5 Steps to End Procrastination and Get It All Done

As a legal nurse consultant, do you have a lot on your plate? Wonder how you will get it all done? Maybe there is just one thing you hate to do and it seems so overwhelming. Often, legal nurse consultants procrastinate because the temptation to do what makes us happy right now overrides the knowledge that getting our work done will make us happier in the long term.

Putting it off is not the answer. It just feels like a huge weight on your back. So how will you get it all done?

I have a few tips that will make any legal nurse consulting project, no matter how large, easier to accomplish.

Action Tips to Tackle Procrastination

1. Break down BIG projects or goals. Take a long term project or huge task and break it down in several short term projects/action plans. Or maybe your to do list is a mile long. Just break up that long list into mini lists. You know you have broken in down enough when it can be completed in a short time period and it does not contain a lot of different steps. When you can complete a task and check it off your list it builds momentum and confidence in your ability to follow through.

2. Prioritize. Go through your list of tasks and determine which has top priority. Prioritize clear down to the lowest priority. Take into consideration your priorities, your client’s priorities, and how each task blends with the other tasks. For instance, if it is a task that must be done in order for other tasks to be completed, that increases the priority.

3. Make a plan. Plan how you will accomplish these tasks. Who will you need to call or meet with? Do you need to enlist the help of others? Are there supplies that need to be ordered before you can move forward on a certain task? Make a plan and include lots of details. This will make task completion easier.

4. Schedule time for each task. Actually put the time you plan to work on it on your legal nurse consulting calendar. Don’t just assume you will find a time or that it will just get done. Block out sections of time for this project. Do you need to block out a complete day or two to get this done or will it be something you can work on an hour here and two hours later (remember you already broke the long tasks into shorter time frame tasks)?

5. Take action. You can do all of the above and it will look good on paper, but nothing will happen till YOU take action and work on the project. Getting started is the hardest part. Do whatever is needed to force yourself to get started. Once you get started you may find it is much easier to do than anticipated. You won’t know that till you give it a try.

No matter how big the legal nurse consulting project, putting it off only makes it feel larger. Breaking it down and following the above steps will make it manageable and before you know it, the project will be completed successfully.

Debbie O’Grady is dubbed ‘Queen of Accountability’ by her clients. She is a thought leader and mentor on leveraging accountability to achieve successful outcomes. She is the visionary founder of The Accountability Squad. Debbie has seen firsthand how people’s lives are changed when they accomplish their goals. She is a business coach with over 20 years’ experience as a project manager in Corporate America.