Note: Please welcome M. Farouk Radwan of the mega-site 2 Know Myself. This is Farouk’s second guest post here at Meant to be Happy.
We all have important goals but those goals can be divided into small tasks.
Many people procrastinate and waste their time instead of working on these small tasks and that’s why they rarely reach their bigger goals.
If you managed to find a way to complete the smaller tasks quickly then you will certainly reach your bigger goals in a shorter period of time.
Here is how you can finish your important tasks quickly:
1. Eliminate distraction: When you start working on a task you should never check your mail, answer your phone or log on to your Facebook account. These simple distractions can prevent you from completing your small tasks which in turn will prevent you from reaching your bigger goals.
2. Have a predefined task list: One of the main reasons many people waste time without being productive is that they don’t know what to do! Once you have a predefined task list you wont find any problems in working on your important tasks
3. Become an early riser: When you wake up early you will find plenty of free time and as a result you will be motivated to become more productive. At the same time you will find that most people are still asleep so you will have fewer distractions
4. Conquer your fears: Many people never work on their important tasks because they are either afraid of the task or because they are not sure whether they can accomplish it or not. You won’t be able to master procrastination until you manage to conquer your fears.
5. Remind yourself of your bigger goals: Whenever you find yourself lacking motivation or whenever you feel that you don’t have enough energy, just remind yourself of your bigger goals. Whenever you do this you will remember that you are fighting for bigger reasons and those small meaningless tasks will appear much more meaningful.
6. Educate your family members about the importance of your work: Sometimes distractions can come from other people and in such cases you might think that you aren’t the one to blame but you are wrong. You have to educate the people you live with about the importance of completing your tasks on time to minimize those distractions. If they don’t know that you are working on something important, they won’t know not to disturb your work.
7. Take short breaks: Take short time-limited breaks so you can do the tasks you are eager to do, such as taking a look at your mail. It’s important that you make those breaks time-limited to avoid falling into the procrastination trap.
Big mountains are formed of small pebbles; if you learn how to complete your small tasks you will learn how to reach your big goals, making procrastination a thing of the past.
Note: This was a guest post written by M. Farouk Radwan, founder of 2knowmeslef.com. After commenting here, run over to his site and get lost in his mega-library of content.
Come share your thoughts!
- Have you had success breaking down your larger goals into smaller steps?
- What have you found to be the key to overcoming procrastination?
- Please share in the comments!
Photo courtesy of Pixabay
Hi Farouk and Ken,
Number one is crucial to do. Many people are addicted to facebook or checking their email. If we live in the present and focus on the task at hand, we will accomplish much, much more. Great post! Thanks for sharing 😉
Dia recently posted … Visualization technique- attracting success
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Hi Dia!
I’m sure Farouk will be around shortly, but thought I would jump in here and confess my productivity sins 🙂
I do my best work when I’m away from home, in my classroom at work before or after school hours, for example. At home there are so many distractions, so many other things to do, phone calls to make and answer, a bed to lie down on when sleepy and a fridge that just won’t stop shouting at me to come see what’s new inside.
The difference in productivity levels is really quite profound.
Thanks for sharing that insight, Dia!
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Hi Dia
happy to cu here my friend
thanks for your comment :))
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Thanks for the great article, Farouk. Your insight into human productivity and the elimination of procrastination as we work to accomplish great things is greatly appreciated. Hope all is well with you, my friend.
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Hey Farouk! Great to see you over here. I love reading Ken’s work and your post fit in so perfectly with this site.
My most productive days come with early starts. I was introduced to the idea of doing 20 minute work intervals. Not only does it break your work up into tiny wins, but when you only have 20 minutes to complete something the efficiency of your work skyrockets!
Well written!
Chris Barba recently posted … Uncovering Your Life Purpose
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Gotta slip in here and thank you for the comment, Chris!
I’m an early starter myself. I love the quiet and the coolness of the morning. It’s when I get my best work done with the fewest distractions. I’ve come across the 20 minute interval idea, but have never put it to practice. I kinda like a larger chunk of time devoted to what I’m doing. I get into a sort of flow that I don’t like to interrupt.
