Avoiding Procrastination - Simple Steps To Plan Out Your Life More Effectively

“You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” -Martin Luther King Jr.

Procrastination is one of the most common pitfalls many find themselves stumbling into. There are many factors in our lives that can contribute to putting things off until the last minute, despite the best of intentions. Even the most well organized person can fall into the trappings of letting things pile up-not by choice, but by being pulled in way too many directions.

Obviously the thought of completing a mundane or unpleasant task makes us want to hit the pause button and turn to more exciting and promising ventures. Which of these do you most relate to?

Out of sight, out of mind: You find yourself putting major projects aside until you can fully devote your attention to it, and instead it gets lost in the shuffle.

“I’ll get around to it”: You keep telling yourself you are going to carve out a chunk of time, but that time never arrives and when it does, you simply don’t feel like doing it.

Adrenaline junkie: You love an adventure, and thrive on self-created chaos, and even if you get tired of it, can’t seem to find a way out of always being in a whirlwind.

Overload mode: It is hard to know exactly where to begin and there are simply way too many steps involved to carry out the project so you have trouble even getting started.

Disruptions: Every time you set out to something, you are interrupted, distracted or something more pressing comes up.

As life becomes more demanding and our schedules more complex, it takes a lot to overcome the cycle of being frantic and not keeping up. Being a procrastinator can lead to unnecessary stress. See which of these ideas work best for you:

Map it out: Use a large dry erase board to chart out short and long-term goals and projects. Color code them and put dates of completion in clear sight. Calendars, planners and lists work well too. Find a way to use visual means to see what you have to do in nearby site.

Don’t let it pile up: Avoid the temptation to put everything into piles. Most of it stays buried and you may miss important deadlines. Too much clutter can add fuel to the procrastination fire.

Don’t delay: If you get something done right away do so-try and handle things only once or the least possible amounts of time. If you have to keep pulling something out, you waste time retracing your steps.

Divide and Conquer: Break things into smaller chunks and tackle step by step. It is often very difficult to start something, but once you do, you can take it more systematically, building momentum as you go.

Delegate: If there are things you are not good at or simply do not have time to accomplish, don’t be afraid to enlist the support of someone who has the resources to help you along.

Whether you are a procrastinator or just a super-busy person, try and work out a system that suits you best. Don’t wait for tomorrow to try! It’s never too late to stop being a procrastinator.

Kristen Lee Costa, LICSW is the founder of Helping Helpers, dedicated to providing life-changing resources for professional and personal development. Visit http://www.helpinghelpers.com for access to innovative tools for therapists, teachers, nurses and those in helping professions. Kristen provides a clinical blog, called “Kristen’s clog” with everyday stress management guidance.

For the past decade, Ms. Costa has worked with numerous individuals, families and non-profit organizations to create positive change.

A graduate of Boston University, Ms. Costa has raised over eight million dollars in grant funding within her community. Ms. Costa is an experienced speaker, writer and therapist with a passion for advocacy and education.

Kristen speaks to professional and general audiences in a variety of settings. She is convincing, with her direct, warm, down-to-earth style and creative flare that allows audiences to enjoy learning. Titles include “Finding Balance in An Unbalanced World”, “Is There a GPS for My Stress?”, “Not a Bird, Not a Plane…SUPER-Vision”, and “Say What You Mean and Mean What You Say: Grant Strategies That Work”. Interactive, fine-tailored presentations are offered for each audience served.

In addition to professional grant writing, Kristen’s range of expertise includes composition of a variety of clinical resources for patients, speech and seminar writing, newspaper articles, and currently a book manuscript titled “Flung-Over: Overcoming The Intoxication Of Too Much To Think©” to be published. Kristen has appeared on local radio and provided community presentations to raise awareness surrounding emotional wellness.

A lifelong New Englander, Kristen has many never-ending winters and fly-by summers under her belt. She currently lives in Massachusetts with her husband and children, who inspire and enrich her. Kristen’s life mission is to encourage others to be HELPERS, and to equip them with innovative resources to help themselves and others better.

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