How Can One Solve Procrastination Problems?

by 51 replies
61
Hey guys, I know this is one of the biggest mindset problems that most internet marketers face. I myself find it hard sometime to get around completing a task, I always tell myself there is time to do it later.

I enjoy doing Internet Marketing, but sometimes there are times when desire tends to die out and tasks that I have set out suddenly becomes like a burden.

I try to stay Focused by remembering the success I have achieve and the many things I have learned along the way and the desire I have to want to achieve more an become a truly successful Super Affiliate.

What methods can you recommend to overcome Procrastination problems?
#mind warriors #problems #procrastination #solve
  • Well its easy for me, when my mortage or car payment comes in the mail. The time for sitting around and doing nothing ends really quick! LoL Also thought on a more serious note, I see the older baby bommers who all thought they were going to retire at 60 and be just fine, instead a huge percentage of them will now be working till they die. I dont want to be like that, ever.
  • I am with you on this one mate. I have worked from home for 3 years and suffered terribly from proscrastination in the begginning.

    I found that writing up my goals/dreams on a large piece of paper and sticking it on the wall above my desk really helped. I also put up photos of my dream car/house/holiday which really kept me motivated at times when I felt like giving up.

    Steve.
    • [2] replies
    • Write out a to do list each day and leave it on your desk. Check things off as they are finished and don't allow yourself to fool around until they are.

      If you find yourself getting lost taking too much time for things, get one of those desktop timer programs to draw your attention back to what it should be on.

      Get yourself an accountability buddy and tell them what you plan on doing that week (or that day, even). When you talk to them and they ask about how everything went, it's a killer to say "um...gee...nothing".

      Hope these tips help,
      Tina
  • Wow great advice guys, all of you. I definitely have to work on a to-do list, and remind my buddy to keep me in check if I get distracted by other things.

    The photo idea is great also....I currently have a picture of a 1969 Camaro SS as my background on my PC.

    Everytime I see it, i'm reminded that I have to stay focused and get the job done, an soon i'll be rolling in on of those.

    Would be a shame though to work so hard to achieve it an end not controlling the power of that car when i'm behind the wheels
    • [2] replies
    • Procrastination can occur for several reasons: Fear, lack of motivation, laziness, etc.

      What you have to do is not worry so much about procrastination itself, instead try to dig into what the underlying problem is.

      You mentioned you find certain activities a burden and your desire dies out. This could be lack of motivation or lack of belief in what you are doing.

      Maybe you are in the wrong niche? Or maybe you are trying to do stuff you should be outsourcing?

      If it's a motivation issue, here are some things you can do:

      Revisit your life plan. Really figure out what you want to achieve in life. Make this as specific as possible. Determine exactly what success looks like to you and how you FEEL once you achieve it. What does your house look like, where do you live, how often do you travel etc.

      Turn this into a visualization board and place near where you work - look at it daily.

      When you feel procrastination creep up, remind yourself that you are only delaying yourself from reaching your vision.

      Secondly, find meaning in what you are doing and in your vision for success. Often procrastination and lack of action arise when we don't feel like we are really doing the right thing. Another term for this is internal friction.

      To remedy this, focus on the positive things of your goals and in your business. Focus on adding value to your customers lives and how you will use some of your profits to help other people by giving to charities, for example.

      Lastly, lack of organization and poor planning can cause procrastination - Heres how it happens: You don't really know what to work on, so you bounce from one task to another, and never really get anything done.

      This is one way to help fix it: At the beginning of each month, make a plan or series of month-goals. Then, fill out action steps on each day on a daily planner. This way, you can wake up, look at your planner or calendar, and start working - no thinking involved. Trust me, it feels good seeing things getting checked off daily. This is bringing you one step closer to your vision, so its hard to procrastinate.

      Hope this helps!
      • [ 2 ] Thanks
      • [1] reply
    • LOL I did that too, although I prefer 2010 edition. Getting nice wheels is my goal now and it keeps me from procrastinating
      • [1] reply
  • Hi Kerron,

    Have you considered finding a Mentor or someone who is more motivated than you in the IM world, and buddy up with them?

