31 Tips To Overcome Procrastination And Perfectionism

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Are you stuck in Procrastination Station or are you about to strut into your dream life?  Do you find yourself struggling to take the next step forward because your last step wasn’t perfect? This blog post is all about how to overcome procrastination and perfectionism in your small business.

You probably know that you need to break down projects and create a step-by-step task list when pursuing big goals.  But that’s only the first step. You also need to actually do the work! And that means taking imperfect action.

What is Procrastination?

Procrastination is defined as “the action of delaying or postponing something”

I’m definitely one of those people that delay and postpone the hard tasks! But, I also believe that procrastination is my little girl response to the grown woman who doesn’t have enough confidence to pursue her dreams. Who doesn’t think she has any power over her outcomes.

Thankfully, I learned how to get into the habit of doing things “now” and I’m sharing 31 tips and techniques for overcoming procrastination.  (My favorite is number 14!)

Overcome Procrastination and Perfectionism

These 31 tips for overcoming procrastination will get you moving today.

1. Unclutter your life.  Clean up your inbox. Reorganize your office. Get rid of unnecessary tasks – just unclutter!
2. Set up a Job Jar. Put tasks you procrastinate over into a Job Jar and do one task from the Job Jar before you do anything else each day.
3. If you procrastinate on a certain task and not generally, the task is the problem – not you. Identifying the issue will help you fix it.
4. If you procrastinate because you hate doing it, you’re human. Try bribing yourself with a manicure or some other inexpensive treat.
5. Find yourself endlessly researching before writing? Organizing before working? Assess to see if this is efficiency – or procrastination.
6. If you love doing it, but find yourself procrastinating, you’re afraid of either failure… or success. (First step: Identify which one!)
7. Procrastination can be the result of mental clutter. Review your to-do list and eliminate everything not necessary today.
8. There’s often a disconnect between a task and its goal. This leads to procrastination, so connect the dots by planning steps.
9. Procrastination often accompanies a confidence crash. Do small related tasks. These successes will help you face the big one.
10. Banish negative self-talk up and look for things to be thankful for: You’d be amazed how much this helps kill procrastination.
11. Are you researching the right facts on the right sites – or are you procrastinating by distraction? Learn to tell the difference.
12. Use affirmations to help yourself beat procrastination, such as: “I’m working hard and getting things done, one step at a time.  I make good use of my time”.
13. Setting a goal can help overcome procrastination – but make the goal something immediate that you really want to do.
14. Set three immediate goals for procrastination-busting success: a good, better, and best goal.
15. When fighting procrastination, use visual mind maps to layout complex tasks. Cross off or highlight components completed.
16. Doing a long-put-off project with a friend works because it not only holds you to a deadline but puts the fun into a hated activity.
17. With procrastination, the hardest step is the first one. Just do it. 
18. If you procrastinate say: “I’ll only do it for 10 minutes”. Do it. Even if you “can’t” go on, you’ll feel better after those 10 minutes.
19. Use alarms to help beat procrastination. Work at a task for 20 minutes.  Set a kitchen timer or the alarm on your phone to ring when the 20 minutes you promised you’d invest in the hated task is up.
20. If you always procrastinate when facing a specific task, don’t sweat it: Outsource it instead!
21. Change your self-talk from critical to solution-based self-talk will help you bounce back from a setback and help you get on top of procrastination.
22. Procrastination can be a signal that a task is out of your comfort zone. What will you do to leap out of your comfort zone? If you can’t get moving then outsource it.
23. If you find yourself procrastinating over mundane tasks, try to make it more fun. Play music or do the task with a friend.  
24. One of the best people to talk to about procrastination?  Your accountability group.
25. When scheduling tasks you tend to procrastinate over, find the time slot that works best for you in actually getting them done.
26. If you procrastinate over a repetitive task you can’t outsource, try getting into the habit of doing it on a particular day and time.
27. Go through hated tasks that make you procrastinate and assign them a label: Delegate, Organize, Automate or Delete.
28. If clients procrastinate in sending you project specs, help them out by designing and providing helpful forms with prompts.
29. If you are having trouble with procrastination, make sure your systems suit your learning style and personality. Do it your way.
30. Make a 2-column chart: Where You Are Now and Where You Want to Go. When procrastinating, reference this chart for inspiration.
31. When tackling procrastination, remember:  “You cannot manage time – you can only manage yourself”.

The Bottom Line On Tips For Overcoming Procrastination

Pick three or four of these tips for overcoming procrastination and start applying them this week. For ongoing motivation, bookmark this page and revisit every so often.

In an age of multitasking and overload, it’s truly impossible to get everything done. And that’s ok. Show yourself some grace, put on your blinders, and run your own race – at the pace that’s comfortable for you! Only you know what work-life balance looks like for you and your family.

Remember to celebrate your accomplishments and the fact that you are making the effort to overcome procrastination.