Tips to Eliminate Procrastination

It took me a while but I finally got around to writing down these ideas on how to avoid procrastination. Seriously many of us put of mind numbing or unpleasant tasks for as long as we can. These tips really can help - they are basically how productive people naturally live their lives - but the more important goal is to change on a deeper level - not just to make this external change, but to change from within so that these external tips come naturally as part of who you are... so that it is natural to take action, be productive, and successful. Procrastination will kill your dreams,so if your procrastination is holding you back from reaching the success you know you deserve then start here.

1. Eliminate distractions. Avoid mindless Web browsing, stop checking social media, lock your door, get out of your inbox and stop looking at email -- whatever it takes to focus, do it. In fact, avoid your phone altogether by leaving it in another room. This will help you focus on the task at hand.
2. Make time for breaks. Focusing on a task for a long period of time can burn you out. This makes procrastination inevitable. To avoid a burnout, schedule regular intervals of breaks. Don’t stay sitting at your desk -- take a walk, grab a snack or drink, and take a moment to recharge. I tend to work best in 60- to 90-minute intervals, with breaks in between.
3. Set goals. How are you supposed to know where you’re going without a road map? Setting goals will allow you to understand what you need to accomplish. To avoid procrastination on all fronts, write down even the smallest tasks as goals.
4. Break tasks down. Hefty tasks are certain to be avoided. Break down large goals into smaller steps to make the journey to completion more doable. For example, if you have to build a website, break down every step in the process and prioritize them. Sometimes it comes down to tricking your brain into the ease of a project.
5. Prioritize. Certain tasks will always hold more priority than others. As a rule of thumb, I always try to knock the most challenging tasks out first. Putting a challenging task at the bottom of your to-do list is certain to kick you into procrastination mode. Stay motivated and productive by tackling a challenge early.
6. Stop chasing perfection. Getting things done shouldn’t involve mastering perfection, so quit doing this! The more time you spend fine-tuning and nitpicking, the more time you’re actually procrastinating on the rest of your to-do list. Go with your gut when it comes being finished with a task.
7. Evaluate your timing. When was the last time you evaluated the time you spent on a project? Assessing your timing on a variety of tasks will help you learn the severity of procrastination habits. This will also allow you to improve. On your next project, keep track of the time it took you to complete and what, if anything, stalled you during the process.