    Even better, a peer group of like-minded driven individuals?

    That way you can lean on and encourage each other to break through your barriers, when you feel your motivation is slipping.


    Jvsnow01.
  • Lol! Any bill have a magic power to make you go to your business.
    Seriously I know really great and well-known method which I use умкн day and it helps me. It's a Parkinson law. You set a tough deadline for a task. Then you create some reasons why you have to achieve it fast, and just say to yourself: "Make it faster, faster." I also imagine how my worst boss comes to me after deadline. All these exercises make me feel a little bit scared and nervous. Believe it or not, but my productivity increases. Would you use this method?
  • Mentors are all well and good but they cost. Billmarket has some great advice here. I 'd add a little more only to this... You need to keep focussed on the bigger picture of your reason(s) WHY you are doing this business and if this business vehicle is gonna get you closer to your goals. If so...it's time to break it down.
    I am using a great little tool online Rememberthe milk.com. Helps pull all the threads of your business life and personal must do lists together AND schedule goals so all the ideas are not running around your head and you can focus more clearly (A tough thing to do in this business where distraction is the name of the game).
    So... set ten annual goals, ten monthly goals , 3 weekly goals, 3 daily goals. BITE SIZE chunks helps you be your own coach. You know whether you ar on track and are able to keep track of where your sticking points are.
    We're all faced with this stuff. stick with it. Get pictures and words around you to reinforce your motivation for keeping going. Read Secrets of a Millionaire Mind and DO the exercises. I set some affirmations on my phone which I listen to walking my dog! Because it's my voice, it reminds me that it's ME that wants this stuff. Go Brother! : )
    • [1] reply
    • I've also found that if there is a problem with my project, I tend to put off working on it. My reasons include: the project seems to be going nowhere, the entire project needs to be rewritten as its focus and content are "off," and last (and most discouraging), it's not going to sell anyway.

      To overcome procrastination, I review the project and zero in on the parts that I don't like or have some doubts and fix them.

      This happened to me recently. After procrastinating a few days, I forced myself to review the flawed project and work on it a bit further. It didn't need that much work after all and I wound up with a product that I truly like and would buy.

      So my point is to take the bull by the horns and see what else you can do about a project that is causing you to procrastinate. Fix its problem(s) and see if you don't like it much better. Doing that will help to reduce at least some procrastination.
  • The key to becoming successful is time management. So you need time efficiency
    The best way to get time efficiency?
    You set you goals.
    The easiest way to reach your goal?

    Have your goals and values aligned.

    That's when your procrastination stops

    Make sure you are completely 100% clear on what your REAL values are in life. If it takes you 3 f ing weeks to figure them all out, tt doesn't matter. You'll always run out of gas if what you are doing isn't aligned with who you are.

    Last key is to set up a clear and static schedule for the day that you are going to accomplish. When it's time for each task, DO IT. Don't run overtime on any task unless it's a MUST. (Or your involved in writing a book. But you should leave a lot of time to spare in these cases then have a back up task if you finish early.) : 0

    P.S: I'm going to be releasing a WSO more about this in February : p
  • the key is to be motivated in anything you do
  • Kerron.a - you need to build a team of raving fans to talk with and urge you on. You and they need to know your goal, and the steps you will take to achieve it.
  • Man, if I lived where you did I'd procrastinate on the beach all the time too. Maybe your best tip is to move to a really uncomfortable climate, like Alaska in the winter and Phoenix in the summer. Then you will have no choice but to stay inside at your desk and get your work done!

    Seriously, procrastination is the response to an idea.
    The idea is: "I must do this, but the difficulty, pain, and likelihood of failure are not really worth it."
    Every time we procrastinate, we do that in response to this thought.
    And if that thought is accurate, then isn't procrastination the most logical form of self-protection?

    To end the behavior, we need to replace that idea with a more useful idea.
    For example: "I must do this, and it will be so worthwhile to have it done already."
    "I have to do this, and I've found the best techniques and help to make it really easy for me."
    "I have to do this, and it might be a hassle but it won't hurt too much considering all the great results I'll have."
    "I've decided to do this, and I'm certainly going to succeed!"
    "I have this big goal, but I'm smart enough to divide it into ten tiny little steps and the first step is easy, so I might as well do it right now!"

