How to Stop Procrastinating
& Eliminate Overwhelm!

Recently I was faced with several unexpected challenges all at once - a phenomena that most small business owners and entrepreneurs experience. With the beautiful summer weather and my desire to remain positive, it would have been easy to delay dealing with these issues. This reminded me how procrastination can complicate life and how it can have a significant impact on overwhelm.

When we procrastinate we can become frustrated and we generally accomplish much less than when we are in sync. Not completing tasks and projects results in an ever-increasing to-do list, which then leads to being overwhelmed. Feeling overwhelmed then further increases the tendency to procrastinate. And so the cycle continues …

What can you do to change this behaviour and break this self-defeating cycle?

1. Decide exactly what you are really avoiding
Perhaps you are avoiding a particular project. Look at the situation closely so you can identify exactly what decision, step or action you are really avoiding.

2. Determine why you are procrastinating
Does the task or project seem too difficult to complete? Do you currently have the skills to do it? Are you simply afraid of taking the necessary steps? Perhaps you're afraid of the results? If you always identify the reasons for your inaction, you may find a pattern. You may also be able to catch yourself procrastinating and stop yourself from doing it more quickly in the future.

3. Identify what you could do to make progress
Maybe you need one critical piece of information and then you could easily move forward. What can you do to remove roadblocks or stumbling blocks?

4. Take Action
The sooner you take a step, the quicker you start to unlock the power of procrastination.

These steps will help when you know you are procrastinating and you need to take action. To keep procrastination and overwhelm away, you also need to be proactive. Two things you can do to be proactive are:

1. Make a list of the things you would like to accomplish and how you will reward yourself when you do reach your goals. When you are creating your list, be sure to also include the consequences you will suffer by procrastinating further. Click here to use a printer-friendly worksheet.

2. Review and consider the above four steps regularly Start by asking yourself,"What do I most want to avoid doing today?"

Recommended Resources

People often ask me how I find the time to do all that I do – and still find the time for my own development. The bottom line is I make the time! However, I am also very selective about what I read.

Resources are plentiful and the sheer volume of information is potentially overwhelming! Identifying a source of leading-edge information which both inspires and provides practical ideas can be a challenge.

I recently subscribed to just such a newsletter to stimulate my personal and professional growth in leadership and management which fits these criteria, called Polaris Digest. One of the articles I particularly enjoyed is "A Time to Laugh." I've discovered something of value and interest in just about every issue. Why not take a look for yourself and sign-up? There's no cost or obligation, and I think you'll be glad you did.

---

Did you know that in the
Overcome Overwhelm eProgram,
you could discover more tips and tools?

Topics include:
* Do Something that You Really Love to Do at Least Once a Day
* Make Taking Care of Yourself Your Highest Priority
* Create Enough Time for Your Own Care

Click Here to Discover More...

About "Overcome Overwhelm Secrets"

This free e-mail newsletter is intended to share possible solutions to overcoming overwhelm and achieving your desired results. Please feel free to pass it along to your friends or colleagues. Others can subscribe to this e-mail newsletter here.

Donna Lendzyk is a professional coach who specializes in guiding highly motivated business people to overcome overwhelm and achieve their desired results. For more information about her eproducts and coaching programs, please check out www.overcomeoverwhelm.com.

The content of the "Overcome Overwhelm Secrets" ezine may be forwarded in full without special permission provided the full attribution, copyright notice and links are kept the same & attached. The information included in this newsletter is meant for educational purposes only. The accuracy & completeness of the information provided & the opinions stated are not guaranteed or warranted to produce specific results & the opinions & strategies may not be suitable for every individual.