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 Procrastination is an unwanted condition that creeps in sometimes somehow even if you work hard to stay away from it. And   most of us have experienced its effects and sometimes, extremely serious ones.  Sometime back, I lost a good client because I delayed the assignment as I took long to research and write. Procrastination can manifest itself even in simplest tasks like writing a small blog post in your blog or taking clutter out of your cupboard or to start an exercise program. However, when you are a freelancer or a freelance writer, you tend to procrastinate because you are a lone worker and sometime, you may lose focus or motivation to start or pursue an assignment.

But, at the same time, when you are a freelancer or running your own business, you cannot afford to procrastinate because it will be difficult for you to deal with its after effects   that can damage your earnings and reputation as well.

Since “You” are the prime asset to your business, your personal performance is the most important thing to make your living. If you want to be in control of your future and your work, you have to identify it and address the issue immediately. However, with conscious efforts, you can be aware of it and deal with it.

 So whenever you tend to put off important tasks, follow some tips shared here to avoid this tendency.

 Time management is the key

Improve your time management skills as it is the key that can keep everything in place.  First of all, you have to identify your problem of inefficient time usage. You need to devise a time table for your work day and stick to it. You may have to invest in a scheduling software that can help you organize your time and tasks.

Concentration is important

Concentration while doing a task is important to achieve the desired results within optimum duration. However, it is difficult to focus on work when the surrounding environment is not conducive and peaceful. It is important to have surroundings without distractions to achieve your peak performance.  To have that, choose a place where you can work without noise or any distractions and choose a time of the day when you are most productive.

 Set realistic aims

It is important to set realistic targets for you to achieve. If you have a large project, divide it into smaller steps that can be managed easily.  With one small step completed and achieved, you will gain confidence to start the next step, have satisfaction of work completion and your motivation   will be on high level.  A huge task, one first sight, can you put you off and you may not start it right away. But smaller tasks are easier to perform and will motivate you to work on your regular flow.

 Be aware of your abilities and stay away from negative beliefs

Sometimes it happens that you do not feel like working on a particular task because either you are unsure of our abilities   to do that task or we are not confident about it. It may be due to some experience or maybe you   really do not have that ability to do the task. These are negative beliefs that you need to address instead of procrastinating.   You can either take the help or just let know the client in time that you won’t be able to do it. These honest efforts will surly help you deal with the situation.

 Take failures as stepping stone

Some people, out of fear of failure, tend to procrastinate until the deadline looming on their head.   However, do not let this fear of failure overcome you as your sincere efforts matter more than everything else. Even if you fail in your efforts once, it does not mean that you cannot succeed. So get ready to take the impending task head on.

For a freelance writer, it is very crucial to find out ways to avoid this condition of postponing important tasks. It’s your turn now! Share your tips to deal with procrastination.