Why put off until tomorrow what you could do today?

Because tomorrow never comes, that’s why!

Procrastination has its own peculiar logic. But it leads to a tremendous amount of wasted time and energy.

Getting over procrastination can require a huge degree of discipline, on the part of young students or experienced businessmen and professionals.

First, recognize that you have a little problem with putting things off. Is your inbox piled to the ceiling?

You might have need to work on preventing procrastination. Look for these unmistakable symptoms. Sound familiar?

1. “I thrive on deadlines.”

That’s nice. Sure, some people do some of their best work under pressure, and good for them! But when you cut things a little too close, and a creative block appears, the stress can build to unbearable levels. A simple trick can work here, that only requires discipline. Mark your own deadline on your calendar, just a few days before the actual deadline, and work towards that. Challenge yourself. In the meantime, you’ll always have extra time just in case of a creative disaster.

2. “I’ve got all the time in the world.”

I’ll bet you do! Unfortunately, your boss or professor may have a different idea. Time has a way of catching up with procrastinators. You think you have weeks to complete a project, you push it aside; and all of a sudden, you check the calendar, and you have a matter of mere days. This is when you can get burned.

3. “I’m waiting for inspiration.”

Unless you’re a poet or something, this excuse won’t fly. Train yourself to be creative and active one cue; if you wait for your muse to visit you, or for some miraculous burst of energy, you may find that your ship never comes in. So don’t play the waiting game, and don’t tell yourself that doing the job is somehow beyond your control. If you require a certain frame of mind to work most productively, then analyze what produces that frame of mind in you, and make use of it. It may be as simple as a cup of coffee or a certain kind of music.

4. “I’m stumped!”

So was Einstein. Great achievements aren’t tripped over; they’re the result of hard work and struggle. If you’re stumped on a certain project, turn for help. Brainstorm. Get a friend to rattle off some ideas—perhaps even someone outside of your particular field. Thinking outside the box can help.

Overcoming procrastination is a pressing need these days, both for individuals and companies, who are always striving for greater productivity. Recognize the problem, and become a part of the solution. Today, not tomorrow!

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Photo by Photocapy– flickr.com

Procrastination Funny Quote:

“Procrastination is my sin. It brings me naught but sorrow. I know that I should stop it. In fact, I will–tomorrow!” – Pitzer, Gloria

Another Procrastination Quote:

“Procrastination is the bad habit of putting of until the day after tomorrow what should have been done the day before yesterday.” – Hill, Napoleon

This one is a little bit different:

"Procrastination isn't the problem. It's the solution. It's the universe's way of saying stop, slow down, you move too fast. "
- Ellen DeGeneres (InnocentEnglish.com).

This one I loved so much. I learned from it, because I always delay tasks just "to make it perfect". stupidity!

“The search for the perfect venture can turn into procrastination. Your idea may or may not have merit. The key is to get started.” – Unknown

It's eating up your energy!

"Nothing is so fatiguing as the eternal hanging on of an uncompleted task." -William James

Last one…

“Know the true value of time; snatch, seize, and enjoy every moment of it. No idleness, no delay, no procrastination; never put off till tomorrow what you can do today” – Chesterfield, Lord

I couldn't "procrastinate" adding this one too

"Procrastination is like masturbation. At first it feels good, but in the end you're only screwing yourself. " -Author Unknown

Leave your quotes/comments below…

If you’ve spent the day productively, you’re likely to feel as if your life is more fulfilling.

Fulfillment involves allocating the limited time you have each day to a wide range of spheres, from work to play to romance to family.

So, are you living today to its fullest? Are you making the most of your time?

Have you ever set about deliberate lying your various activities, so as to pursue all of them more efficiently?

A simple rule of thumb is that unsuccessful people tend to chew over yesterday’s mistakes, while those destined for success are making plans for tomorrow.

Often, we can get an amazing amount of work done in any given day, and still go to bed with the feeling that we haven’t been productive.

The reason for this is simply bad prioritizing. That one thing you neglected to finish may have meant more to you than anything else on the list. Instead of focusing all your energies on it, first as foremost, you allowed yourself to be distracted by what, to you, are little more than trifles.