But there are definitely times when my flow is more of a drag than anything else. I think I’ll give the interval method a try and see if those dragging times can become more focused and productive.
Thanks for sharing that with us, Chris. You’ve certainly added value here!
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thank you Chris
yes its a great idea, when you have a limited time to do something you tend to become more productive 🙂
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Hi Farouk!
Love those tips. I admit I have to work on the eliminating distractions. I know I could get more done much quicker if I manage to do that.
Wendy Irene recently posted … A Pure Zest for Life
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Hello Wendy!
Farouk will be around soon, I’m sure. In the meantime, I wanted to thank you for sharing your thoughts with us. I’m with you in the need to be better at eliminating distractions. Still, I want to make sure I never become that dad who is always shooing his kids away because he’s too busy to play. Some “distractions” are necessary to be a good parent as we work to build other parts of our professional lives.
Thanks for the comment, Wendy!
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Hi totally agree! Kids are a blessed distraction 😉
Wendy Irene recently posted … A Pure Zest for Life
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Wendy, you’ve always struck me as the kind of parent your kids will one day look back on and be filled with gratitude for having been born to you.
If only all parents felt as you do!
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Awe, that is so kind 🙂 Thank you and Ditto 2 U!
Wendy Irene recently posted … The Dangers of Excess
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Glad to know it was helpful wendy and happy to see you here 🙂
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Farouk,
Wonderful tips and insights into overcoming procrastination. I really connect with the notion that if we can master the little things it takes a lot off of our plate. It seems like those things aren’t urgent but very important are what catch up to me. I forget about them until they become urgent and it can sort of blow me down if I have a lot going on. I feel like eliminating distraction and waking up earlier would be two very important skills to incorporate more in my life. Thanks for sharing!
Joe Wilner recently posted … Increase Joy, Compassion, and Happiness through Loving-Kindness Meditation
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Hey Joe,
I’m going to cut in line here and thank you for stopping by. I agree, Farouk did a great job laying out the problems with productivity and procrastination and providing simple, doable ways to clear away the obstacles to getting a lot more done.
Waking up earlier has added about 14 hours a week to the time I have to get things done since I started that habit some 15 or more years ago. As for eliminating distractions, I’m still working on that one! 🙂
Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us, Joe.
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you are most welcomed Joe
thanks for the addition 🙂
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Hi Farouk,
Waking up early really does help kill procrastination for me. There is something about rising with the sun that makes you want to accomplish more in your day.
Also taking short breaks is essential for me. I can get mentally drained even in a few short minutes if I don’t take adequate breaks.
Thank for hosting, Ken
Vic recently posted … 5 Things To Do When Life Beats You Up
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Hey Vic!
It’s my pleasure to host the likes of Farouk. His work is always insightful, direct and to the point and very helpful.
I agree with you about the mornings. The sun is rising, the day is fresh and new and the possibilities seem just as fresh and new and endless.
Have an awesome (and productive!) week, Vic!
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its my pleasure to have my post in here Ken
thank you so much pal 🙂
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Hey Farouk,
I have learned that developing “tunnel vision” really helps me to achieve my goals quickly. Obviously we cannot go through life this way but for shorter goals it can be turned on and off.
Justin | Mazzastick recently posted … Are Reptilian Entities Manipulating Humans And Earth Affairs
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Hi Justin.
I’m going to jump in before Farouk is able to come around and thank you for the comment.
It sounds like you apply your “tunnel vision” to Farouk’s pebble-sized goals, which helps culminate in successful completion of the mountain-sized goals he spoke of.
I like the way you distinguish between shorter term goals and the way we go through life more generally. I think this is especially true when we have families. When we were younger and uncommitted, we could have more single-minded focus on our goals. With a family, however, for me, my priorities shifted. Have you found that in your life as well?
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Life changes when we have a wife and children. I can’t stay in tunnel vision mode for too long these days. My focus is broader now than any other time in my life.
Justin | Mazzastick recently posted … Are Reptilian Entities Manipulating Humans And Earth Affairs
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If you’re anything like me, Justin, it’s at the same time more challenging and more richly rewarding and beautiful as well.
