1. GET STARTED
Whatever the task might be, getting started is half the battle towards completion. When you finally get started on something, you get it done much more easily or quickly than you initially planned. In other words, it wasn’t as hard as you thought.
As Laotzu once declared:
“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”
So don’t hesitate. Take that first step. And put yourself above and beyond procrastination.
2. DON’T BE DRAMATIC
Are you putting off something that would honestly take you 15 minutes to complete? Stop wasting time fretting and stressing about it, just do it.
You have an essay that will only take you 45 minutes to complete but you prefer to think for days and weeks before actually doing it. It’s easy to dramatize the things you need to do — but it’s much better to just do them.
3. SCHEDULE YOUR TIME
Are you in control of your time? Whether you answered yes or no to this question, try this test:
You’ve just finished your dinner, and you’re enjoying browsing the latest posts on your favorite social media channel. Suddenly, your mother calls over to you and asks you to help clear up the kitchen.
Do you…
- Say you’ll do it in 10 minutes or so.
- Put your phone down and get into the cleaning straightaway.
- Pull a face and say, “I’m not doing it!”
Hopefully, you didn’t choose option 3! Option 1 is better (at least you’ll get the task done). But, option 2 is the one you should be aiming for if you want to be productive and successful in life.
That’s because it neatly illustrates the power of prioritizing your time. Sure, you want to check your social media feed, but that’s not as important as making sure your kitchen is clean and tidy after your meal.
If you have something you’re procrastinating with, my recommendation is to schedule an hour or so within your calendar to complete it. Google calendar works well for this, as you can set up reminders. Then — when the time comes — dedicate your focus solely to completing your task.
4. BREAK IT DOWN
Often we procrastinate because a task is just too overbearing. In this case, break the task into small, bite-sized chunks that can be completed easily.
And, here’s the best part of breaking down bigger tasks into smaller ones: As you complete each task, you’ll build a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction as you progressively move from one task to another. Breaking down your tasks can save YOU from breaking down!
5. BE KIND TO YOURSELF
Don’t dwell on the past and how much time you’ve already used up. You won’t get it back; so it’s pointless to despair. Instead, focus on moving forward and doing better next time.
Nobody is perfect, so it’s unfair and unproductive to put yourself down each time you fail. And, remember, you’re not going to defeat your procrastination habit overnight. But, by starting now, you can begin turning the tide in your favor.
Take the tips shared with you today, and put them into action in your life.
When you do this, you’ll begin to muster up the motivation to tackle the tasks you need to do. And before long, you’ll be caught up with everything, and ready to take on the world!
One final warning about procrastination:
“Procrastination is like a credit card: it’s a lot of fun until you get the bill”
…Christopher Parker
Original post can be found here
