In the New York Times "money" section, Carl Richards wrote an article suggesting four ways to stop "gorging on gratification"--that is, spending money impulsively. We can apply these principles to anything that gets in the way of what we want to achieve. The goal could be following a diet, seeing a writing project through to completion, or--of course--spending. Here are the four ways and some ideas about how we could apply them in other contexts.
"1) Mandatory holding pattern. Before you buy something, stop. Add it to a list and let it sit for three days. Then, revisit the list."
We can use this whenever we are thinking of departing from what we have planned. Whenever possible put some time between the temptation and the the decision of whether or not to yield to it. It may not be three days--for instance, if you're on a diet and are tempted to order dessert, give it ten minutes before you decide. By the way, I use this strategy with book-buying--instead of ordering something from Amazon right away, I put it on my wish list and wait at least a few days before placing the order (and often I'll realize I don't really need that book).
"2) Multi-week buying fast." The idea is to see how long you can go without spending any money beyond necessities.
If you find it too hard to go cold turkey in giving up the things that stand in the way of your progress, try a one-day procrastination fast. For instance, decide that for one day you will do your daily tasks in exactly the order of priority. Then go for one day a week. Then two days a week, and so on, until you're doing this every day.
"3) Tracking your spending."
This works just as well for time as for money. When you see in harsh numbers how many hours you spend watching TV or on Facebook, it's easier to change.
"4) A price tag on your goals."
Figure out how many hours a day or week it will take you to do whatever your goal is--for instance, an hour a day of writing, or an hour a day of exercise. Before committing to a goal, decide whether or not it's worth that investment. If it is, then decide how you are going to "finance" it--that is, what you're doing now that you'll stop doing in order to find the time it requires. Also figure out any other costs, whether it's money or energy that's required.
(Reaching your goals is a process you can learn. Get help setting and achieving your goal with my Writing Breakthrough Strategy program--it includes weekly lessons, bi-weekly group phone calls, videos, audios, and much more. You'll find the details at www.jurgenwolff.com.- although many of the participants are writers, the process will work for you regardless of the type of goal you want to reach.)