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that is true justin
thank you for commenting 🙂
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This post was really helpful, and I really like your feedback, Mr. Wert. I think my biggest problem with procrastination stems from deathly afraid of failure, or not even failure, but just not going how I planned (even if it was still a success). This is such a dangerous fear because it gets in the way of well, life! Life is all about making mistakes and learning from them. Yeah, I can say this fact all I want, but what I really need is to just accept that into my heart. It’s just like that one post you wrote where you said “failure is the investment we make in reaching our potential” (something like that). I need to just do my best and say good bye to procrastination. Procrastination is deadly in goal-making! Thanks for putting this guest post on your site. Very nice & straight forward! Thanks, Farouk!
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Hi BWJ!
That is a VERY common cause of procrastination. The only problem, of course, is that procrastination guarantees things going less likely to plan — unless, of course, procrastination was planned! 😉
But the truth is, if procrastination can be eliminated, or even significantly reduced, there will be a much greater likelihood of success. Another way you may be able to overcome the procrastinating tendency is to learn to accept more than one path to a successful completion of your goals. I believe that sometimes we set goals and determine the route to get there only to discover along the road to that goal that a better path or just a different one cuts across the path we’re on, providing us with a opportunity to travel even higher. Sometimes the goal itself even changes.
I’ve always been passionate about the stuff I blog about long before I ever even contemplated blogging. Once in my life, I thought I would become a religious instructor, teaching religious courses at a religious institute professionally. Later, I thought I would write books to get my passion for self improvement “out there.” I would never have guessed in a million years, even very recently, that I would end up using the internet as the avenue by which I would disseminate my thoughts about the subjects that populate my posts here. But here I am, loving it more than I think I would have loved the other two routes.
It’s that openness to alternative endings and alternative paths there that can help reduce your tendency to fear failure so much, I think.
Besides, in the end, we’re not defined by what we accomplish. The most important quality of humanity is the person you are, who it is that beats inside your heart, how you treat others, how you live your life. What we do, what eventuates in our lives is really a very low second place to those things that truly define our value as people. I think many people forget that and start to attach their self-worth to their accomplishments, their ranking, comparing themselves to others, or worse, to a very narrow aspect of others.
What I mean is that we compare one part of us to that part another is best at, then we compare another part of us to the best similar quality in yet another person. This way, we never quite stack up to others in our own minds and we’re driven to achieve more and more and more just to validate ourselves to ourselves.
But that’s just not needed. You are, as is, a wonderfully worthwhile person without any need to accomplish anything. Anything you do, anything your learn, anything you accomplish is simply icing on the cake of life. Seen that way, perhaps the fear-induced procrastination will have less room to hide inside you.
A final thought: Sometimes parents can have unrealistic expectations and ways of treating their kids that can make them feel like they were never enough. That comes from similar issues in the parents’ upbringing. But it can be deeply internalized by their children in a way that makes failure seem so scary, like all that rejection and guilt that parents dumped on them floods them with immobilizing fears today. If that’s the case, learning to recognize that as the source of the fear and then just sort of smiling at it knowingly, giving it a wink of recognition, then stepping right past it as you dismiss the fear and keep moving toward your goals may be helpful too.
Sorry for the long and sometimes drifting reply, here, 🙂 but I hope something I’ve said helps. Other than that, working on each of the steps Farouk lays out in this post will likely be helpful.
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and fears here. You are a very thoughtful person and I’ve appreciated reading your comments.
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you are most welcomed BWJ 🙂
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Wonderful reading Farouk!
I wish I could kill procrastination off permanently, but then where’s the fun in that? I’d rather keep fighting against it as it’s something to fight. Sure, I get frustrated at times because I haven’t achieved as much as I’d have liked, but I just dust myself off, note where I tripped up, and vow not to do the same thing tomorrow.
I admire your work ethic too Farouk, you’ve produced a lot of guest posts! I wonder, how many guest posts have you written? I’m a firm believer in the potential of guest posting, so I’d be very interested in hearing your reply!
