How to Stop Procrastinating: a simple Guide to Mastering Difficult Tasks and Breaking the Procrastination Habit

Exercise #1: Identify Your Procrastination
Reasons
(Side note: This exercise and all the others are included in a
downloadable “Quick Start Checklist” that’s part of the companion
website, 
which 
can 
be 
found 
here:
www.developgoodhabits.com/procrastination-website.
)
At the start of this chapter, I mentioned how we all have different reasons
for procrastinating. When you identify 
your
reasons, you’ll take that first
step to breaking this bad habit.
To begin, I recommend setting aside 30 minutes today to mull over the
tasks you’ve procrastinated on within the past week or month. If you can’t
remember any examples, then do this exercise during the next week while
you make decisions about your daily tasks.
First, write down each of the tasks, projects, or habits you’ve
procrastinated on. The size or scope of the activity doesn’t matter. The
only requirement is that you’ve delayed taking action on it for some
reason.
Next, write down the reason that you gave for putting it off. Be honest
here, because this is for your eyes only. So, if you skipped a workout
because you wanted to binge-watch season five of 
House of Cards
, then
write that reason down. Do this for all the activities that you’ve
procrastinated on recently.
Third, look at the reasons you gave and see if they compare to the eight
that I just detailed. Here they are again if you get stuck:
1. You are a perfectionist.
2. You fear the unknown.
3. You promise to do it “later.”
4. You focus on easy tasks.

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5. You experience a lack of motivation.
6. You don’t know how to get started.
7. You often get distracted.
8. You don’t have enough time.
Don’t worry if your answers vary from task to task. Some activities you’ll
put off because you want them to be perfect. And other activities you’ll
procrastinate on because you weren’t in the mood to do them. What’s
important is to understand the common reasons you give for putting off a
task.
Finally, keep these reasons in the back of your mind as you read the rest
of this book. Whenever you come across an idea that specifically
addresses an issue that you have, highlight it and bookmark it for future
use. Odds are this will lead to that breakthrough strategy whenever that
issue pops up again in the future.

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