Procrastination. It’s an ugly word. And, it plagues too many people. Procrastination is a very common phenomenon but it’s not necessarily a straightforward personality trait. Sure, there are serial procrastinators who put things off time and time again. But, even people who practice good daily habits can fall into the procrastination trap. It’s a bad thing because it causes you to rush and do something at the last-minute. Or, it can bite you because you put it on hold too long and now, it’s too late. Top Reasons Why People Procrastinate The truth is, people procrastinate for a variety of reasons. Sure, laziness is one reason but it’s certainly not the only culprit. It turns out fear is one of the most common causes. Either fear of failure or fear of success. Another reason is due to perfectionism. When you stop to think about this cause, it makes perfect sense. Then, there’s the matter of excitement or fulfillment. If it’s boring, it’s simply unattractive. With distractions at an arm’s reach at all times these days, it’s all too easy to find reasons to procrastinate. Don’t waste another second making excuses for the things you have to do. We put things off when there is something more challenging at hand. Instead of rising to the challenge and completing the task we have to do, we find smaller, insignificant activities to fill our time–telling ourselves that we’re getting something done. —Inc.com A lack of focus can also cause someone to put stuff off. Or, just low energy. Feeling like there’s no fuel in the tank is a big demotivator. Basically, the most common reasons for procrastination are negative feelings. Which means you can overcome the urge when it strikes. 3 Vital Steps to Stop Procrastinating There’s always something on our table we just do not want to do. It could be anything. The common thread is a form of fear or dread. This builds up the more it’s thought about, until it becomes overwhelming. And, while it nags in the distance, it’s common to indulge in busy work to keep it at bay. But, it doesn’t have to get the best of you. Here are three vital steps for overcoming procrastination: Put the hardest thing first. Eat your vegetables. It’s one of the single best ways to ward off procrastination. When you do the hardest or least appealing work first, you get it out-of-the-way. And, you can then move onto something more enjoyable. Break it up into small steps. Not every task or project can realistically be completed in one day. If this is the case, do it first but don’t do it all at once. Instead, do it incrementally over a given period. This way, you’ll see progress and have less and less to complete as you go along. Create a realistic, actionable schedule. To beat the urge to procrastinate, you need to go by a realistic, actionable schedule. One that you can follow and tick off the accomplishments, one by one. Have you beat procrastination? What other strategies would you suggest using? Please share your experiences and thoughts on how to tackle procrastination. Interested in learning more about business productivity? Then just visit Waters Business Consulting Group.

Anxiety, stress, fear, and even anger. All these emotions result from a lack of control in a state of uncertainty. And, little else can describe the current state of events. It’s a time filled with unknowns and that’s not good for the human condition. After all, no one really relishes living in an environment of uncertainty. What Causes Fear and Anxiety This is precisely what triggers feelings of fear and anxiety — uncertainly. Having little to no idea of what to expect next or, being without any sense of control. It’s a combination of these two elements which cause anxiety, stress, fear, anger, and more negative emotions. For many people, the uncertainty surrounding coronavirus is the hardest thing to handle. We don’t know how exactly we’ll be impacted or how bad things might get. And that makes it all too easy to catastrophize and spiral out into overwhelming dread and panic. But there are many things you can do—even in the face of this unique crisis—to manage your anxiety and fears. —Help Guide International The good news is, even during the most uncertain and stressful times, you can do something to deal with such negative emotions. Better yet, once you begin to establish even a small sense of control, you’ll start to feel empowered and that by itself is a huge relief. 5 Ways to Cope with Fear and Anxiety To deal with anxiety and fear, you have to first accept your current set of circumstances. Fighting reality simply won’t work, because it can’t be changed. However, you can change how you respond to fear and anxiety by doing the following: Contextualize. Your first step toward conquering or at least coping with fear and anxiety is to contextualize. Here’s an example. Money is tight and bills are due. But, it’s only a temporary circumstance. It’s not an end-of-life situation. You will get through it and putting things in context is a big help. Take small steps. Next, you’ll need to take small steps in order to feel a sense of control. Sticking with the example above, you can reach out to vendors and ask what can be done. Just by communicating and better understanding the what’s actually going on will give you a sigh of relief. Limit news consumption. You’ve probably already heard this advice several times. So, take it to heart. Limit your exposure to news media, including social media, and other outlets. You only need to keep tabs on key developments but not bombard yourself with big doses. Revisit and revisit your goals. Now is a great time to revisit and revise your goals. This will help you to see and feel better about the future. And, it will also provide you with a sense of new possibilities, which is very empowering. Visualize and start to execute. It’s also a good time to visualize and execute. Although you may not be able to take things fully to fruition, you can at least start and that too, will help to give you a sense of control, accomplishment, and hope. What other suggestions do you have to combat feelings of anxiety and fear? Please comment and share your thoughts and experiences! Interested in learning more about business? Then just visit Waters Business Consulting Group.