Everyone has aspirations or goals they want to achieve. But a lot of people never achieve them because they either keep postponing their goals or simply let them wither away. The obvious costs are the loss of income, poor relationships, frustration, resentment and the opportunity to live their dream life.
This is because they think they have time. And this very complacency erodes the time that they have.
So how do we create a more purposeful use of time?
1. Create a ‘not to do list’– Eliminate things that you can avoid or are able to delegate. Then prioritize your remaining ‘to do’ list in order of importance and create short time-bound deadlines. If the tasks look too big, break them into bite-sized chunks, focusing on one task at a time. This helps you to treat your working time as a limited resource rather than a bottomless pit. It keeps you focused and inventive.
2. Purge laziness – Laziness is a symptom and not the cause of inactivity. Find out why you are feeling lazy. Is it a habit or a momentary feeling? If it is momentary the causes might include fatigue, lifestyle changes, lack of sleep, or something psychological. Address them and get to work. If your laziness has become chronic, disengage with habitual thought patterns by creating a diversion, a shift. For example, you can position your alarm clock at least six feet away from the bed. This way you have to get up in order to shut it off, and once you are up, you will find it easier to overcome the desire to go back to sleep.
3. Develop your willpower muscles – Exercising your willpower is like exercising a physical muscle. You build it through consistent practice. Start by making small commitments and ensure you consistently practice them for at least 30 days. Once you stick to a practice for 30 days it will establish a neural pathway in your brain and make your commitments seem effortless.
4. Set exciting goals – Do your goals create a burning desire? If not, you are probably chasing dull goals. Having an exciting goal creates the adrenaline rush to push past obstacles and achieve the impossible.
5. Face your fear of failure – Perfectionists become procrastinators because they are scared to create something imperfect. Or, some people fear success, as it might bring more responsibility. But remember, the financial, physical, emotional and spiritual consequences of inaction are huge. And anything negative, like fear when faced up to, diminishes in strength.
6. Dismiss distractions – Eliminate all distractions that are aimless and energy sapping. Make each moment count and reward yourself for completing a task well.
7. Delegate – Sometimes we procrastinate because we are not good at a task. Remember we all are good at something, but not everything. If you are not good at something and do not see the value in learning it, delegate it to someone who is. This way, you free up your energy for more important tasks.