5 Steps To Beat Procrastination

Step 1 – Identify The Return

The task you face will require an investment of your time, money, energy. Before doing anything, identify what the Return will be on that Investment. What is the end game? Why do the task in the first place? If it’s not a very big Return, perhaps the task needs to be dumped into your “Someday” Bucket. (see step 5)

Step 2 – Break The Nut

Okay, so the Return is greater than the Investment? Now it’s time to break the task down into doable bite sizes. We procrastinate when we don’t know where to start. Break the task into ”next steps”. Wrap your mind around them. See yourself tackling them. You will never finish projects. You will finish next steps. String enough of those next steps together and, voila!, you will have a project.

Step 3 – Be Held Accountable

No matter how great your intentions, without encouragement and accountability your chances of success greatly diminish. Gather a person or persons alongside you to hold you accountable. Tell them what you are setting out to do. Then listen to them when they see you procrastinating again and tell you about it. They are your ticket to success.

Step 4 – Celebrate Your Wins

You will take next steps. You will be successful. It’s one thing to keep the prize in mind. It’s quite another to keep the prize in mind AND take time out to celebrate how far you’ve come. Build in incentives for yourself. Treat yourself to some ice cream when you get through step 3, for example. This boosts your self-confidence and fuels your energy for the road ahead.

Step 5 – Maintain Your “Somedays”

Just because an idea for a new tasks pops into your head doesn’t mean you have to pursue it. Instead of heaping false guilt upon you shoulders, put every new idea into your “Someday” Bucket. Put the list in the lap drawer of your desk or a task list in Microsoft Outlook. It’s a place for your new ideas to germinate. Review your “Someday” list every 7 days. See if any ideas have sprouted. If the idea keeps bubbling to the surface, maybe the Return for the Investment is worth pulling it out of the Bucket and starting back up at Step One.

Procrastination leads to stress

Stress leads to burnout

Burnout leads to ineffective ministry

Ineffective ministry leads to lost souls

How do you beat procrastination in your ministry leadership?