Banish procrastination

To get goals accomplished, you need more than good intentions. Even with the purest of motivations, you can delay success in your life because you have failed to be disciplined and strategic in your actions. The main culprit for most of us is a mindset of procrastination. With effort and determination, you can overcome procrastination's stifling effects and see the manifestation of your goals. Below are a few ways you can begin to better manage your time, stir yourself to action, and achieve your goals.

Alter your environment -  Often times our working and living spaces aren't planned out in such a way that is conducive to productivity or they don't reflect the mood we need to feel motivated enough to work in. You can change that by:

• Redesigning your work or living space to make it more efficient.
• Keeping out of sight any items that tempt you to procrastinate, i.e. remove the television from the work area or store snack foods on higher shelves so as to not be able to easily reach them.
• Create an ambiance with candles, your favorite genre of music, and pictures of loved ones or past vacations to make the space more relaxing and one that you want to spend time in.
• Turn off the ringers on your telephones.

Use technology to your advantage - These days, most people use smart phones that are designed to perform a variety of functions. Computers and household appliances have increasingly taken on more automated tasks. Here are ways to be more tech efficient:

• Use your phone's calender feature to schedule tasks and push through alerts 2 days then 2 hours before they are due as reminders.
• Find apps that store essential information so you don't spend needless time looking for it (Awesome Note), provides reading materials so you save time and money (The New York Times app), or simplifies your life (bill pay - AT&T, or going out - Fandango), etc. 
• Schedule your coffee maker to automatically begin brewing 5 minutes before your alarm is scheduled to sound as to entice yourself out of bed.

Set limits - Without order in our lives, chaos reigns. There needs to be boundaries set to ensure that we maintain balance and productivity. Here's how:

• Set your timer on your phone to limit how long calls last.
• Only allow for a maximum amount of a certain food and remove any remaining items from sight once that maximum has been reached.
• Only check your email at certain intervals throughout the day.
• Set aside certain tasks for designated days of the week instead of trying to do them spontaneously.

Reward yourself - Most of us respond positively to incentive programs. Why not try it at home or work with yourself? Decide to delay gratification of a particularly pleasing activity until you have completed one or two that are essential, but not really enjoyable.

• Delay a shopping trip until you have successfully maintained a balanced diet and worked out consistently.
• Treat socializing as a bonus once you have done all that you were responsible for doing that day.
• Before purchasing any nonessential item, make sure all bills have been paid and a savings deposit has been made.

Change the way you think and speak - This is perhaps the most powerful tool. Our language is dictated by how we think. And our thoughts are determined by our outlook. Train yourself to think more positively and envision yourself completing your goals. When you speak, speak of your strengths and your plans for getting your goals accomplished. Allow the vision for your goals to dominate any discussion on that particular topic.

There are many more ways to alter your procrastination mindset slowly but surely so as to banish it altogether. Start small knowing that it is a process that will take time. You were not born a procrastinator and you don't have to remain one if you don't want to be. Value your goals enough to do everything within your control to see them through!

I want to hear from you: If there is a particular life issue/question you have and want to see it addressed, let me know. Also, I welcome any feedback you may have regarding how I can be of greater service to you through this medium. Leave comments below or email me at info@liferevolutioncoaching.com.