Why do it now when I can postpone it? The deadline is still a long way off, what’s the hurry? The deadline is still a week away, I’ll do it the day before… These are typical human reflections. You’ve probably done it too! We’re always looking for excuses to put off what we can or should do now. But, as the saying goes, “What you can do today, you shouldn’t put off until tomorrow”.

In fact, there are infinite advantages to ceasing to be a “chronic procrastinator”. Not only could you easily stay organized at work, but you’d also have the opportunity to reduce your daily stress levels. You’d be able to get rid of a lot of worries. After all, “He/she who always puts things off until tomorrow, will find misfortune along the way”.

It’s time to get rid of this bad habit. I invite you to discover the 6 good reasons to stop putting everything off for good.

Putting everything off until tomorrow means wasting precious time.

“A minute lost can never be made up for”.

We don’t always realize it, but it’s true. If you’ve already had the opportunity to write down your life project, that’s already a huge step. But did you know that when you automatically and systematically put off carrying out the tasks you need to do to achieve your goals, you’re gradually moving further away from them?

If you take stock, you’ll probably realize that you’ve already wasted a lot of time putting everything off until tomorrow. But one thing is certain: success of any kind requires action, not procrastination. You have to get moving… MUST! So :

What are you waiting for to get started today?
What’s stopping you from getting moving?
Why haven’t you started your project yet?
What’s stopping you from getting started right away?

Stop wasting time now. Don’t wait until you’re 2, 3, 5 or 10 years older to realize how much you’ve already accomplished. Stop putting everything off until tomorrow. If you don’t, you’re bound to have regrets later on! And that would be a real shame! You have to live with the helpless feeling that you can no longer turn back time. There’s nothing worse than feeling frustrated with yourself, knowing that the situation could have been so different…

You may miss opportunities

If you think about it, how many opportunities have you already missed so far? (Make a list if it helps.) Are you prepared to waste even more? The truth is, we tend to procrastinate, not because we lack time or resources, but simply because we’re afraid… Of failure, of change, of the way others look at us, and even of success.

Sometimes, we also struggle to find the motivation to act, so we prefer to procrastinate. Add to this a lack of self-confidence and you’ll find yourself stagnating all the time. And yet, what you don’t realize is that every opportunity really does have the potential to bring about radical, positive change.

So adopt a winning attitude and take action!

Procrastination can destroy your self-esteem

This is one of the vicious circles you could find yourself in. And why is that? Simply because low self-esteem holds us back. We’re no longer sure of what we can achieve. We have trouble making the right choices. And we doubt everything. And when that happens, we prefer inaction, because we’re afraid of what will happen.

Once again, we hold back and find it hard to think well of ourselves. And this leads to self-sabotage. The tendency to procrastinate destroys your confidence, slowly but surely. It can really spoil life for some people, and sometimes even becomes a real block to personal and professional fulfillment. And that’s when procrastination becomes a “disease”.

All this to say that it’s a never-ending loop that can be truly destructive. So break the cycle now.

You’ll damage your reputation

One thing’s for sure: everyone likes people who keep their word. This means that if you’ve already agreed to do something, don’t put it off until tomorrow. Otherwise, you risk losing the trust of those around you. Of course, this is all the more important in a professional context, where deadlines have to be met and responsibilities honored. You’ll never make it to the top if you don’t meet your commitments.

If you’re always procrastinating, you can lose the trust of others, who will then refrain from entrusting you with things or offering you opportunities. And to say the least, this is a real brake on achieving your goals. Putting everything off until tomorrow exposes you to the distrust of your colleagues. In the worst case, this can have serious consequences for your career.

Similarly, rushing to complete an important project, report or presentation at the last minute is unlikely to result in impeccable work. The same thing will happen when you put the most important tasks at the very bottom of your to-do-list and get on with what’s quick and easy first. You’ll give yourself the impression of accomplishing a great deal, but in reality this will only concern trivial matters.