Ask yourself, very methodically, what the most important things are in your life. Then, pursue them. Don’t allow your top priority to become a mere afterthought!

Time management is often the key distinction between those who are effective and those who are not.

Effective workers concentrate on their top priorities, and refuse to be distracted; those who fail, on the other hand, chase after every distracting detail, losing sight of the big picture.

Never let your top priorities be relegated to the backburner. Assert yourself. Don’t sacrifice the things that make your life worth living for mere distractions.

Every minute of every day is an investment. You can squander it, never to regain it, or you can apply it wisely, to the areas that really bring meaning to your life. If you invest with wisdom, you’ll find that your life is a lot more fulfilling. You’ll go to bed every night satisfied that you’ve lived the day to its fullest, and looking forward to tomorrow.

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Photo by hockadilly, flickr.com

What’s very important to know is that the principle of time management is very important and can really set you free and reduce everyday stress.

Time management is simply the arrangement of tasks within a specified time frame. If you have a lot of tasks to complete each day, managing your time is a way to organize your tasks so that everything gets done when it should.

If you don’t think about how to manage your time, you can wind up with a very disorganized household, or be an ineffective employee in the workplace.

The term “time management” sometimes intimidates people because they feel that it is yet another thing they have to “do.” However, effective time management will actually bring freedom from stress and a greater sense of accomplishment in finishing important tasks.

How can you practice time management in the workplace?

There are many training programs that focus on different aspects and practices of time management. Some of these programs focus on the use of a “daily planner” or PDA, but there is more to time management than just keeping a schedule.

Here are some basic practices that can help you accomplish all that you need to do in the workplace…

• Prioritize your work, and know the deadlines for each task. You should start out your day understanding what you should work on first depending on priority and deadline, and set a target date and time for completion that is in advance of the actual deadline. If a project is due on Friday, set a goal to have it done by Thursday afternoon.

• Make a “to-do list”, for the day, and for the week. Categorize your “to-do’s” by type of task and priority: phone calls to make, reports to be completed, meetings to be set up, etc. Each day, as you accomplish each task, check it off.

• Keep an up-to-date calendar. Make sure every meeting, phone meeting or otherwise, is on your calendar and in front of you. If you use Outlook, make sure you use the meeting reminder feature. While most workers today depend on e-mail reminders and PDA’s, a weekly calendar on your desk is one of the best ways to take a broad look at what is coming up.

• Take care of the smaller, easier tasks first. If someone at work asks you for something that will just take a few minutes to complete, don’t put it off. Do it right away and get it out of the way. This will pave the way for you to concentrate better on the more difficult tasks.

• If you are in a supervisory or management position, delegate where you can. Don’t be afraid to delegate the tasks that a secretary or assistant can effectively handle to free you up for the more critical and difficult part of a project.

• If you run into a problem with a project you’re working on, take a breather and go to the next task. Sometimes you run into a snag and it is counterproductive to keep trying. You may get frustrated and not do things right. Stop the task, and go on to something else that’s important, or, even take a brief walk around the office. Then, go back to the project. Chances are your mind will be refreshed and you’ll be able to continue on that project more effectively.

• At the end of the day, review your “to do list”, check off items completed, and add “to-do’s” for the next day. You’ll find you have accomplished some things, and will be more prepared for the next day.

Time management is really about organization. If you organize your work, you will manage it well.

There are many resources for time management skills training. As an example, check out:

• Worklifebalance.com for the various programs they offer. Some of these programs are on-line.

• My previous article on PositivityBlog.com:
  4 Keys to Help You Make the Most of the Time You’re Given

• SuccessElixir.net time management category page

Free yourself by thinking about managing your time more effectively.

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Photo by ToniVC, flickr.com

No matter how effectively you schedule your obligations, the schedule will mean nothing absent an ability to concentrate relentlessly on the task at hand.

Energy that is scattered across several tasks at once, or is easily distracted from the primary task, will necessarily produce less results. With good scheduling and hawk-like concentration, on the other hand, greater results can be produced with less expenditure of energy.

