GET UP AND GO Work-Life Lifts Part 2

Here are six of Kate’s GET UP AND GO Work-Life Lifts to help you act when you are putting off those niggling tasks.

1. Start now.

Just start - take the plunge. Commit yourself and do it now, despite the perceived risks involved. Doing something, rather than nothing, will get you closer to what you want.

2. Turn the tables

When you start to talk yourself out of doing that activity, flip your thinking. Ask yourself, ''Why am I putting it off?' Listen to what your external and inner voice is saying to you. Identify your own unique reasons for delaying. Write them down, then flip them into the positive to motivate yourself to act.

Here's an example. Replace 'I'm too busy and stressed' with 'I will be more energised and less stressed afterwards'. Turning the tables on negative thoughts and focus on the positive benefits beyond the activity. This will remind you of what you will get in return for your efforts.

3. Switch it up until you find your flow

Keep changing the way you approach certain tasks until you find the way you most enjoy doing it. For example, if you find you are more effective solving a challenge by bouncing ideas off people, then form a peer group at work to help develop solutions rather than struggle to come up with them yourself. If this isn’t your thing then find someone who has done it before and arrange to meet and pick their brains. Can you do a task swap with a work mate that works for everyone and gets things done? Work towards finding a process you enjoy. The one that also gives you a buzz rather than face a battle. We are far more likely to stick at something if we get enjoyment from it.

4.Slow and steady wins the race.

Set smaller daily tasks for project work. Ones that relate to your main goals. Focus on the small tasks every day. Release yourself from the pressure of thinking about achieving your end goal. As you tick off the tasks of the day you will be another step closer to what you want to achieve. This way you will get quicker wins. You also release yourself from stressing about where you are now in relation to where you want to be.

5. Do yourself a favour

We all know getting a reward for completing a task can motivate us to continue. How about having your reward before you complete the task. This way it can spur you to go on and finish the tasks that you are delaying. It works in two ways. By creating a debt that you owe to yourself and it also gives you the motivation to ask yourself for more. I like Gretchin Rubin's article, The Psychology of Rewarding Yourself with Treats, 'If I give more to myself, I can ask more from myself’. Forming good habits can be draining, so having a healthy reward before our task can act as an effective motivator.

6. Set positive reminders Today smart technology allows us to get reminders for anything, almost anywhere. Reminders are interruptions. Things that stop us from what we are doing - distractions that make us consider the next course of action or remind us to do something. We are not always receptive to the reminders we set for ourselves. Think about our alarm clocks - the snooze button is a method of rejection. Yet we still manage to get up and start our day. It can work the same way for doing the tasks we delay or avoid. Even though you might not welcome the reminder you are more likely to start acting on it if you receive an alert.

Set a positive reminder for key activities where you are procrastinating. Make it a reminder that makes you smile to put you in the right mood. If you don't want to create your own, there are so many to choose from in the Google Play or Apple Store - your favourite song, laughing guys, horse whinnies and even bullfrogs.

The Time to Act is Now

Why wait? Get Up and Go. Free yourself from procrastination.

I wish you the greatest success with it.

Share your Success Stories I would really love to hear from you if you found this article helpful. Search for me on Linkedin at RootballLtd on Facebook or Rootball_ on Instagram and let me know how it's working for you.

Get in touch if you would like Kate’s help on how you and your leadership team can free yourself from procrastination.