Get started. Get it done

“Never do tomorrow what you can do today. Procrastination is the thief of time”
– Charles Dickens.

Are you that person who keeps putting things off?
Are you a procrastinator?
Procrastination is putting off something for tomorrow that you can do today.
It’s postponing or delaying something that needs to get done.
We’ve all been guilty of procrastination at one time or another. You have good intentions, but tasks still need to be completed. I admit that I used to be the queen of procrastination.
It’s true that procrastination is indeed the thief of time because the more you procrastinate, the more time you waste.
Procrastination can be a significant cause of stress. It can increase your anxiety because, in the back of your mind, you know that you’re supposed to be working on a particular task that you’re not working on.

At some point, you’ll have to decide that you’re going to tackle the task ahead and then begin taking the necessary steps toward completion.
Your decision should not be based on how you feel because your feelings will tend to lead you towards thoughts of overwhelm and inaction. Just decide that you will get started.
It has been said that procrastination can be a dream killer because you never actually start working toward your goal. The truth is when you procrastinate, you don’t get things done.
Don’t let procrastination steal your peace or your future. We must acknowledge our fears and then put those fears aside as we press forward.
There’s no perfect time to begin. Things don’t have to be perfect before you get started. Just start where you are and go from there.
Waiting won’t make it smaller when there’s a mountain to climb.
Schedule a time to work on your specific project that needs to get done.
Prioritize what needs to get done. You can break each task down into 15 to 60-minute intervals of laser focus or whatever time works for you and continue what you are focused on until the time runs out.
Then stop!
Continue to utilize this technique until the task is completed.
I have a Top Three notebook, each page has three empty spaces, and I write in the top two or three things I need to accomplish that day.
I like to create daily/weekly checklists of things I need to focus on and get done; it gives me a sense of accomplishment as I complete each task, and I don’t feel so overwhelmed.
Remember, lost time can’t be regained.
The question is… what are you waiting for?
No discipline seems pleasant at the time but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it – Hebrews 12:11
Decide what needs to get done… Get started, and then finish the tasks ahead.

Bev

Bev Benskin MA RN NCC LPC CT BCC BSN