How to Stop Procrastinating and Get Things Done

If you are a natural procrastinator like I am, your whole family and life can suffer. When you're not paying attention to the small details of daily life, and tend to keep putting things off, things will start to stack up against you. Missed appointments, late homework, lost items and a messy house are just some of the problems you might face if you're always waiting until later to do things.

As a procrastinator, wasting money can be an issue as well. Replacing lost items, overdue fees for library books and videos, charges for bills that were paid late. Even more serious issues like bad credit or even foreclosure on your house for missed payments can occur for the worst procrastinators. I have always had the tendency to put things off until the last minute, or to promise myself I'll "do it later". My natural laziness has led to most of this problem in my life, but over the years, I have worked out a system to combat my procrastination.

These tips may not work for you, but might set a starting point in your battle to get things done. This is what has worked for me, creating an environment where me and my family are mostly happy, where most things get done to my satisfaction, and I can still have a little bit of wiggle room for those times when I really want to be lazy.

TIP # 1 Make A List

This is the single most effective way for me to get things done. I write my list daily, the very first thing in the morning, while I'm drinking my coffee and waiting for the computer to turn on. I write down everything I need to do that day, and everything I want to do that day.

I live by my list. I write down every little thing I need to do that day. If I've been really moping around and lazy, or I'm not feeling well or energetic, I even write down the simplest things, like "do the dishes". But normally, I don't write down these obvious things, but the important stuff I need to do. Taxes. Pay the electric bill. Call my daughter's school.

Once I've written down everything I can think of that needs to be done, I check yesterday's list, and write down anything that wasn't finished. Only then do I list the things I want to do. Shows I want to see, calls to friends, and other things that serve as a type of treat for myself, that I get to do if I've done all the necessary stuff.

TIP # 2 Organize Your Day

I organize my list by sections, or when I want to get the task finished by. I make headings on my list like "Before Baby's Nap" and "Before Dinner". I try to fit in the most urgent or important things as early in the day as possible. I would list helping my daughter with a homework project before dinner, but after she gets home from school. My worst jobs I hate, like paying bills or taxes, would go in an early morning section of my list.

I never, ever list a specific time to do something, unless I have an appointment. If I feel pushed to do something, I tend to be defensive. I don't like to be told what to do, even by my self.

Using my list, I almost always get everything done that I need to do every day. I tend to find that crossing things off my list gives me the mental energy to keep going. And on my days when I'm feeling the laziest, I at least am able to cross off the most important things off my list.