Stop Letting Procrastination Bury Your Dreams

Someone said, “Procrastination is the grave in which opportunity is buried.”

When the end comes, some people look back over their lives, and all they see is a graveyard of regrets, largely due to procrastination and putting things off until tomorrow.

Don’t let that be you.

Here are seven ways to get busy living your life and stop burying your dreams. 

Try one each day for the next seven days. And whenever you procrastinate, revisit this list and use one of these hacks to get unstuck, and watch your productivity soar. 

Go Small 

They say, “Go big or go home.” But that approach can be overwhelming, one reason we put things off, which is a very unproductive and self-sabotaging coping mechanism. So, pick something small you can do right now that moves you in the right direction. Don’t have time to write the entire article? Write a paragraph. Don’t have the energy to clean the whole house? Wipe down a counter. Don’t feel like going to the gym? Lace up your shoes. These small actions create momentum and get you into action. 

Start Your Timer

This hack works like a charm to get you into action. Don’t feel like doing something? Set a time for 7 minutes, or 13 or 19, whatever it takes to talk you into doing it. Then, work on the task until the timer goes off. This tip works great for stuff like decluttering, cleaning, starting to learn a new language, or even going for a walk to get some exercise or paperwork you dread doing. Start small if you have to – even five minutes. The goal is to get started. 

Bribe Yourself 

What’s wrong with bribing yourself to motivate you to do something? Nothing, that’s what. Work on something you’ve been putting off for an hour or two, then watch a favorite movie or show. Or if it’s a big project like redecorating a room, promise yourself a new gadget as your reward, or a new shirt or pair of shoes for losing ten pounds. And if tempted to procrastinate, remind yourself what’s waiting for you. 

Get An Accountability Partner 

Finding someone you trust who supports you and asking them to check in regularly to see how much you’re getting done can be a great motivator. You might even tell them in advance how much you plan to do this week and have them check in with you during the middle and end of the week; if you’re really serious (and you are, aren’t you?), ask them to check in with you daily. Knowing you have to report to someone else makes you take action.

Measure Your Progress 

What gets measured gets improved. Say you want to lose twenty pounds. Weighing yourself daily and tracking your progress weekly keeps you in the game. Otherwise, it’s easy to forget and keep putting things off until “tomorrow.” Stay motivated by measuring how much progress you’re making. You can use your phone, make a chart or spreadsheet, or tape a piece of paper to the bathroom wall that you make notes on every morning. 

Remind Yourself Of Your Why 

When you lose your “why,” you lose your motivation. Why did you want to do this thing in the first place? You had a great reason for doing the very thing you keep putting off. Remember your why and remind yourself of it often. Did you want to make more money so you could go on a special vacation, start a side hustle to leave your job eventually, or be strong and healthy to keep up with your grandkids? Get clear on your why, write it down, and look at it every morning and every night before you go to bed.

Just Get Started

This is the most powerful hack of all: Just get started. What’s the old saying? An object in motion tends to stay in motion. So, get yourself into motion! Do something – anything! Even if it’s something really small or even something that turns out to be a mistake! 

Get busy living your life! Don’t wait until you’re ready or feel like it or else you’ll never start!

And don’t wait until you’ve satisfied all your uncertainties because all that does is bury one opportunity after another, creating one huge graveyard of regret that will become your life. 

Use one or all seven of these hacks to end procrastination and get yourself into motion so you can finally unlock your best life!