Scott - How to Stop Procrastinating

How to Stop Procrastinating

A Simple Guide to Mastering Difficult Tasks and Breaking Your Procrastination Habit

Steve S.J. Scott

www.DevelopGoodHabits.com

How to Stop Procrastinating 2017 by Oldtown Publishing LLC

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the author. Reviewers may quote brief passages in reviews.

Disclaimer

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While all attempts have been made to verify the information provided in this publication, neither the author nor the publisher assumes any responsibility for errors, omissions, or contrary interpretations of the subject matter herein.

This book is for entertainment purposes only. The views expressed are those of the author alone, and should not be taken as expert instruction or commands. The reader is responsible for his or her own actions.

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Contents

Your Free Gift

As a way of saying thanks for your purchase, Im offering a free report thats exclusive to readers of How to Stop Procrastinating .

With the How to Stop Procrastinating Quick Start Guide , youll discover a printable reference guide of all the exercises, action items and checklists you can use to implement the following framework. Everything you need to get started is included in the PDF thats part of the free companion website .

>> Tap Here to Grab the How to Stop Procrastinating Quick Start Guide <<

www.developgoodhabits.com/procrastination-website

Join the DGH Community

Looking to build your goal-specific habits? If so, then check out the Develop Good Habits (DGH) community at www.HabitsGroup.com .

This is an excellent group full of like-minded individuals who focus on getting results with their lives. Here you can discover simple strategies for building powerful habits, find accountability partners, and ask questions about your struggles. If you want to level up the results from this book, then this is the place to be.

Just go to www.HabitsGroup.com to join the DGH Community.

Introduction

The following book might save your life.

Pretty crazy claim, right?

But hear me out: if you pay close attention to the words youre about to read and implement the strategies that I recommend, then this information could have a major impact on your life. It could help you prevent personal catastrophe.

How can I say this with 100% certainty?

Well, it relates to a simple word that has hundreds of meanings (depending on who you talk to).

That word is procrastination .

We all have a basic understanding of what this word means. Look it up in a dictionary and youll see a definition like this one from Dictionary.com: The act or habit of putting off or delaying, especially something requiring immediate attention.

But how we procrastinate and what we procrastinate on differs from person to person:

• A student will procrastinate in school, waiting until the last minute to study for a test or write a term paper.
• A professional will procrastinate on a work-related task because its challenging and requires hard work.
• And an athlete might procrastinate on getting an injury checked out because he or she doesnt want to miss an important game.

We all have personal reasons for procrastinating. And its easy to fall into the trap of thinking its not a big deal. You might even say to yourself: Its just a bad habit that I have, but its not that big of a deal.

The truth is that procrastination can have a serious effect on your life. It could even create a life-or-death situation. For instance, lets say youre experiencing pain and discomfort in your chest. Nine times out of ten, it might be nothing. But theres a small chance that its a warning sign of an impending heart attack.

Unfortunately, some people will ignore (i.e., procrastinate on) a symptom like this and will die because of their failure to act. If only they had gone to the doctor the moment they experienced this warning sign, their life could have been saved.

Dont believe this happens?

Well, let me tell you a quick story to illustrate this point.

The Day My Father Almost Died

In 2007, I was in Virginia with my family visiting my aunt and cousin. On the day we were ready to drive home, my father complained of a painful discomfort in his chest.

He said something like: Ill probably make an appointment this week with my doctor and get it checked out.

My response was the typical sarcastic comment youd get in my family: Yes, dad, that sounds like a great plan . Im sure nothing bad will happen with your heart in the next five days. Or maybe you could go to the emergency room right away and make sure its nothing serious.

At first, my dad blew off this comment.

But on the drive back, he thought about what I said and realized that maybe, just maybe, I had a valid point. So, he scheduled an emergency appointment with his doctor to make sure everything was okay with his heart.

The prognosis?

My dad required an immediate quadruple bypass heart surgery.

In fact, the doctor told my dad that if he waited even a few more days, he might have had a fatal heart attack.

Let me say it another way: If my dad procrastinated on an obvious heart issue, he would be dead right now. Fast-forward ten years; my dad is still an important part of my life. I see him twice a month when we go to the movies, have dinner together, and grab a few beers. Hes also someone I turn to whenever I have a complicated business question. And he was there to see the birth of my son, Eugene, who also happens to be his namesake.

Now, Im not sharing this story to brag about how I saved my dads life. Honestly, I dont remember even making that sarcastic comment. (Its something that he reminded me of years later.) The purpose behind sharing this story is to illustrate how the smallest choices we make can often have the biggest impact on our lives. My dad is still here ten years after that warning sign because he chose to not procrastinate. Im sure he was terrified at what the doctor might tell him, but he faced this issue head on by taking immediate action.

So, yes, the procrastination habit might seem like a small thing. But in the wrong scenario, it can have a massiveeven lethalimpact on your life.

What Is Procrastination?

Now, before we move on, lets briefly talk about how I define procrastination and how it can negatively affect your life.

As I said before, procrastination can be defined as the act or habit of putting off or delaying, especially something requiring immediate attention. But theres a lot more to that definition. Procrastination can lead to:

• bad grades;
• poor job performance;
• unhealthy diet choices;
• health issues;
• financial problems.

Simply put: If youre someone who procrastinates, then this bad habit is limiting your success in a variety of ways. If you dont address this issue, then youll reduce the likelihood that youll achieve your major goals.