STING Procrastination

When you hear the word "sting", don't you get an unpleasant feeling? You probably thought of a bumble bee, a wasp or even a scorpion. Who in their right mind really wants to get stung? Nobody! And procrastination is no different. In fact, if you STING procrastination enough times, it probably won't hang around you any more. Won't that be nice! So let me tell you how to do it:

S - Select one task.

Select one task that you have been putting off. It could be something as simple as cleaning the kitchen or as complex as doing your taxes. Break it down and select one small piece of it if it is a large or complicated task and just focus on that for now.

T - Time yourself.

Set a time limit to work on the task. I recommend one hour for adults and 15 to 30 minutes for children depending on their age and attention span. Use a kitchen timer so you don't have to watch the clock.

I - Ignore everything else.

Don't answer the phone or check your e-mail during this time. Focus only on what needs to get done and don't give in to tempting distractions.

N - No breaks.

Work straight through to keep the momentum going. Keep on pushing yourself right up until the timer goes off or the task is completed.

G - Give yourself a reward.

Once the timer goes off, you are done whether the task is fully completed or not. The object wasn't so much to get everything done in this amount of time, but to overcome the procrastination and start making progress. If you do that, you win! And every winner deserves to be rewarded for their efforts. For more on this topic, and even some suggestions of rewards, see my Reward Yourself! posting.

That is how you STING procrastination!
S - Select one task.
T - Time yourself.
I - Ignore everything else.
N - No breaks.
G - Give yourself a reward.

If you practice this every day, procrastination will be but a distant, unpleasant memory!