“Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today.”
― Benjamin Franklin
As I’m writing this post, I’m fighting the urge to put it off for yet one more day…
If you’ve found yourself procrastinating over and over again, know that you’re definitely not alone. In fact, practically everyone has fallen prey to procrastination.
Nevertheless, though some of us may try to deny it, we’re all well aware of the inevitable negative consequences that come with procrastination.
For me, it mostly comes in the form of that sucky feeling of being riddled with panic and finding ourselves wishing “If only I had started earlier…” which usually wash over us as deadlines loom around the corner.
As you may already notice, the more we give in to procrastination, the more likely we are to fall prey to it in the future.
Unfortunately, if we don’t actively take action to stop procrastination, it can evolve into a severely bad habit that can adversely affect our lives and hinders us from becoming our best selves.
So, how exactly can we effectively stop procrastinating?
Like any pesky bad habit, kicking procrastination to the curb wouldn’t happen overnight.
It requires self-discipline and persistent effort. Fortunately for us, there are techniques that we can use to do so a little less overwhelming.
With that, below are five practical tools that when practiced consistently can help you to overcome procrastination and gain back control of your life:
1. Break down large tasks into smaller tasks
In many cases where I would put off starting a task or project, it’s usually because I find the work to be too difficult or too daunting.
In these cases, I have subconsciously associated ‘pain’ with those particular tasks so it’s no surprise that I would do whatever I could to delay myself from experiencing that pain.
When you find yourself in a similar situation, the best thing you can do is to break down that seemingly huge undertaking into smaller, manageable tasks.
Remind yourself that the hardest part is to begin so it would be helpful to make your initial step as simple and easy as possible.
Once you’ve completed a few steps, it is likely that you would have created momentum where you will feel more excited about getting the rest of the phases of that particular task or project.
If you still procrastinate on the task even after breaking it down, then break it down even further.
Focus your attention and energy on one step at a time without thinking about the rest of the phases and before you know it, you will have completed the whole project with ease.
2. Take Charge of Your Surroundings
Whether we realize it or not, different environments have different effects on our productivity.
Personally, I found my surroundings to greatly impact my productivity. So whenever I REALLY need to get things done, I do what I can to make sure that my workspace would promote productivity and minimize distractions.
If you’re working remotely, position yourself away from things that are usually of distraction to you i.e: television, gadgets, etc.
On the other hand, when you’re trying to get things done office, it can be a challenge to focus on getting things done when there are so many distractions, to begin with.
In addition to having colleagues, clients, visitors, etc. constantly around us during business hours, we are also faced with the distractions of our gadgets.
But no matter where we may be working, though we may not be able to shut out the people around us, we can always distance ourselves from our gadgets while working.
Make a point to only check your personal media accounts at a minimum – it can wait. We can also make a schedule for checking emails both for work and personal emails.
Prioritize on only attending to emails that require our immediate attention when you are pressed for time, this will greatly reduce the amount of time wasted so you can focus on getting things done.
3. Create Timelines with Specific Deadlines
As I have a full-time remote job, deadlines play a huge role in how my days play out.
Since I pretty much make my own schedule, I found that one of the most effective tools to make sure that I am on track with my deliverables is to set a timeline for each task or project that creates the urgency to act.
At the end of the previous or at the very start of each day, make a list of the main things to get done for that day – this includes everything from tasks to meetings.
If possible, make it as detailed as possible, and be sure to give yourself a realistic amount to get each task and for each meeting (base it on your previous experiences).
Though it’s true that we often can’t quite pin our days to stick to the schedule we’ve set for ourselves.
So, when things change unexpectedly if you make a point to set deadlines and divide your time accordingly, you will much less likely to waste time as you have a clear plan as to how your day will and should play out on a daily basis.
4. Share Your Goals with Others
We humans have the amazing ability to talk ourselves into or out of nearly anything. By letting others know of the goals and projects we’ve set out to do, we help to reduce the chance of us backing out of them.
I love sharing and letting my loved ones know of my big goals because as I let them know of what I am intending to accomplish, they instantly become my accountability partners.
While accountability partners can certainly be those in your personal network (significant other, siblings, friends, etc.), if you don’t feel comfortable sharing the details of a goal or project with your loved ones, a professional such as a business coach would make a great accountability partner.
Public accountability can be powerful as a trigger to remind us to take consistent action and make progress.
However, it particularly comes in handy when you inevitably hit roadblocks that may derail you from whatever you’re working on.
5. Just Do It!
NIKE had it right all along…
Sometimes we spend too much time overthinking and overanalyzing things that can easily be solved by taking action.
Though planning and scheduling are essential in keeping track of progress, the task itself will never get done if we don’t take action(s) to get it started.
If you find that you are constantly making excuses, trying to justify why you have yet to take action, and/or waiting around until it’s the perfect time to start, remind yourself that the perfect time is always now.
Mel Robbins, an author & motivational speaker, shared that we only have 5 seconds to follow through on our instinct or desire to act on a goal before our brain will ‘kill” it. So, it’s in our best interest to act before those 5 seconds are up!
Remind yourself that the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step and that the only way to get ahead is to get started.
After all, the sooner you begin your journey, the faster you’ll experience the satisfaction and sense of accomplishment of getting to your destination.
So what are you waiting for? Roll up your sleeves and let’s get things done!
Looking to better manage your time? Been wanting to become more productive and have more time for yourself? Working with a coach will enable you to set priorities and focus your time on the things that actually matters to you. Click here to book your FREE discovery session today!
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