“You are such a procrastinator!”

It’s been over a decade since I heard these words from my mom, and they couldn’t be further from the truth… today. However, yes, I will be the first to stand up and say, “My name is Honorée Corpron and I am a procrastinator.”

I still remember some of these negative messages my mom used to give me as a pre-teen that stuck with me until I was in my 20s, when I finally realized that I could DECIDE if I wanted to be a procrastinator forever, or be a person who takes action right now. It was then that I recreated my identity as the professional I wanted to be.

The result? A complete 360, where she probably wouldn’t recognize me today for being the flurry of activity and take-charge attitude that are now the success habits she chooses to exercise.

So, let’s start with your first training tip for today:

Success Tip #1: The actions you take every day are your choice and within your control. If you’re like me, you’ll relate to piles of paper piling up and tasks you never seem to have time to complete. All the little things around the house that need to be completed, along with the hassle and frustration they cause (“allowances”). Interestingly, the more responsibilities I took on in my life and career, the more I knew I needed to tackle that dirty little habit. I knew it would become a severe limiter to my success if I allowed this all-too-common habit to permeate my life. That’s all procrastination really is: a bad habit.

Success Tip #2: The good news is that if you can develop bad habits, you can also develop good ones!

All you need to do to start creating successful clothing is to have the desire.

1. You must WANT to break an old habit in order to intentionally replace it with a positive success habit.

2. Next, you need to understand how the procrastination cycle works so that you can break it once and for all.

The habit of procrastinating drains your energy faster than you think. It’s addictive and seemingly unbreakable, almost as if it were part of the coding of your DNA. I am happy to report that it is NOT! It’s just a bad habit that probably started when you were young, unaware, and unmotivated to complete a task that someone else valued as a higher priority than you did at the time. Have you noticed that as you allow the papers on your desk or in your inbox to continue to pile up, the piles and piles and to-do lists get bigger and bigger?

You start to lose motivation and interest in overcoming those piles. You get tired All you want to do is focus on something you CAN achieve, to give yourself a sense of value in your day, even if it means dusting off your copier in the corner of the office, checking email, or running an errand. Or yes, even playing a round of solitaire, which can become an addiction in itself, especially since it has all the components of positive reinforcement for your brain. It has a definite beginning, specific rules in the middle, and a conclusive ending. Until, of course, you click restart. Then the cycle of wasting time begins.

Sometimes it takes sheer discipline to win. If you find the right motivation with the right rewards to keep moving in the right direction to be on purpose with the right tasks, you’ll be on the fast track to kicking the procrastination habit for good!

If you want to give up your procrastination addiction and kick the procrastination habit for good, start by doing the following right now:

Think of something you must accomplish today. Maybe it’s something you’ve been putting off for days… maybe weeks.

1. List the consequences if you don’t do what you need to do RIGHT NOW.

2. List the rewards for taking action (the opposite of inaction).

3. See yourself enjoying these rewards right now once you complete the task before you.

4. Begin by saying the following: “The best time to do this is RIGHT NOW!” (This is a big one!)

Most procrastinators delay what needs to be done because of what they tell themselves. For example, if you find yourself saying, “Oh, I’ll do that tomorrow,” you’ll notice one major thing that keeps you addicted to procrastination for the rest of your life.

***HINT: Tomorrow NEVER comes.***

HOWEVER! When you get into the habit of saying you will do it RIGHT NOW, it will quickly give you a sense of urgency to get things done sooner than ever. By the way, this does not mean that you do everything as soon as it arrives on your desktop. What it means is that you focus on the right tasks at the right time. Any task that you shouldn’t be doing right now, but needs to do personally (instead of delegating) should have a system in place to get it done at the perfect time. “Do” something can mean “Schedule” something. All you need to do is SCHEDULE a task or priority as an appointment in your calendar, and you’ll be on your way to kicking this habit once and for all! Attach a reminder to high-priority tasks you schedule in your appointment book, and now you’re not just licking the habit, you’re getting things done! (Whoo-Rah!)

Success Tip #3: You are a unique individual. There is no one else created exactly like you. (Unbelievable and true!)

Keep in mind that each person in this world is unique. This is why each of my coaching clients has added a slight variation to this system.

Success Tip #4 – Whenever you read tips and strategies in books, magazines, and newspapers, just try what appeals to you and apply what works best for you and YOUR natural style. Knowing your strengths, weaknesses, and unique motivational style will help you apply the tips that will work best for your unique and natural style, while adapting those that don’t match your style. Ultimately, discover your own unique strategy for success.

Success Tip #5: Follow the system below to break the procrastination cycle for good! Let’s say you want to start beating the procrastination habit by starting with your desk and the email overload that keeps draining your energy. Here are some ideas to get you started building a system that will help you quickly move in the right direction and become the most organized person in your office.

1. Set aside a specific time every day to clean out your inbox. (You’re using block time, right?) (And don’t be tempted to do it at any other time of the day or week.) Stick to your schedule!

2. Create a separate “follow-up” folder in your email/outlook folders. Set aside time each day to review it and take action on it.

3. Hire a virtual assistant…once you’re successful enough that your workload is more than one person can handle. You’ll love this one the most, because it means you’re doing multiple projects, simultaneously, but you’re only focusing on what matters most.

4. Delegate the tasks you are not strong at to people who can do them better than you. Of course, this requires humility and a reduced ego to get it right. Too often, people try to do everything because they feel important taking on the tasks and think they are irreplaceable. Get rid of that stinking thought and delegate! You’ll be glad you did once you see the results.

5. Once a month: set a recurring date with yourself. You might even want to have “organizing parties” at your company, where the entire day is spent going through stacks/stacks/shelves of projects, etc. to ensure that all priority projects are handled in an appropriate time frame.

6. Sweater for the whole night. Maybe you haven’t done this since college days. But it’s amazing how good you feel when you finally go to bed, knowing that you’ve finished everything important and that you’ve set days with specific hours to complete the upcoming projects you’re working on. In fact, you’ll wake up feeling more energized and alive than if you’d slept for 8 hours. A good night’s sleep can wear thin quickly once you walk into an office with stacks and stacks of folders and applications and a long to-do list.

Coach’s Corner:

I always say: Ask yourself a better question, get a better result. Here’s a powerful question for you: What will you do from now on that will keep you most organized and motivated to have a clean, uncluttered desk with only high-priority project folders directly in front of you? Let this year be the year that you have great success in this area of ​​your professional life and see what it does for your upward mobility.