    What needs to happen for you to have these kinds of ideas in your mind?

    Chris
  • I had a major challenge with procrastination in the past. Then while at a mastermind I learned of the power of accountability partners. Not only that, but we used accountability sheets that had what we are saying we are going to have done, when it is to be done by, and a consequence if we don't have it done. The key is to have some seriously painful consequences. And when you succeed in your goal, you have to celebrate as well. It's good to have a couple of accountability partners for this too as sometimes just having one will let you get away with it.
    • [ 1 ] Thanks
  • It's all about wanting it bad enough. Whats your burning desire? is that desire something you want so badly that you'll do anything it takes to get it?

    Procrastination can creep in from time to time if you overwhelm yourself with too much work to do. Take time out for R&R then when you're refreshed get back to achieving your dreams.

    Hope that helps

    - Sam
    • [1] reply
    • I battled procrastination problems for years, I come from a long line of procrastinators. Systems like GTD and using TODOIST help me organize my ideas and focus on what needs to be done but lack of motivation usually slows progress and prevents me from reaching my goals. When I see something on a list that needs to be done it doesn't mean I feel like doing that at that moment even though it is what needs to be done. I have developed a way of combating this and accomplishing more on my list.

      I kind of view it like exercise -- It is really hard to get on that treadmill but after the first 10 minutes that feeling passes and you gradually feel good about what you are doing, and when you are done it feels great. In order to develop this same kind of momentum in my daily tasks I have certain activities that are short and essentially mindless that get myself moving. Its like getting your legs moving when you first get on that treadmill. After accomplishing a couple of quick small and non challenging tasks the momentum allows me to ease into the items on my list.

      If lack of motivation rather than organization is a problem you might find this helpful also.
      • [ 2 ] Thanks
      • [2] replies
  • I used to have a day job for 7 years. I liked it but the wage sucked. I could do it though because I was single. After i got married and realized my baby's on the way, I just had to take action to earn more so I became an IMer. So for me my family has been a motivation but I have to admit that I still do fall into the "biz opportunity seeker" category rather than a "biz builder" category. Man, once you fall into the 1st one, it's hard to get out and you keep spending money on products/services that you know it won't do any good deep in side... just like an addiction...

    For me I once hit the rock bottom where i could not even pay for a telephone bill.... and that kicked my butt big time. Now I'm a big fan of "law of attraction" so I have a vision board happening in my office and that's what i look at to keep my focus.
  • Just start doing something - anything. I have found that the
    hardest step for me to take is usually the first one. I get on
    the procrastination kick every day.

    When I feel myself getting to this point (i.e. reading the WF for
    more than 15 minutes), I open up MS Word and just start
    writing an article.

    Before I know it, I am working on my second and third article for the
    day.

    Sometimes the hardest step is the first one, after that it is all
    gravy. At least, that is what has worked for me.
    • [1] reply
    • I thought I would add one more piece of 2 cents to this thread about an organizer system that I think has been life changing for me. If you havent checked out Evernote make it a point. Through the use of notebooks and clipping technology you basically put anything you run across on the web, take a picture of with your cell phone, record in your voice recorder, or jot down on a note into this system. I really liked the concept of Basecamp but didnt like the price. This allows me to do everything it did but for FREE. I really like the feature that I can take a picture of a written note or whiteboard and the text in the image is searchable. You can set up a notebook as shared if you want to collaborate on projects with outsourcers. I throw a todo list in a shared folder and hire some writers to help knock out the article list, and keyword list for backlinkers. I did pay $45/yr to upgrade to a premium account because of SSL, searchable PDF and images, and more storage though. All the above is synced between your desktop, online and several phone types.
      I am not affiliated with this company, just excited about its product.
      • [1] reply
  • Get a calendar. Make a big X on every day you do what you were supposed to for that day.

