Breaking The Procrastination Habit

Procrastination can be a hard habit to break. Dr. Phil offers some practical advice.

One-Day Solution
It's simple: Stop talking about what you want to or should do, and do it. Remember Life Law # 5: Life Rewards Action. How can you accomplish anything you want if you always put it off? Don't just pay lip service-admit that you need to change this behavior and take concrete steps to do so. Start by approaching your responsibilities in ways that can be measured. Today (not tomorrow), create a master list of tasks and place each one in an "urgent" "action needed," or "long term" category. Assign a time frame for each
task. Tell friends or coworkers what your tasks are and ask them to check up on you. This will help keep you accountable for your actions.

One-Week Solution
Every goal is accomplished step by step: Hemingway used to write his novels just four to eight pages at a time. To help you manage big tasks on your to-do-list, break them down into smaller, realistic pieces. Give each piece a deadline, and stick to it.

One-Month Solution
Take note of your moods to determine when you're most productive. Then, to increase your chances of success, plan accordingly. Do you feel best after mid morning coffee? Make calls and schedule meetings then. Are you less energetic and chatty in the late afternoon? Use the time for solitary tasks such as paying bills or writing reports.