Procrastination puts your health and performance at risk

Procrastination can really take its toll on your mental health, as it’s a source of stress and anxiety. And if you’re constantly anxious or feel under pressure every day, this can spill over into your physical health. After all, your psychological state has a direct impact on your physical state. What’s more, you can’t relax when you have to do everything at the last minute. Besides, multitasking can’t lead to good results. On the contrary, it’s the best way to spread yourself too thin.

Putting everything off until tomorrow will make you nervous. Instead of sleeping, you’ll have to stay up to finalize a file. You’ll be sleep-deprived the next day and find it hard to concentrate. Fatigue can even lead to headaches. In short, this bad habit is bound to affect your performance and your mind. Not surprisingly, it also has a negative effect on productivity at work.

Procrastination, an obstacle to success in life

If you decided to do only the things you enjoy and put off the rest (perhaps more important things) until tomorrow, you’d probably feel happy. With a little hindsight, however, you’ll soon realize that you’re not making any real progress in your life. You can’t evolve if you always take the path that seems most pleasant to you. Hence the saying: “Nothing ventured, nothing gained”.

It’s important to get out of your comfort zone to exploit your full potential for success, but also to find your limits. And remember: “You are the only master of your life”. Stop putting off until tomorrow everything you can do right here, right now! This will work in your favor in every area of your life (health, wealth, career, relationships…).

To radically change your habits or your life, you need to have a winning attitude and discipline yourself to do things the right way, when and where they need to be done. Only in this way can you achieve success in life. In fact, there are many techniques and tricks you can use to stop procrastinating for good.

Stop procrastinating: a few effective tips

There’s no shortage of solutions, but none of them will work if you don’t first make the effort to recognize your tendency to procrastinate. Quite simply, you wouldn’t look for an alternative to break your bad habit if you didn’t believe it existed in the first place. So, before you start, take stock of how you work in life in general. This certainly applies to you if you :

Always prioritize trivial tasks;
Take a long time before deciding to do something;
tend to put everything off until tomorrow;
Constantly go round in circles, without ever making serious decisions;
Often run away from responsibilities you consider “too heavy”;
Start an important task and then go and take a very long break;
Wait until you’re in a “good mood” or “the right moment” to get down to work.

These are just a few of the signs that may tell you it’s time to act.

WHAT TO DO NOW?
The good news is that you can easily get rid of your bad habit. Just a few simple everyday gestures are all it takes to stop procrastinating.

Determine the cause of your lack of motivation. You’ll be in a better position to fight it. Is it a loss of self-confidence? Fear of other people’s judgment? Or is it really your life’s mission?
Adopt a better “fight” strategy. This can be as much about better organization as it can be about a reward system you set up yourself. A great way to do this is also to redefine your thought processes. Use creative visualization to restore motivation.
Get away from distractions to avoid procrastinating. Turn off your phone when you’re on an important task. Tell those around you not to disturb you unless it’s an extreme emergency. Don’t stay connected on your social networking accounts when you’re in the office. And above all, never work next to a television.
Develop your organizational skills. This is the key to sticking to what’s important and what deserves your attention. Draw up a detailed schedule. Prioritize your tasks. And stick to your to-do-list. You’ll be more likely to concentrate and avoid procrastinating when you know exactly what you need to do and when.
Surround yourself with people who keep you motivated. You won’t be tempted to give up on a task if you have friends who don’t like to dawdle. Soon enough, you’ll end up imbibing their dynamism and state of mind.

It’s up to you!

Bear in mind, however, that procrastination is a deeply ingrained behavior. This means you probably can’t break it overnight. You’ll need to be patient before you can stop procrastinating. And that’s the hard part! So take it one step at a time. Don’t rush. Habits only cease to be habits when you stop practicing them.

So, try experimenting or following the tips above to give yourself the best chance of success. You’ll be amazed at what you can achieve…