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time management Jule Magazine

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Written by Michelle Kaiser | We’ve all been there—the dragging feet, the urgent need to check email every five minutes, the search for any excuse to do online shopping on company time. Procrastination can get the best of us, but what happens when it becomes a habit? Twenty percent of people call themselves “chronic procrastinators” — people who frequently pull all-nighters to meet deadlines, don’t pay their bills on time, and even miss out on fun activities because they put off making plans or buying tickets.

Chronic procrastination isn’t just laziness. It’s a psychological issue that can lead to major physical and emotional problems, not to mention hours of productive time lost each day. But don’t worry if you find yourself in this category. You can overcome your procrastinating ways and make for a progressive future. Here are a few ways to beat the procrastination blues and start getting things done today.

1. Nip your habit in the bud.

Learn to recognize when procrastination is about to kick in. Are you starting to look at the related story links on the side of your web page? Is your hand reaching towards your phone to text your sister? Do you start to rationalize that you can just do it tomorrow? Stopping procrastination before it starts is much easier than waiting for it to kick in. Take a walk, move to a fresh location, or start a new project to distract yourself. Even if you feel you can only muster up the strength to work on a project for a few minutes, go for it—getting started is the hardest part.

2. Make your tasks manageable.

A major cause of procrastination is that people want to achieve something big, but they just don’t know where to start. Break an intimidating project into manageable pieces and create a to-do list with each small step. But don’t put things on the list you know you will do anyway—challenge yourself with things you know will be a struggle to cross off. It can also help to prioritize your projects and work on one to-do list item at a time, instead of bouncing between projects and making no real progress. If it helps, attach time frames to each step to give yourself check up goals along the way to make the entire process less intimidating.

3. Reward yourself!

Give yourself a reward each time you can  cross something off your list. It doesn’t need to be big—even just a five minute break or allowing yourself to quickly call a friend or check your email can be motivation enough. Connecting something you enjoy with a task that is hard to get started creates a habit of not procrastinating and will make that task less formidable in the future. You know yourself, so pick a goal that will really push you. But don’t be afraid to take a break if you know you aren’t working your hardest. It’s better to step away and come back fresh than twiddle away time procrastinating.

4. Use the buddy system.

People tend to be more responsible and proactive when they are held accountable. So tell your goals and project details to a friend or co-worker and then have them check in on you. If you are feeling especially brave, post your progress on social media for the Internet to see. You can even partner with a procrastinating pal to keep each other on track—just make sure they don’t turn into an enabler.

Remember, chronic procrastination is hard to break. Don’t be too hard on yourself if you find yourself slipping off the bandwagon. Follow these steps to jump back on and you will be on your way to a better, healthier life.