There is a thing or two that you really should get to but you’re on the internet instead, watching YouTube videos and liking photos on Facebook.
This is a nuisance that all of us deal with every once in a while-more than we would like to admit-when there is a tedious task that needs our attention like sending an email, cleaning the dishes or writing that essay.
Procrastination is the undisputed bane of productivity and we must overcome this habit if we want to get anything done in our daily lives.
Read on if you would like to do just that.
Break it up
You’re procrastinating because your task is boring, difficult, time consuming, unstructured and downright frustrating. By breaking down this huge, seemingly impossible task at hand into bite-sized mini tasks, you are less likely to be intimidated by it and it will also be much easier to begin.
Make it fun
Working on a project for hours on end will drain you out and isn’t ideally fun. It doesn’t need to be ‘all work and no play’.
For example, maybe you could listen to some music while doing said project. You can find tons of study and work playlists on YouTube, Spotify and 8tracks that can inspire your inner procrastinator to a day full of productivity. But make sure not to get sidetracked.
Visualize how you’ll feel after getting the deed done
Close your eyes and calmly conjure up an image of a relaxed you, free from the heavyweight of your tasks. The joy and relief of ridding yourself of the daunting task alone should encourage you to finish it soon.
Delay gratification
You’re not even a quarter way to finishing your workout but you’re now on Facebook and contemplating whether you should take a nap. Instead of doing this, make up your mind to reward yourself only after you’re finished with a big chunk of your workout routine.
Be good to yourself
You are less likely to procrastinate if you keep telling yourself that you can get through this task without getting distracted. Negative self-talk will only demotivate you and it empowers your inner self-procrastinator.
Get yourself a work buddy
Having someone around who resonates with your work ethic and encourages you to work is also an extremely helpful tool to beat procrastination. Ideally, this person should have their own list of things to do so that you can monitor each other’s progress.
Avoid distractions
You can curb your social media withdrawals by using programs that help you limit the time you waste on various social media. These programs can rescue you from hours of endless scrolling on Facebook and puts a stop on your binge-watching. For example, you can use Self Control, Rescue Time and Freedom to restrict your time on distracting websites.
Get started
You need to stop reading articles on overcoming procrastination and get started on the actual task!