What is on your to-do list? What never quite seems to make it to the top of the list? How critical is that action that keeps getting put off?

There are myriad reasons why we put tasks off. Some are easily sorted out. Perhaps your action is too big and so seems daunting. When you review your to-do list make sure each action is discrete and manageable. Sometimes it is more deeply seated and will take a little work to figure it out.

I read a really interesting article the other day that suggested adding ‘so that xyz’ to the end of each action to ensure you are aware of the impact of doing (or not doing) that task. By ensuring your motivation for completion is overt it is easier to get motivated to complete the action.

Sometimes our procrastination has a darker side and we are actively (if unconsciously) sabotaging our success. By leaving something to the last minute we know we won’t do our best work and perhaps then feel we have an excuse if we fail. Maybe we are scared of doing a good job and the expectations that would come with that.

I find there are things on my to-do list that I struggle to get stuck into. Sitting with the feeling of discomfort for a while I trying to gain a sense of why. What would doing it really well look and feel like. Do I need to get some help or a sounding board to get me going? Can I do just 1 tiny part of it to get started? Being mindful about what comes up for me can be incredibly insightful.

Whatever the reason, just accepting that you procrastinate or saying you work better with a tight deadline will impact your success. Be curious – you might just find that you succeed!