Procrastination - How to stop thinking and start doing

"Procrastination is the thief of time, "   Edward Young, poet, almost 500 years ago.

Are you a procrastinator? Everyone is to an extent.
It's very common with my career coaching clients. In fact, one of the reasons that clients come to me for support is not that they don't know what they want - it's that they simply can't get started. 

But whatever you're procrastinating about, it's making your life harder. That 'thing' you should be doing is forever lurking in the background, nagging away at the back of your mind. It's consuming energy all the time.

If you're a busy professional, and maybe have family taking up time too, it's easy to put things to one side. It could be your work-life balance, it could be making an important decision about your career.

Here are some tips to help you understand why you're 'putting off' and also how to change your behaviour.
Don't delay reading - do this now!

Know Your Delay Trigger
This is the key and one which I focus on with my clients. It could be the focus of one or two sessions.
Finding the right key, and unlocking the door, is the way forward to change your behaviour.  
Knowing what causes you to procrastinate is the first step to change.
Is it boredom? Fear of failure? Perfectionism? Being stuck between choices?

Acknowledge Your Motivation
Be honest. If you keep being 'stuck' it's worth asking yourself how much you want something. On a scale of 1 to 10, you need to be at 8 and above to be motivated. Don't just 'think' you want something - find your true motivation for it.

Break It Down
Big tasks overwhelm. Change those into do-able steps. 'Write report' becomes Sit down/Open Doc/ Outline Key Points.

Use The 5 Minute Rule
Tell yourself you only need do this for 5 minutes. Once you start, you'll keep going.

Block Distractions
Put your phone on silent. Get that coffee now - not in 5 minutes. 

Set Real Deadlines
Not 'someday' but a real clear goal. Even better, tell someone your goal. (It could be me - but your friend will do.)

Reward Progress
You'll feel great once you've achieved something that you've been putting off.
Make yourself another coffee, have cake if you want. But not too much.