I know how to procrastinate with the best of them. In the past I’ve been quite accomplished at it. Why start something now, when you can add it to a list to tackle tomorrow?

My love of to do lists has contributed to my procrastinating ways. I love making a to do list and I love adding things onto that list and crossing them off when they are achieved. Sometimes I wouldn’t even consider actioning the task immediately, just automatically adding it to a list, to be carried out at a later stage.

One of the main things I realised is, that I had the opportunity to take much more immediate action. There were many opportunities where I could complete things instantly rather than wait for a imagined, more suitable time to carry them out.

These are my tips on how to take immediate action and prevent procrastination:

1) Consider what is stopping you achieving something immediately

If you think of a task that needs executing, your 1st thought should be, can I complete it now? If there is nothing stopping you doing it immediately, just take action and do it! Don’t waste your time making a note of it, when you can actually just complete the task. Always make it your number one thought. What’s stopping you?

2) Have the right tools with you

If you have your phone or laptop with you, this allows you to carry out tasks real time. You can quickly jump online and get the answer to something, or these days you can use your devices to do so much.

– if you’ve remembered it’s someone’s birthday you can access Moonpig and send them a card immediately

– if someone recommends a book to you and you are interested in reading it, you can download it to a kindle or a kindle app, then and there

– if you agree to go out and eat that night and you need to book a table, you can search for the number online and give them a call to book

– if you discuss a follow up meeting that needs to be set up, agree the date and send out the meeting invite at the time

3) Take the 1st step

If what you are trying to achieve is too big to complete in it’s entirety immediately, is there a 1st step you can take? Often taking the first step will enable the rest of the process to be much easier to complete. Break down the task and see if you can at least make a start, which will build some momentum. It will seem much more easily achievable if you break it down into manageable chunks.

Do you have tips on how to take immediate action? I’d love to hear them in the comments.