I recently read about a survey (by the University of Chicago) 
which suggested that those who relish challenge are more likely 
to live up to 10 years longer than those who spend their lives 
inhibited by timidity.

Trying to realise our ambitions, even if we don’t always meet 
them, is preferable to not having the courage or motivation to 
take the risk. So not making any resolutions because we fear 
that we’ll break them is having a defeatist attitude, as we 
allow procrastination to become an insidious habit which stops 
us from leading more fulfilling lives.

The following offers 10 ways to kick the procrastination habit!

1. Personal values development. Take the time to find out what 
   you really want in life, what your personal values are. Do 
   you want more time, more money, better health, greater self 
   esteem and confidence, more fulfilling relationships, a 
   different career, set up a business? When we procrastinate 
   it’s often because what we are planning to do is not really 
   aligned with what we truly want. We may be scared of our 
   skills (or perceived lack of) or fear ridicule from others.

2. Make health a priority. Without good health we are less 
   likely to have the energy and dynamism needed to make 
   positive changes in our lives and it’s easier (and necessary 
   if you’re very ill) to procrastinate. So ensure that you 
   have a nourishing diet, sleep well, exercise and meditate. 
   Incidentally, it is thought that regular meditation helps 
   delay the worst effects of the ageing process.

3. Visualise your life without procrastination. See and feel 
   the benefits in your life if you didn’t procrastinate. What 
   could you do and achieve? Begin to act as if you’re not a 
   procrastinator. Write down, draw, imagine your life as a 
   film. Use affirmations to help you.

4. Banish the Gremlin. That little voice which runs on auto in 
   your head – that dismisses any idea that you might have. It 
   says things like “I’m not in the mood” “I don’t have time” 
   “I can’t do this”. Stop running on auto, replace the 
   “should’s” “oughts” “have tos” with “want to” “desire”. You 
   have a choice. Acknowledge your choices and banish the 
   Gremlin. Again, using affirmations can help you replace the 
   Gremlin with more positive alternatives.

5. Overcommitment. Saying “yes” to everything – often leaves 
   you feeling tired and without the energy to focus on what 
   is most important to you. This leads to procrastination as 
   projects and tasks are dropped. Identify what is most 
   important to you and only focus on those areas which will 
   make the biggest difference to your life. It will enhance 
   your focus and motivation.

6. Setting personal professional goals. It’s hard to motivate 
   yourself when you don’t have a good idea of what you want to  
   accomplish. So when setting goals think about what you want  
   to achieve in the short term and long term. Techniques for  
   doing so include the SMART strategy. S = specific M =  
   measurable A= Action R = Realistic T = Time based. Use goal  
   setting software to help you in goal planning and setting.

7. Prioritize Your Goals. Develop a plan or schedule to help  
   you reach your goals. In doing so you will begin to identify  
   whether some elements need to be included or enhanced or  
   dropped completely. Also remember to be flexible, revisit  
   your goals regularly and modify or drop if appropriate. Just  
   because a goal is written down doesn’t mean that it is set  
   in stone!

8. Divide and conquer. Once you’ve prioritised your goals,  
   divide them into smaller chunks. Sometimes we procrastinate  
   because a project seems really large that the scale of it  
   overwhelms us and puts us into a temporary form of paralysis  
   – you don’t know where to start, so you don’t start at all!  
   Approach each project – especially large ones – on a step by  
   step basis.

9. Reward yourself. Once you start to complete tasks, reward  
   yourself by giving yourself something that you want. So  
   instead of seeing a film before you complete a task, see  
   it afterwards and make it a reward for you.

10. Just get started. No excuses. Don’t wait until you’re “in  
   the mood”. The mood never comes! It is a clever camouflage  
   and a delaying tactic. What you resist persists! Start with  
   what is easiest, so that you experience immediate success,  
   which will give you the fuel and motivation to upgrade and  
   take on larger projects.

Do any of the above and you’ll be well on your way to Kicking 
the Procrastination Habit. And if you’re procrastinating over 
doing any of the above :.), then remember that life is the 
biggest deadline of all!