Writing things out is just the start of your time management activities.

Ranking items in terms of priority, time allocation, and compiling lists of daily tasks are unquestionably the first steps…

As you become more advanced, you’ll learn other aspects of strategic thinking—most importantly, you’ll learn how to make decisions that are strategically sound.

One of the greatest benefits of good time management techniques, however, is found away from the office. Most of us, after all, do work to live, instead of living to work. By balancing your professional and personal life, you’ll be able to give both the time they deserve. There’ll be no more wasting time at work inefficiently, to the detriment of your family or romantic life.

For those who are used to flying by the seat of their pants, even basic time management techniques can be intimidating. But the fact of the matter is that they are very simple; they don’t take a lot of time to carry out themselves, and, of course, they’ll save you countless quantities of time over the long run. All it takes is being methodical and disciplined in your application of these simple rules.

1. Know yourself. The ancient principle of Socrates is valid even in today’s business world. Build a time management system custom-tailored to match your own personality and work habits.

Only you know when you tend to work most effectively. Spend some time to analyze your work habits, and ask the right questions about how you work and when you work. Schedule your most pressing and most challenging tasks for your peak hours, and reserve the others for less important distractions—random appointments, errands, etc.

2. Congratulate yourself. Take note whenever your time management skills bring palpable results. Treat yourself.

3. Practice turning people down. One of the most important (and, for nice people like you, most difficult) parts of good time management is knowing how to tell others no. Don’t slam the door in their face, but don’t compromise your priorities just to accommodate their often unnecessary requests.

4. Reassess your goals at least twice a year. Always keep them in mind as you plan your weekly and monthly schedules, and prioritize in accordance with those important, overriding life goals.

5. Take a periodic look back at your past schedules. Reevaluate your scheduling system, and constantly look for ways to streamline it.

6. Keep a bright outlook on your future. There’s no better feeling than seeing real progress towards your major goals. Keep your feet on the ground, and place reasonable, achievable expectations. Chances are, you’ll exceed them.

Living life is much like creating a piece of art. It’s a creative act of self-expression. Learn from the techniques of others, but always trust your intuition. Adapt what you learn from other people’s experiences for the unique needs of the person you know best—yourself.

Photo By BigBlue- flickr.com

Here are just a few basic time management techniques that can prove priceless as you set out:

1. Learn to set priorities. Begin by formulating your major goals in life and ranking them in terms of importance. Use the same prioritizing techniques to rank your short-term goals as well, on a weekly and monthly basis.

2. Mark your calendar. Keep a calendar for effective, graphical time management. Try nailing down the most essential items (especially with regard to your major goals) in red; these are the things you can’t afford to postpone. Work in the other, less important events around them.

3. Don’t get distracted. The key to a good schedule is to actually use it! This requires some real discipline, especially at first; with time, however, it will become habitual. If you stick to your plan, the quality of your production should improve greatly, because you’ll be able to concentrate exclusively on the task at hand, without stressing over unrelated deadlines.

4. Leave enough flex time around your red-letter items to accommodate the unexpected—those random, unannounced appointments, for example. This way you’ll never have to postpone something that cannot brook postponement. This allows you to be flexible, without comprising what is most important.

5. Recover that wasted time. Those tiny bits of time squandered on distractions can really add up. Learn to regard your time as a valuable resource—one that you can invest only once, and can never recover if you invest it foolishly.

6. Don’t forget to take time out! Schedule time away from your schedule! Everyone knows that without a breather now and then, and an occasional trip or retreat, the time you do spend at work will be less productive. So work recreation into your schedule.

7. Schedule each particular task. With any big project, breaking it down into sub-tasks can allow you to proceed more rationally and more productively. Break every job into sub-jobs, and allocate them to the free blocks of your schedule, with an eye on the deadline.

8. Stay on task. Refuse to work on anything at any given moment besides what you’ve written on your schedule. That applies to relaxing, too! Don’t take your briefcase to the beach under any circumstances!

These personal time management tips are a good start for planning your life wisely. You’ll see great dividends in all aspects of your life.