to have everything prepared before you get started, something I am personally terrible at. When I start a project it usually is because I had this great idea. Why wait? Jump right in! So halfway through I find I am missing a few things, and sometimes they are so important that I have to have Mark go to the store and get them. While waiting, I lose my ambition and motivation and then I don’t have the desire to finish the job. Have you ever gone to make chocolate chip cookies, and you just think through your list of ingredients before starting instead of checking to see if you have the items? Then you come to the last step, the most important step, the chocolate chips and you remember that you used them last week even though they sat in your cabinet for the last several months untouched! Now you either scramble to get the chips, or you improvise, but the outcome just doesn’t taste quite the same.
Begin by clearing off your space so you have one task in front of you at a time. Make sure you have everything you need to begin, process, and finish your project without having to get up and get distracted. When everything is organized and prepared to get started, it will be that much easier to accomplish or tackle your task. Once you have your area ready, get started immediately. Work hard, work fast, correct later. The biggest enemies we have to overcome on the road to success are not the lack of ability or opportunity, but fears of failure and rejection, and the doubts that they trigger. -Brian Tracy
This chapter is an easy one. Just make sure you are prepared, organized, and not overwhelmed so you can accomplish your tasks in an efficient and timely manner.
Start by taking a look at your desk or office. The cleaner and neater your work environment, the easier it will be for you to want to work in that area, thus resulting in more accomplished tasks. So take some time today and spruce up your work area. Make it an attractive space that you will enjoy and want to spend time in.
Happy Thursday!
