One Way to Stop Procrastination

by Karen S, Roberts

Procrastination is a habit that many of us struggle with.  It can become such a pattern in our lives that we just live day to day putting things off and hardly even thinking about it.  However, in order to live out the destiny that God has planned for each of us, we need to stop the procrastination habit.  We are overcomers through Christ, so we can do this through His strength.

Have the right attitude about your tasks.

Colossians 3:23 says this:  Do whatever you do heartily, as to the Lord and not for people.

Heartily means thoroughly, completely, and vigorously.  God wants us to complete the work that He has called us to do and to do it well with enthusiasm. 

Create new routines by using a planner.

In order to get out of the routine of habitually procrastinating, you have to create new routines and order in your life. Begin by taking small, daily steps in that direction.

Using a daily planner can really help you to get into a routine of productivity..  The key is to list the tasks that you need to do each day in order to complete what you are working on.  Include other things that you must do that day as well, such as household chores, grocery shopping, or appointments. Think through how much time you have for these activities and how much time you can allot to work on your goal or project. 

Don’t make an impossible list to accomplish in one day. That will only motivate you to procrastinate.  Instead, break your goal or project into steps and plan which steps you should work on each day. 

Prioritize your list.

Then number those tasks in order of priority.  Assign an approximate time for each item. Then begin working on your list in order of priority.  Some things, such as an appointment, will have a set time in your schedule.  If you have a random 15 minutes available, pick a short task on your list, even if it’s out of priority order.

Before you start working through your list, take time out for devotions.  Pray for your day and for what you have on your list.  Ask God to help you accomplish these tasks.  Also, ask that He will direct you if your priority list needs to be set aside to meet a need that He brings your way.  Your planner list is a tool to help you, but it isn’t meant to lock you in when someone needs your help.

It helps set a time for things like checking messages and answering phone calls.  Don’t do these when you are working on something else on your list. Every time there is a distraction, it takes you about 15 minutes to regain your focus on what you were working on.

Use simple steps to combat feelings of overwhelm.             

Don’t assign yourself a huge task that needs to be worked on for hours at a time. Instead, break down the task into mini-steps and pick one or two steps to accomplish in your day.  Feeling overwhelmed is one reason we procrastinate.  Keeping your expectations realistic will give you a sense of fulfillment with each step you accomplish, rather than making you feel like you’ll never be able to accomplish your goal.

For instance, if you need to clean and organize  and clean your kitchen cupboards, pick a drawer or to two to organize in one day.  Then the next day choose one section of cupboards.  Give yourself a half hour to do this, and then move on to other things on your to-do list.  This way you can cross more things off your list rather than letting the big task push aside the other important things you need to do.

If you use your planner in this way every day, you will find that you will accomplish more and won’t be putting things off so much.

Ask God for help.

If there is some part of your list that you are dreading, ask yourself why.  Are you fearful about doing it?  Are you thinking that you just can’t do it?  Is it hard work, and you’d rather put it aside to do something else?  Are you tired?  Ask God to reveal the barrier.  Perhaps you need to whittle that task down into smaller steps or ask someone to help you with it.  Also looking up Scriptures about receiving help from God will give you confidence.

Pray throughout the day as you work and check off those items on your list.  Give thanks for what God has helped you accomplish by the end of your day.  Expressing gratitude brings more blessings into your life.

Here is a free printable planner for you.

I’d like to give you a free gift to help you plan your day. It can help you accomplish the things that God has called you to do.  It’s a free printable planner called “My Project Planner.”  Simply print the number of pages you need to work on your goal.

You can use this for any goal or project you want to work on.  No matter how large or small your project, you need a way to list and prioritize the steps you will take each day until it is accomplished.   Two pages are for goal planning.  The remainder are daily planner pages that you can use for general planning and scheduling or specifically for working on your project.  Just print the pages that are useful for you.

When you fill out the form to get the planner, you will be subscribing to Beat Procrastination, a free series of articles on how to overcome procrastination.  You will also get info on my new ebook, How to Finish Any Project.  You can unsubscribe at any time.

Believe me, I am working on my own tendency to procrastinate.  Let’s do it together! 

Using a planner is one way to stop procrastination.  Please comment below to let me know how you are dealing with procrastination and whether My Project Planner is helping you.