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

Document Outline

• Introduction
  • The Day My Father Almost Died
  • What Is Procrastination?
  • About How to Stop Procrastinating
  • About the Author
• 8 Reasons Why People Procrastinate
  • Reason #1: You Are a Perfectionist
  • Reason #2: You Fear the Unknown
  • Reason #3: You Promise to Do It “Later”
  • Reason #4: You Focus on Easy Tasks
  • Reason #5: You Experience a Lack of Motivation
  • Reason #6: You Don’t Know How to Get Started
  • Reason #7: You Often Get Distracted
  • Reason #8: You Don’t Have Enough Time
  • Exercise #1: Identify Your Procrastination Reasons
• Step #1: Identify Your Current Commitments
  • Option #1: The Getting Things Done (GTD) Method
  • Option #2: How to Stop Procrastinating Method
  • Exercise #2: Write Down All Your Current Commitments
• Step #2: Focus on Five Core Projects
  • The 25–5 Rule Explained
  • How to Identify Your Core Values
  • How to Select Your Five Core Projects
  • Exercise #3: Focus on Five Core Projects
• Step #3: Set Quarterly S.m.a.r.t. Goals
  • Examples of S.M.A.R.T. Goals
  • Action #1: Focus on Five Projects
  • Action #2: Focus on Three-Month Goals
  • Action #3: Use a Weekly Review to Tweak Your Goals
  • Action #4: Turn Each Focus into a Project
  • Action #5: Review Your Goals
  • Action #6: Evaluate Your Quarterly Goals
  • Exercise #4: Set Your Quarterly S.M.A.R.T. Goals
• Step #4: Say No to Competing Projects and Obligations
  • Practice #1: Say No as Early and Politely as Possible
  • Practice #2: Identify the Mandatory Tasks
  • Practice #3: Compare Each Request to Your Current Projects
  • Practice #4: Talk to Your Boss about Your Top Projects
  • Practice #5: Ask Yourself, “What Will My Obituary Say?”
  • Exercise #5: Say No to Anything That Doesn’t Match Your Goals
• Step #5: Plan Your Weekly Schedule
  • Big Rocks and How to Focus on What’s Important
  • The Lesson of the Big Rocks Story
  • Action #1: Answer Three Questions
  • Action #2: Apply the 80/20 Rule to Your Schedule
  • Action #3: Block Out Time on a Calendar
  • Action #4: Practice Batching and Create “Theme Days”
  • Action #5: Set Aside Time for Deep Work
  • Exercise #6: Plan Your Weekly Schedule
• Step #6: Implement 14 Daily Practices to Overcome Procrastination
  • Practice #1: Resolve Any Potential Emergency
  • Practice #2: Do a 5- to 10-Minute Daily Review
  • Practice #3: Focus On Your MITs
  • Practice #4: Eat the Frog
  • Practice #5: Use the Eisenhower Matrix to Make Quick Decisions
  • Practice #6: Complete Quick Tasks Immediately
  • Practice #7: Create a Mini Habit for Challenging Tasks
  • Practice #8: Build Elephant Habits for Ongoing Projects
  • Practice #9: Use Sprints to Work On Challenging Projects
  • Practice #10: Build the Discomfort Habit
  • Practice #11: Remove Hidden Blocks with the Awareness Habit
  • Practice #12: Bundle Rewards with Actions
  • Practice #13: Attach All Tasks to a Goal
  • Practice #14: Create Accountability for Your Tasks
  • Exercise #7: Implement 14 Daily Practices to Overcome Procrastination
• Step #7: Create Your Game Plan for Overcoming Procrastination
  • Activity #1: Complete Four One-Time Exercises
  • Activity #2: Schedule a Weekly Planning Session
  • Activity #3: Build an Anti-Procrastination Habit-Stacking Routine
  • Activity #4: Challenge Your Daily Procrastination Tendencies
• Final Thoughts on How to Stop Procrastinating
• One Last Reminder . . .
• Thank You!
• More Books by Steve