Tips for Avoiding Procrastination
If you are a natural procrastinator, you may have the tendency to put things off until the last minute. Often the added stress could have been avoided by taking care of things early on. Whether it’s you, a fellow church staff member, or a student in your student ministry, here are some ways to help overcome procrastination.
Procrastination sometimes creeps into your life, but you can be proactive and use a few of these practical ideas for staying on top of things and steering clear of the stress that comes from putting things off. Whether it’s you or someone you care about, the following suggestions can help.
1. Recognize the problem. – As with a lot of bad habits, the first step toward overcoming procrastination is admitting that there is a problem. Once you agree that a problem exists (or has the potential to exist), the two of you can do a better job of moving toward a solution.
2. Emphasize the benefits. – Let’s be honest, on the surface, procrastination appears to have a lot going for it. If you can put off something you don’t want to do, why not put it off? While the short-term benefits might seem appealing, the stress and fears that build over the long haul can lead to a whole new set of bigger problems. There is a much greater reward that comes with a sense of accomplishment compared to the stress of living under the gun.
3. Create a plan. – It’s one thing to understand something’s wrong. It’s another thing to see the benefits of finding a solution. But neither or those moments of illumination provides a magic formula for getting from Point A to Point B. For that, you have to take action.
4. Be still and know. – The writer of Psalm 46 had a knack for creative writing. Using stunning visuals, he talked about God’s strength in the midst of toppling mountains, roaring waves, raging nations, and melting earth. Through all that, he revealed a God who is strong and ready to help. His point was to remind us to be still and remember that God is God and we’re not. We need to stop our fighting and striving so He can provide the peace we desperately need.
Remember, don’t put things off. Accomplish today those things that you can. Making headway on the things that you need to accomplish gives you a great peace and confidence that you will make it through. In the middle of the time crunch, remember that you do serve God who can do all things…we just don’t need to treat our work with an attitude that doesn’t honor Him at the onset of our work or home assignments.
Bob Bunn
Bob Bunn is the editor in chief of Living with Teenagers, but his favorite job is being a husband to Mary and a dad to Bobby, Caleb, and Lora.
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