10 Reasons Why We Procrastinate

Yet we do it all the time. There are some real reasons why procrastination happens so often and to so many. Here are 10 to consider:

A task or project that appears too big or daunting should be broken down into smaller more manageable steps.

2. We don’t know what we should be doing, so we don’t do anything. Not knowing what to do is a clear sign that direction is needed. In this case,   seek out advisers, supervisors, mentors or others that can help you gain some   clarity and begin to move forward.

Too much to do can equate to not getting anything done if we don’t have a good way to manage our projects and time. The first step is to prioritize your activities, then set aside pockets of time to work on various tasks.

Having a step-by-step process for activities that are conducted regularly can significantly increase your productivity. This keeps you from having to go back each time to figure out exactly how something should be done. The more you do the activity the more you can streamline and tweak to determine which approach works best. This makes it easy for others to come behind you to duplicate your efforts.

Sometimes we don’t act because we’re afraid to. Rather than address the fear we opt to do nothing. Find out why you feel the way you do, address it and then set aside some time to act.

There are 800 different things a day that can distract us. The only way to focus is to get clear on what needs to happen. Schedule it and then do it or hire someone to do it for you.

7. Lack of goals.
Goals give you something to work on or towards. Set some concrete goals and go about achieving them.

Motivation goes hand-and-hand with goals. If you have something you’re reaching for, you’ll significantly increase your motivation.

Part of being a good leader is the ability to make decisions. Decisiveness is important for building momentum and moving forward. If you’re wishy-washy or continually questioning the decisions you make you want accomplish as much in the long run.

Strive for excellence instead of perfection and you’ll get a lot more accomplished.

One of the best ways to shake off procrastination is to develop an action plan. A 30, 60 or 90 day plan is a great way to keep you focused, clear and on task.