Do you find yourself constantly juggling deadlines, never seeming to be able to "catch up"? Do you put off starting new projects because you are so far behind on existing projects? Are there times when you just want to find a time machine to give yourself more hours in a day to finally get on top of all your projects?

You are suffering from Procrastination!

Procrastination is the largest contributor to lost productivity and missed deadlines there is. If you want to get out of your procrastination sinkhole, here are seven steps to help you become a productive, reliable and calm person.

1. Create daily schedules – This is so important! Create a daily schedule for yourself which outlines routine tasks that must be done on each day. We always have tasks that must be completed by a certain time. By setting up a specific time of day or week to complete these tasks, you will no longer have them hanging over your head, nor will you have to worry that you could inadvertently forget about them, and their deadlines would come and go. Use a journal, organizer, or calendar to help you plan and schedule your tasks so you can start them promptly and finish them on time.

2. Long-term goals list – Take time when you will not be interrupted and make a list of the projects that have been assigned to you or that you want to tackle but just never seem to be able to fit into your day. Ask yourself some very important questions for each item: Will this bring value to my life or job? Am I doing this because it is easy and I want to or because it will bring value? Should I delegate this item to someone else? Be sure to take into consideration all the people included or affected by the project. After you have made your list, prioritize it.

3. Start thinking proactively – As soon as you receive an assignment or decide on a project, start planning how you will complete that task. Take out your calendar and set mini-deadlines. If there are other people involved in the project, coordinate with them and set up the schedule together.

4. Break large projects into smaller ones – The larger the project, the harder it is for people to get started simply because they are overwhelmed and they don’t know where to start. At the beginning of the project, take time to break the project down into its basic elements. If other people are involved, work together to identify each sub-element. It is important to remember that some sub-elements may rely on the completion of other projects or sub-elements done by other people. Now is the time to make your schedule with everyone’s input.

5. Review your progress and schedule periodically – Set up a time, either by yourself if you are the only one working on the project, or with others involved to review your progress and schedule. It may be necessary at this point to make changes to the schedule based on your progress so far. Don’t insist on sticking to a schedule that is unreasonable, your chances of a successful completion are much greater if you remain vigilant but flexible.

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