Is the procrastination monster lurking in your office again? You can kill that ugly beast immediately and get back to your regularly scheduled productive workday by following these 6 simple steps.

1. Shun Perfectionism:

Done is better than perfect. Done is better than perfect. Keep repeating that to yourself until you’re ready to avoid perfectionism and just get started. You can always go back and fix your mistakes but, if you don’t start getting some work done now, you may not have time to make your projects as fantastic as you want them to be.

2. Get Real:

Do you set unrealistic goals for your workday? Does missing these goals put you in a bad mood that kills your productivity? Evaluate how you schedule your time and how much you’re attempting to cram into each day and you may find that your procrastination is the direct result of unrealistic goals. Adjust those, get real, and get to work!

3. Dive In:

The first step is often the most difficult but, once you start, it’s easy to get momentum going and keep working. So, if you’re procrastinating and hesitant to begin work on a new project, just dive in! Often, taking this first step without thinking will improve your mood and quickly improve your productivity.

4. Remove Obstacles:

Are you distracted by all of your incoming emails? Set a temporary away message and close out of your account. Are coworkers routinely interrupting your productivity flow and leading you to procrastinate? Set aside an hour or two and let your coworkers know that, during this time, you don’t want to be disturbed. Whatever obstacles you’re facing that lead you to procrastinate can and should be removed. Otherwise, once you regain focus and start working productively, you may not be able to maintain it for very long before stumbling over the same obstacle in your way. Get rid of obstacles and get to work!

5. Celebrate Small Wins:

Sometimes picking out the easiest, fastest thing on your to-do list, getting it done, and checking it off can free you from the dangerous cycle of procrastination and prepare you to tackle the big, important project you’ve been putting off. Crossing off one or more small tasks will help you gain the confidence and momentum you need to kill the procrastination monster.

6. Don’t Beat Yourself Up:

The moment you start beating yourself up for procrastinating, you’re putting yourself in an even worse mood that will likely lead to more procrastination. In the future you can arm yourself with a few productivity strategies so the procrastination cycle never starts but, for now, don’t beat yourself up. Punishing yourself often makes the procrastination monster stick around even longer.

A procrastination monster may not be a real thing but, if you’ve ever been stuck in a procrastination cycle, you know how apt this metaphor is. Kill your procrastination monster quickly and efficiently by following these 6 simple steps!

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