6 Ways to Beat Procrastination for Good
How do I know that I am procrastinating? I start cleaning. Yep, when I want to avoid doing something – making a difficult phone call, writing a blog post, sending an e-mail – I suddenly want to clean my entire house. Believe me, that is not a normal feeling for me.😂
What’s your procrastination activity? While procrastinating feels good at the time, you’re still not getting your work completed.
And procrastination has real effects. It might be missed deadlines, a lower grade, higher stress levels, lower self-esteem, and even depression. No joke.
We all procrastinate at times, but if procrastination is your middle name and its starting to have negative effects, it’s time for you to stop this nasty habit. So, let’s talk about ways to get over that procrastination and get some stuff done!
6 Ways to Beat Procrastination for Good
Before you start any of the ideas below, put away the one item most likely to help you procrastinate – your phone. Place your phone, tablet, etc in another room when you need to work. It’s all too easy to get sucked into social media or a game.
Why Procrastination?
Why do you keep putting off work? Are you afraid of the task, afraid of failure, bored, not sure how to tackle it, just too busy? Spend a little time thinking about WHY you’re putting off the task and then look at the possible ways to get back to work below.
Think about your goals
Hopefully, you’re written out your long-term and short-term goals. Look at those goals and figure out how your task helps you meet those goals. If it will help you to achieve one of your goals, that *should* motivate enough to start working on it.
Break it Down
Sometimes the sheer size of the task can be overwhelming. Break your task into smaller chunks and then schedule those chunks. Instead of taking notes on 30 pages of reading, break the reading into 5-7 page chunks and take notes on each chunk.
Let’s face it – sometimes even breaking a big project down into all the steps is too overwhelming. In that case, just figure out the FIRST step and do it. Then figure out the next step and do that.
Make it Public
Sometimes, I have to hold myself accountable and there is no better way than going public. Tell family and friends or post on social media. Too shy for that? Find a friend to be an accountability buddy – they will check in with you and provide inspiration or a kick in the butt if necessary.
Just Do It
Set a timer for 10 minutes and start working. When the time is up, stop working if you’re just not feeling it. (Just be sure to work for another 10 minutes soon!) I use this one all the time; usually at the end of 10 minutes, I keep working.
[click_to_tweet tweet=”For many of us, getting started is the real hurdle.” quote=”For many of us, getting started is the real hurdle.”]
Let It Go
Hey perfectionists! I know you ‘cause I’m one of you. If you want to turn in the “perfect” project, know that it will never happen. Once the project is done satisfactorily and you have checked it for grammar, spelling, etc, just turn it in. Don’t spend hours on it trying to make it perfect; it’s a waste of time!
Reward Yourself
If all else fails, come up with a reward for yourself for completing the task. Keep it in proportion to the task, but make sure it’s something that will motivate you. Maybe it’s eating ice cream, watching the next episode of The Crown on Netflix, or taking a nap. (Yes, these are all things that motivate me.)
The next time you feel a sudden urge to clean (or really just procrastinate), whip out one or two of these procrastination busters and try them out!
How do you beat procrastination? Let me know in the comments below!
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