Are You Feeling Overwhelmed And Not Getting Things Done? - 7 Ways To Get More Done

Time is the great equalizer. Everyone gets the same number of hours to work and play each day. No matter who you are, where you live and what you do you get a 24-hour cycle just like everyone else. One person may be wealthier than another, but that doesn't earn her a minute more in a 24 hour period than the poorest among us all. Discovering how to manage your time is part mental reorganization and part creating a system. It can be tempting to use interruptions as an excuse to postpone a project or task. Secretly we sometimes welcome the interlude. How convenient it is to have someone else to blame for not getting to a project. What we are really talking about here is procrastination.

The dictionary defines procrastination is the act of putting off, postponing or delaying intentionally and habitually something that ought to be done.

The lack of action might make you feel regretful for putting things off and not being productive. You become stressed and this becomes a excuse to postpone your actions even further.

Here's what you may not have thought about, procrastination causes you to have a low sense of self-esteem, feel unworthy and worry that you are not meeting expectations. That's because when you procrastinate, you are likely to overestimate the scope of a project until the thought of doing it overwhelms you to paralysis and nothing gets done. It's said that procrastinators are frequently perfectionist who expect too much from themselves and become out of touch with their goals and dreams.

There are a lot of ways to avoid success in your life, but the most direct just might be procrastination. Procrastinators undermine themselves. They put obstacles in their own path. They actually choose paths that hurt their own performance.

1. According to Dr Gail Saltz If there is something you need to do and not doing it you probably have a conflict about doing it. So the first to do in this case is to write down a list of the reasons you're not doing the" thing," so you can consciously evaluate how valid they are. Decide if its something you are afraid of. Then make another list that hast to do with the first week, make a plan so you can start doing baby steps. When you put those things down clearly conscious on a piece of paper it helps you start moving in the right direction.

2. Procrastination isn't a problem of time management or of planning. Procrastinators are not different in their ability to estimate time. Instructing someone who is a chronic procrastinator to buy a weekly planner is like telling someone with chronic depression to just "let go and be happy." It's not going to work..

3. Procrastinators are made not born. It's a learned behavior, but not directly. Procrastination can even be a form of rebellion, one which you and only you are controlling the situation. Procrastinators often turn more to friends or family for support, who may unintentionally reinforce their putting things off habit because they tend to tolerate their explanations.

4. Procrastinators often deceive themselves with self-perpetuating excuses such as, "I'll feel more like doing this tomorrow." Or "I work best under pressure." But the truth is you won't get the urge to get it done tomorrow nor do you work best under pressure

5. Procrastinators seek distractions, mostly those that don't require commitment. For example checking e-mail is almost perfect for this purpose. They distract themselves as a way of controlling their feelings. To set yourself up to get things done you need to make sure you remove all distractions. Turn off your phone, Skype, IM, and emails while you're in focus time. If you work around other people put a "Do Not Disturb" sign on your door. It's uninterrupted focus time

6. There are huge costs to procrastination. Health is one. Impaired immune systems in the form of more colds, flu, gastrointestinal problems and insomnia. If you get sick frequently take a look around you to see if you have been overwhelmed and frustrated recently. Maybe not getting things done. Under optimal conditions, the immune system is much more able to help the body heal itself. However, when conditions are not optimal, guide meditation or focused inner reflection can help the conscious mind perceive what the immune system requires the body to do to facilitate healing.

7. Procrastinators tend to shift responsibility onto others, causing resentment. Taking full responsibility may not be any fun but it keeps your relationships strong and healthy. Make yourself accountable.

Just like breaking any habit procrastination tendencies won't change overnight. When the thought of doing something is so overwhelming that it keeps you from taking action, one way to overcome this paralysis is to meditate on the thought itself. Imagine enclosing the dreaded task in a bubble and watch if flow away. What's left? A thing that simply needs doing. So, do it!