If you’re a procrastinator, you may be pleased to know that you are not alone. Just about everyone procrastinates. It’s natural to procrastinate because it’s normally done with tasks you least enjoy. These 12 ways to stop procrastinating should help you to focus on the tasks that you want to be doing, the tasks that you’re naturally good at, the ones where you’re focusing on your innate strengths and talents. One of my favourite pieces of advice is to delegate. If you don’t like doing something, pay someone else to do it. There may be people in your own office environment who love to do things that you loathe to do – do a swap!

12 Ways To Stop Procrastinating

1. Draw up a schedule

“One of the things we preach a lot here is to set out a time management schedule for the next three, six or 12 months,” Smith suggests. “Schedule the major and minor goals, plus the milestones. It will mean each month you can break down what is important and what isn’t.”

2. Work when you work best
“Figure out your peak working times, work with your body and brain, not against them. You will be more energetic,” says Todd.

3. Shock:  multitasking is a myth
Studies have revealed that our brains can’t multitask, they prefer to do one thing at a time. University of California psychology professor Russell Poldrack, who has researched the subject, recently told a US radio station: “When we sort of force ourselves to multitask, we’re driving ourselves to perhaps be less efficient in the long run even though it sometimes feels like we’re being more efficient.”

4. Focus on now
If you have a fear of failure try to get it into perspective by exaggerating how bad your failure could actually be – the more absurd the better for reminding you that nothing is that bad…

5. Delegate, delegate
If there are some tasks you just are not interested in find someone in your organisation who is and delegate. If it is task in your home life, outsource it. “It’s better to pay some $40 an hour to get something done than worry over it,” says Todd.

Continue reading full article on The Australian.

I’m happy multitasking has been described as ineffective among these 12 ways to stop procrastinating. Not only is it ineffective but it has been scientifically proven to be damaging to our brains. Our brains were not designed to constantly switch from task to task. Chronic multitaskers have been found to be forgetful, mentally slower and with lower concentration levels. Click here to view an older post on the damaging effects of multitasking. The best piece of advice is to delegate I think, then you’ll focus on the things that you’re naturally good at. If you work for yourself, from home for example, as I do, there are outsourcing desks like Elance.com where you can post a job, and contractors will submit a bid to do the work. You check out their ratings, portfolio and reputation and Bob’s your uncle. And they’re normally much cheaper than your own hourly rate – and much more efficient because they’re doing what they want to be doing so you can focus on what you want to be doing.