    At the end of every week, and every month, take 5 minutes to stare at the calendar and reflect on why you have or haven't achieved success.
  • Just wrote an article about it. Its on my blog. I recommend reading it, plus learning some time management techniques.
  • This is a fantastic thread - so many useful ideas which I will try to incorporate.

    Unfortunately, procrastination is a huge problem for people who work for themselves and are ultimately responsible for their success. In fact, I've heard many internet marketers state that once they went full time they got *less* done because they had more time to do it and more time to procrastinate. This was certainly true for me.

    I think it takes practice - practice in discovering a system that works for you, because we all work differently. Whether that means check-lists, rewards, visualization, you just need to keep pushing yourself and eventually it becomes a little easier.

    But I also believe that we're all allowed off days from time to time. if you really aren't feeling it, instead of pushing it, get away from the computer and go for a walk. Sometimes it's just a far better way to spend your time.
  • Watch a Nike commercial! ahahaha
  • I find I get more done today when put off procrastinating until tomorrow. Jeff
  • kerron.a --

    The one thing to keep in mind always:

    The difference between those who are "doing it" and those who are not doing it is that the people who are "doing it" are "doing it".

    If you don't take real action everyday to move forward on your business, you will not learn, and you will not grow in experience. Internet marketing success comes down to Experience every time. So don't go to bed until you take real action to move your business forward each day.

    Make a promise to yourself to make this happen.

    all the best-
    Meghan
    • [1] reply

    • This is so true Meghan, many people often give up or do not try. You guys are right, the only way to succeed is to try and also do not run away at 1st sign things are not going the way you want them to.

      Great Advice Meghan...Thanks for sharing
  • Here's how I deal with procrastination.

    Do Your Most Hated Tasks First , Also known as "Eat That Frog"

    Make sure you understand and know what sort of tasks you're good at doing and
    what sort of tasks you're lousy at.

    You may like to write content for your products and websites. You may hate the
    part of setting up a website, formatting the sales letter and working on your pay
    per click campaign.

    Once you know what tasks you enjoy and hate the most, you can plan to work
    your day much more effectively.

    Your aim is to do the tasks you hate the most, first.

    So if you have a 3 hour block of time to work on, as soon as you sit down on your
    desk, immediately work on the tasks which you don't like doing or tasks which
    require a lot of brain work.

    Think about it. When you first start working, you're at your most energetic state
    and your mind is fresh. You're most willing to work on your complex tasks and
    have the energy to think about how to tackle the problem and think of solutions.
    Once you get these tasks out the way for the day, you can now start to do things
    which you enjoy. Even though you may be tired after working on something that
    is tough, the remaining hours should be a lot easier since it is easier for you and
    something which you enjoy.

    If you do it the other way round, you won't be as effective. You won't have the
    energy or the motivation to work on the complex tasks after an hour or of
    working.

    When you look at your hated tasks, you'll probably decide to do it tomorrow
    instead.

    This is a very important in time management. Working on your complex tasks
    first will do wonders for your productivity.

    A lot of the times, you would want to work longer than scheduled because you're
    working on something you enjoy and you want to finish it off. The same won't
    apply if you're working on something which frustrates you.

    And don't forget to take the time to relax and enjoy life :-)

    -michael
  • Take SHORT periodic breaks can help. Now, I'm not a believer of 40 hour work weeks, so I'm not talking about taking two days and spending more ethan 2/3 of hours not working. I mean as in after working for a few hours, try taking a 15 minute thinking break. That way, what you're doing becomes less distasteful.
  • You need to have very strong and precise goals that will have the power to make you feel great everytime you think about them... Then when you feel like you can't be bothered, think about your goals... It should lift your spirit up. It also helps to find one coach and one coach only that you can follow step by step... Will keep you motivated as you can feel like you've done something really productive each time you complete one of those steps... I find it helps me a lot.
  • Hi,
    I am brand new to Warrior forum and I have a great little trick for overcoming
    procrastination. First, I just want you to know I am trained in several healing modalities and I work with a technique that is incredible and has helped me personally and hundreds of my clients.
    When you are procrastinating it's usually because there is some fear involved. I don't mean fear of success, it us usually what is on the other side of success. There's too much to explain about that here but think of a big movie star who finally achieved fame and fortune but doesn't know who their true friends are, or have no privacy.
    You are designed for success, your desire to be in business for yourself and the countless hours and money you spend in the pursuit of business success is proof.

