The 7 tips below are the foundational principles from my eBook, Break Up With Procrastination. For an in-depth look into how you can use these tips to increase your productivity. The ebook includes 7 colorful worksheets that will help you create a plan for achieving your goals.

 

1. Identify Your Why

Your “why” motivates you when the going gets tough. Your “why” gets you up in the morning when you don’t feel like getting up. Your “why” is that thing that inspires you, that thing that motivates you. That thing that won’t let you quit! When identifying your “why” be sure to keep the following formula in mind. 

Why > Work = Success 

If your “why” is greater than the amount of work required to achieve the goal or to complete the task, you’re more likely to succeed. For instance, I had several “whys” that kept me motivated in college despite my lack of finances and the family issues that I dealt with at home. My siblings were a huge “why” for me. My drive to inspire them was far greater than any amount of discipline that school demanded of me. My “why” enabled me to graduate with my Bachelor’s degree in 4 years and my Master’s in 2 years! 

 

2. Create a Road Map… or Find One

Ever since I was a teenager, I’ve always wanted to be an author. My mentors and pastors encouraged me to write a book but I was always so scared. I was intimidated by the thought and clueless about the process. After more than a decade of dreaming about becoming an author, I’m finally making it a reality, with my blog and my eBook. The first step that must take place when creating a road map, is research.

We live in a world with incredible technological advancements. With the internet at our fingertips there are an abundance of resources that follow. Proper research eliminates the hassle of trying to recreate the wheel that’s already been made for you.

 

3. Get Rid of Distractions

Lord knows I’ve wasted countless hours on social networking sites liking, commenting, tweeting or picture skimming. When procrastinating, anything is liable to become a distraction, although these days, technology seems to be the most appealing form. Sometimes it’s necessary to unplug yourself from social media for a few hours or days! It’s also wise to block off certain times of the week for specific tasks. If all else fails, revisit your “why,” and the importance of the goal you’re working on and vow to commit to it. After all, you deserve to achieve your goal. 

 

4. Find an Accountability Partner

Accountability partners can take many forms, though they should all have the same mission: To coach, encourage, and support you as you pursue your goals. The benefits of having an accountability partner are plentiful! An accountability partner should challenge you to set specific goals, increase your productivity, celebrate your accomplishments and assist you with brainstorming ideas.  Over the years, I’ve had various accountability partners. They’ve come in the form of friends, family, pastors, mentors, college advisors, high school guidance counselors and many more. 

 

5. Give Yourself an Incentive

Your “why” is your purpose. It’s your reason for doing what you do. Incentives are reinforcements that you reward yourself with, when you accomplish the small steps that lead to the end result. Did you know that you possess within you right now, everything you need to succeed? All you have to do is tap into that potential to make it a reality. We each have personal motivators that will inspire us to act. The challenge is, finding that motivator that’ll enable you to reach within yourself, for the willpower that you need to reach your goals. A powerful incentive has the potential to create and maintain a strong connection between your efforts and the motivation behind them. Will a shopping spree or a new tech gadget inspire you enough? If you’re not motivated by things, think of an experience that you’d like to have. Also, consider the frequency of the incentives. Do you prefer small and frequent reinforcements or big and widely spaced reinforcements, or both?

 

6. Visualize Your Success

Many of us have heard about the power of positive thinking and visualization. The theory is that you become what you constantly think about, whether your thoughts are positive or negative. Visualizing a series of events, makes it more likely for your plan to come forth the same way you saw it in your mind. In the morning when you wake up take at least 2 minutes out of your morning routine to sit with your eyes closed and visualize how your day will go. Leave out any negative premonitions and focus on your beautiful, positive self, succeeding and confidently going about your day. Do this for a few days and see if you notice a difference.

 

7. Follow-up with Yourself

In the fall of 2009 as a junior in college, I started a self-reflection log (SRL). My intention was to take a snapshot of my life at that moment, list my future goals in addition to the small steps that would get me there. My SRL became sort of like a bi-weekly (or sometimes monthly) journal. It was a less intimidating road map to success. Checking in with yourself on a consistent basis will give you the opportunity to reassess your goals while also providing you with  wiggle room to adjust your goals to meet life as it occurred.