You’ve got loads of work, but can’t seem to get yourself to do them? Procrastination can sometimes get the best of us. This can solely be the reason for us lacking in results. It can stop us from reaching our goals and keeps us farther from our desired future.
It can also affect our moods, lead to stress and depression, make us feel stuck and empty. And of course, it make us waste our days by not doing the things we should be doing.
How do we know when we are procrastinating? How can we stop it?
When you know you have to do something important, but choose to do something not as important instead, you are procrastinating. When you know you have to be working on your given project, but choose to watch a movie instead or leave the work for another day, you are procrastinating.
If we allow the same cycle to repeat over and over, it can become a usual response to our daily challenges.
Why let it stop us from moving forward? Why should we accept procrastination instead of fighting it?
No matter how much we let it get to us, we can still find a way out of it; here are some tips.
Re-arrange your to-do list
It’s always helpful to create a To Do List for your day; you can create one on the day or even plan out your week (which is highly recommended). Doing this will allow you to realize your goals for the day and keep your mind organized. If you don’t usually create To Do lists, then you should reconsider.
Place the hardest/important tasks for that time. By re-arranging your tasks and listing them from hardest to easiest, you can get the hardest things done in the productive hours and leave the easier ones for the rest of the day where you aren’t as productive or energized.
Find positive outcomes of your goals
When we are simply completing tasks without knowing the outcome or reason, it may not seem important and that leads to procrastination. But, when we know the outcome of our task, it drives us to finish the task in order to get to that outcome.
Think of it as a reward for your work, anyone would like one after working hard and dedicating many hours to that work. For example, If you submit your project on Friday, you won’t have to worry about it on the weekend.
Think about the outcomes your task will give you, either write them down or tell it to yourself when you feel like procrastinating.
Create deadlines
Sometimes putting a little pressure on ourselves will help us beat procrastination. When we know that we have forever to finish a task we can easily procrastinate, but when we have a deadline we will push ourselves to meet it because of the consequences.
Ensure that you get the task done on the right time and leave more room for future tasks.
Break your work into chunks
If you have a big project, you need to finish it on time and do it efficiently. Over working can also lead to procrastination, because it can wear you out.
After receiving an assignment, or setting a goal for yourself, create a schedule in which you dedicate a specific time of that day, or number of hours, to that task.
Not only will it make it easier to finish the task, but it can also clear your mind of all the anxiety and stress a big load of work can give you.
Get rid of distractions
Preferably, you should work in your “work space” ; free of distractions and noise.
But, if you don’t have a work space and want to do things in your room, then you should remove or hide the distractions around you.
Doing so, will allow your mind to focus better and work in a peaceful environment leading to you working in a distraction-free space.
Inspiration
Maybe you just lack inspiration, motivation or are in need of ideas; brainstorming is a great cure for that.
There are thousands of inspirational speeches/videos online for free, so you might as well take that advantage. Search of people related to your work and listen to their inspirational speech or life story.
Not only will you be able to relate to them more, but you can also pick out some tips that can help you. Do this in your break, or every morning to start the day off right.
Don’t let procrastination stop you from achieving your goals.
Every hour in our day should be used to get us closer to our life goals. The smallest amount of dedication to your work can help you get there; it’s all about your determination!