    So next time you find yourself checking email for the 100th time or hopelessly glued to the 5th episode of Law and Order you have seen in one day, try this.

    Ask yourself "What is one thing I can do today that will get me closer to my goal?"
    How will I feel if I accomplish it? How will I feel if I don't? Which way would you rather feel? I thought so.

    OK here's the next part. It's a little variation on The One Command by Asara Lovejoy

    Then close your eyes and say to yourself silently " I don't know how I accomplish X today, I only know I do now and I am fulfilled." Just let yourself breath into that new idea.
    Then open your eyes.
    Let me know how it goes.
    Kathryn Perry
  • like Kathryn says, usually there is some fear involved -- quite often simply because of the 'unknown', what's the next step ("heck, I have no idea how to install a new wordpress theme", or "mhmm, not sure if this is going to work"...).

    this causes stress (The Real Reasons You’re Procrastinating | BareKnuckleProductivity) and that all too often results in avoidance behaviours (hello and welcome procrastination).

    ok, that's the problem.

    what's the solution?

    there is some scientific research that shows exactly what the difference is between those who successfully combat "naughty behaviours" like procrastination (but also smoking, drinking, overeating, debt, ....) and the key is NEVER to focus on taking massive action, but taking the right action.

    and the right action is ... ok, to fully understand, check out the videos here:

    frank | Marketing Strategies Made Easy
    which I'd originally only had for the war-room, but the feedback has been so fantastic that I'll share it here too. Nothing to sign up for, just plain ol' content. (they're a bit long as they explain exactly how procrastination works and why people get stuck, and most importantly, how to get out of it, so if you're "suffering" from procrastination, this will well be worth your while...)

    Veit
  • In my job, procrastination will lead to business lost. I always admire the efficiency and pro-activeness of Hong Kong and Mainland Business man. I always need to remind myself to look forward and learn from these friends by not procrastinating duties and responsibilities.
  • Something that's worked very well for me is the advice found in the thread by a fellow warrior, Kneb Knebaih, particularly cybernetic transposition (I know, sounds very technical but actually it's so simple you'll laugh at your procastination soon). Try subscribing to the author (Stuart Lichtman)'s list as well. The thread is here

    http://www.warriorforum.com/mind-war...technique.html

    And Kneb's post is at the end of the first page. Best of luck
  • Get a strong reason why you need to do it. The stronger the reason the better chance you have of doing it.

    If you don't do it what will happen? (if it's something bad you will do it).

    Link pain to not doing it.

    Have someone to hold you accountable (sometimes I like to say if I dont do it I have to give someone $100 cash and they can spend it on what ever they like) and every day after that I have to keep paying them $100 until it's done.

    Can also set a side time to do it using focussed time. Do it when you're most focused and you can also consider using a count down timer.

    ie. For the next 50 minutes I am going to work on _____ (and avoid all distractions)

    Hope that helps!
    • [1] reply
    • I'm big into mind movies/vision boards/bucket lists for life goals. Everytime I'm having a slow day I'll simply get out my list and read through them. It's funny how reading this gives me a boost of energy to keep working toward these goals.

      I do have good days and great days but this has eliminated the completely useless days.
  • I came to the realization that the biggest procrastination killer is a habit... A positive of course.

    So for example if you are procrastination in some area. Build a 21 days straight habit of doing exactly what it is that you are procrastinating, and do this for at least 90 minutes per day.

    This will break the "procrastination" habit, and will be replaced with a powerful habit
  • I love this simple solution, get notebook list work for the day move with it
Join the discussion

Next Topics on Trending Feed

  • 61

    How Can One Solve Procrastination Problems?

    Hey guys, I know this is one of the biggest mindset problems that most internet marketers face. I myself find it hard sometime to get around completing a task, I always tell myself there is time to do it later. I enjoy doing Internet Marketing, but sometimes there are times when desire tends to die out and tasks that I have set out suddenly becomes like a burden.