Potential TV the place where you can nurture your relationship, transform your life, and

enhance your wellbeing. Today we have a question from Heather and

she writes, I procrastinate and getting easily distracted by low priority tasks and put off

important tasks until the last minute? I tend to set such high and unrealistic expectations

for myself that my endless list of tasks leaves me feeling overwhelmed and exhausted. Can

you help me get a jump start to overcoming procrastination so I know how to avoid procrastination?

Thank you Heather for your question, and if any of you out there are tired of being in

overdrive going 100 mph and would like to recharge your batteries, you have come to

the right place. These helpful tips will steer you back down Time Management Highway so you

know how to overcome procrastination immediately and begin enjoying the scenery along the way.

One way to overcoming procrastination is: 1. Rate Your Current Time Management Skills-

On a scale from 1- 10, 1= no time management skills and 10= excellent time management skills,

rate the level of your current time management proficiency and then a description for each

subsequent level. For example, if your score is 5 you might describe the next number 6

as gaining awareness of what distracts you, learn how to redirect yourself, track how

you spend your time, and eliminate time wasters. Continue describing each number all the way

to 10. Since you have to know where you are going on the map in order to get to your destination,

creating a clear idea of where you want to go is an important first step.

How you can avoid procrastination is to: 2. Limit Yourself To 3 To-Do's Per Day: Often

when we are learning to manage our time or learning anything new and different, we need

to start small and practice the basic fundamentals. By limiting yourself to 3 to-do's you will

learn how to both set realistic expectations and lay down the basic foundations to this

new way of managing your time effectively. You can know how to overcome procrastination

by: 3. Track How You Are Currently Spending Your

Time- There are only 24 hours in a day, Once you subtract sleeping (8 hours), preparing

and eating 3 meals (3 hours) , getting ready for the day and bedtime (1-2 hours), self-care

time (1 hour) and getting to and from work, school, etc. (1-2 hours) there is really only

10 hours left approximately. Take a couple of days and track how you are currently spending

your time and see where you can eliminate potential time consuming pitfalls.

4. Eliminate Time Wasters- You can overcome procrastination by becoming consciously aware

of all the distracting time wasters that exist in your life. For example, surfing the internet

and responding to emails. Begin by setting a time limit for internet surfing and only

check your emails 1 time per day. By creating boundaries around these low-priority distractions,

you will begin to not only complete your top priority tasks but also be more focused and

empowered. 5. Prioritize Your Tasks At The Beginning

Of The Day- How you can avoid procrastination is by taking just 10 minutes in the morning

(or the night before) to decide your top priority tasks for the day, you will reduce low-priority

distractions and time wasters that steer you off course down Procrastination Lane.

6. Set Time Limits On Tasks And Stick To Them- Set realistic time limits for each task and

if the clock strikes and the task is incomplete move on to the next task. Although it may

be anxiety provoking for some perfectionists out there to move onto the next task when

the previous task remains incomplete, this will be a helpful tool to change your self-sabotaging

behavior and to become more a disciplined, accountable and effective time manager.

7. Learn To Say No- You can't do it all and you have to say no sometimes. Saying yes solely

out of guilt, obligation or fear of disappointing others are not good reasons for saying yes.

A starting point for learning to say no is developing assertiveness skills. You can begin

to assert yourself by telling the person or yourself that you need some time to think

about it. This will allow you to stop saying yes based on emotions and begin to start saying

yes OR no after careful evaluation. By allowing yourself some time to get into a calm and

clear state of mind you can more rationally evaluate the pros and cons of saying yes or

no. 8. Make Time For Fun- It is important to keep

in mind that life is not just about tasks and work, but also about play time. If you

deny yourself the simple pleasures of life and don't create specific blocks of time for

joyful and stress reducing activities, you will often feel depleted of energy and may

unconsciously sabotage your efforts when you are in work mode. It is vital to your overall

well-being to have some down time where you can take a break, slow down, and enjoy the

scenery. For example, take 5 minutes various times throughout the day to take a walk outside,

stretch or practice a relaxation exercise. Get your body moving by exercising and releasing

some of the built up stress in your body. Nurture yourself by taking a warm bath or

preparing a healthy meal for yourself. Recharge your batteries with a funny movie or just

spending time with people who make you laugh. Now I'd love to hear from you. How have you

overcome procrastination? How did you avoid procrastination? Share your stories tips and

suggestions. As always the best stuff always happens after the episode over at TruePotentialCounseling.com

so go over there and leave a comment now. Did you like this video? If so, subscribe

to my channel by clicking the subscribe button below so you don't miss any future episodes.

And as always share it with your friends, family or anyone who you think will benefit

from this video. And if you want even more great resources

to transform your life and create a relationship you love, plus some personal insights from

me that I only share in email, head over to TruePotentialCounseling.com and sign up for

email updates. Thank you so much and I will catch you next

time on True Potential TV.