Take 9 steps and stop this disempowering habit!

1. First, take a look at your life and what you keep putting off and make a list of what needs to be done. Once you decide, write it down; it’s harder to ignore something written down. The written word is also powerful and can release pent up energy and emotions. Be gentle with yourself. Usually I will get in a calm mood, have beautiful music on and light a candle while I do this process. When you are scattered and unfocused it is difficult to do much and stay on task, right?

2. Prioritize the list- put your most urgent task/need in the number one position and so on.

3. Decide whether you want to tackle the higher priority or the lowest - some say start with the easiest to get the ball rolling. What works for you? You decide.

4. Once you determine what you will tackle first, write a date next to the item - do that for all your items. If you find that you are not able to complete the task in that time frame, you can come up with another date as long as you have been making steady progress here and not procrastinating. What you do not want to do is let yourself off the hook, which is the paradigm working on you again.

5. Sign your name to the list with a written pledge to yourself. If you need accountability, tell someone else what you are committing to and ask them to hold you accountable. (Example: "I,_______ commit to doing these tasks. I will ask for help and accountability when needed; signed __________).

6. Put your list in a place where you will see it regularly-the refrigerator door or office wall is usually a good place; the point is, it will be harder to ignore.

7. Now set an amount of time each day/week that you will commit to the first item you have chosen (when I worked on my office, I could only do it for 30 minutes or I became overwhelmed and grumpy.) Do what is workable for you or you will not follow through. Working on the task regularly is important however, or you will put it off again.

8. I have found that finishing the first item before moving on to the next one is crucial for me. You have prioritized your list so this will probably not be difficult; distractions are not your friend and can derail your efforts. We live in a world where over-stimulation and distractions are plentiful. Multitasking is not always beneficial, in fact recent studies show you get less done when working this way.

9. Each time you finish one goal/item, congratulate and reward yourself with something you enjoy doing. Make it FUN!

You may be amazed at how easy this becomes as you are forming positive habits by doing something towards your item/goal everyday/week. You are also breaking the habit of procrastination. You can do this! Notice how much better you feel as you follow through on what you know needs to get done. You are in control of your decisions which is very empowering. In forming good habits you win.

Here's to empowering habits!