And Ken, thanks for publishing this great read! Hope you’re well 🙂
Stuart recently posted … Experiencing Happiness With Less – A True Story
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Good point, Stu!
The things I do when I’m procrastinating are rarely unenjoyable! Procrastination does have its rewards or it wouldn’t be so tempting to engage in! 🙂
Still, when I don’t procrastinate, I do feel much better about the day.
You’re right, Stu, Farouk is a productivity and marketing monster! What’s also great about him is that his work is consistently solid. I look forward to his answer to your question as well. You got me curious.
Take care, my friend!
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hi Stu
happy to see you here 🙂
thanks for your comments 🙂
i only started doing guest posts lately but i did it almost consistently every week that’s why all of sudden you saw many guest posts
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Well, since this is the third post I have read lately about procrastination, I suppose I better quit reading about it (another way to procrastinate!), and get busy!! Thanks to you and others for yanking away my excuses and motivating me to start producing!
Galen Pearl recently posted … Serendipity
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Hi Galen!
So true! Sometimes we keep filling our heads with info as a way to delay getting started applying the info!
Well, you and me both — time to get to work!
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PS: I’m about ready to post my 7 Links! Thanks again for the nomination, Galen. Drop by and let me know if you’re familiar with those I nominate. I’ve seen you around a lot, but don’t remember specifically at which sites. I’ll post it Thursday (tomorrow!).
Have an awesome day!
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hehehehe
Thank you Galen for dropping by 🙂
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Hi Ken & Farouk,
Powerful & practical tips here! Taking this pragmatic action is vital to the growth and development of our whole being in ALL domains of living. When we act with singleness of purpose and waiver not (which is what whole mindedness is about), the whole universe throws itself on our side, and soon enough we are standing in awe of the incredible results. One tip that helps me beat procrastination is that I have made it my personal credo to never the scene of a decision without taking action
rob white recently posted … Atomic Action
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I agree! Farouk provided some valuable tips here!
Thanks for your addition to the conversation, Rob! I really like the idea of never leaving the scene of a decision without taking action. It reminds me of the “never touch a memo twice” principle of productivity: Get it done and move on!
But you’re right that the idea applies to every aspect of life. We have to ask ourselves what is the best use of our time with the kids right now or with our spouse or with our social life and entertainment as well! I can sit on the couch with my wife, for example, and watch drivel on TV day after day, flipping channels to find something to pass the time, or I can put our song on the stereo, hold her close, and dance with her. Passing time is certainly procrastinating the more conscious work of romancing her.
Thanks for broadening the perspective and application of overcoming procrastination, Rob. Great comment!
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that’s so true Rob
thanks for your great addition and comment
keep in touch :))
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Hey Farouk,
Great list.
However I think “procrastination experts” are know about all this. But it is just soooooo easy to get comfortable and NOT do the things that they should be doing.
Besides as Tony Robbins puts it: “Their “shoulds” has to be an absolute MUST” for them in order to live by these principles. So I believe that’s the key they’re missing.
anyways….sweet post!
Akos Fintor recently posted … Ensure Your Ongoing Progress with a Success Mindset
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Thanks for stopping by and commenting on Farouk’s post, Akos! Welcome to M2bH!
That’s a great point you make; I suppose just about everything is known by someone. What I like about Farouk is that he’s able to assemble the lists of tips in one place and lay them out in a simple way for all to understand and apply. But I have to agree with you about it being so easy to get comfortable and not do them. I also like your adition of the Anthony Robbins comment about transforming our “shoulds” into “Musts” as a way to be driven to get things done.
Well said, Akos!
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Thanks for the tips. I like to create a list each night of the things I have to do the next day. This is how I make sure to get the important stuff out of the day.
Jonathan recently posted … 9 Unhealthy Habits To Stop Doing Today
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Great way to get things done, Jonathan! So many people just sort of shift into the next day, never really accomplishing much, the sum total of their lives never adding up to much that’s very impressive. It’s hard to look back at a life lived in front of the TV with much pride. So kudos to you, Jonathan! I do the same, but usually do my list in the morning when everything is fresh and new. But then again, I’m a morning person. Thanks for the tip!
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