“Procrastination is like a credit card; it’s a lot of fun until you get the bill.”

~ Christopher Parker, retired English actor and television presenter

Everyone does it. Some of us make it a habit, and others are usually good at avoiding it. But at some point in our lives or careers, we all fall victim to procrastination.

If you’re anything like me, you’ve spent many late nights cramming for tomorrow’s test/presentation/client meeting—swearing to myself to never let it happen again.

Procrastination is stressful, and it almost never leads to our best work. Here are five simple techniques that can help you schedule your efforts and create a masterpiece.

1. Write down the details

Organize your to-do list by how long each task will take you, and when and where you’ll complete it. Making a scheduled plan will help you to avoid adding too many to-dos to your daily list, and will make sure you will set aside enough time to complete your assignments.  Try this method when making follow-up calls to clients. Say your goal is to call five clients per day for a general conversation, or to follow-up about ALM. Write down their names, and numbers, and an estimated call time for each. Check your calendar, and schedule two calls while you’re driving to your first client meeting, two when you’re driving back to the office, and one at the end of the day. Think of these calls as meetings, and you’ll never procrastinate on client follow-ups again.

2. Try James Clear’s “2-minute rule”

The two minute rule states that to create a habit (or to beat procrastination) you need to spend just two minutes doing it. In some cases, two minutes is just enough time to create an outline or to complete one task on your to-do list, and sometimes two minutes is all you need to kick your motivation into gear.
Start one week before your next project is due. Give yourself two minutes to dive into the project. You’ll be surprised to find that after two minutes, you’ll either be one step closer to completion, or fully motivated to continue working.

3. Move a little

Many times we procrastinate because we just don’t have the energy to tackle our next task. Research published in the journal Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics in 2008 reports that fatigue can be decreased by as much as 65% by simply participating in regular, low-intensity exercise.
I’ve experienced this first hand. When my co-workers and I incorporated a few minutes of exercise into our daily routine, we not only felt less tired, we experienced a boost of energy that helped us remain productive throughout the entire work day. Taking just a few minutes out of your day to do a set of jumping jacks, or push-ups could help you fight the urge to zone out, and ultimately help you beat procrastination.

4. Create continuity

Whenever possible, take a day, or even just a few hours and create a process to automate future tasks. This tip works better for certain projects than it does for others, but can be a huge timesaver and well-worth the effort. This may work well with social media posts, e-mail advertisements, or your ALM subscription.
If your goal is to regularly connect with your core clients, take 30-minutes to organize your client list, pull together your best headshot, and give us a call. Already sending ALM? Consider segmenting your mailing list to better connect with each target market. Create a custom letter for clients, referral sources, COI’s, or even friends and neighbors—just call your Marketing Advisor to set it up.

5. Remind yourself of the value

Take a few minutes and think through why you need to complete this task. Will it help you to meet a deadline? Will completing this task help you to improve your overall client experience? Think of tasks as implementation intentions; if I complete this task, then I will be one step closer to achieving my goal.

If the task doesn’t contribute to your long, or short-term goals, consider scrapping the idea or leaving it for when you have a lull in workload. If you start relating your individual tasks to your overall goals, you’ll likely develop the motivation you need to beat procrastination, and to achieve your goals.

So don’t put off for tomorrow, what you need to do today. Use these tips to remain productive on National Fight Procrastination Day (recognized annual on September 6) and everyday.