How to beat procrastination through ‘Procrastination’
We all have been there. Shrugging off our work to the last moment and when we reach to the last moment, we complain about less time and a huge load of work.
Procrastination stems from complaining and making excuses. We put the blame on other things- circumstances aren’t ideal, the place isn’t suitable, not the right mood to work and so on.
When you put more work aside, there will be less time to execute them, and with less time even a no-brainer task will seem really difficult.
You might save a task for later, thinking that you have ample time to finish it, but then unexpectedly, another task pops up at the time you were supposed to deal with the previous task and now you have to deal with multiple things all at once and without enough time; you get swamped and frustrated.
You regret not finishing your tasks before and tell yourself you wouldn’t do it next time, but yet you find yourself procrastinating again and again.
So when you’re not able to finish a task on time and you’re piled up with a ton of work at the last moment, it hits your self-esteem as well which will eventually lead to more stress.
Procrastination gets the better of you. By beating it, you will become organized, you’ll save time and be more productive.
The steps to beat procrastination lie within the term procrastination itself:
PRACTICE patience. One of the reasons why you may be procrastinating is lack of patience. You don’t want to work at a stretch for a long time, so you tend to skip it altogether. Try practicing patience. Try taking a few big breaths - it will improve your work habits and let you work in peace.
REMEMBER the repercussions of not completing the work on time. Or missing a deadline. It could cost your job, your identity and image among others, money etc. It could also affect your relationship with others.
ORGANIZE make a to-do list, plan, and divide your work into manageable chunks. You tend to procrastinate because you are not sure of the next step or you don’t have a proper plan.
Even a little work may feel like a lot if you don’t organize and manage it properly. Jot down your aim and goals and believe in it.
If you’re not prepared to do a particular piece of work, then leave it and finish the next task on your to-do list. You can attend to the unfinished task when you have finished everything else and solely focus on that.
CONTROL the urge to take frequent breaks. When you’re in the cycle of procrastination, you tend to work less and take long breaks. This hampers your productivity, concentration, and motive to work, resulting in wastage of time.
Obviously, you do need breaks between your work sessions to perform efficiently but you need to keep it short and get back to work as quickly as possible.
REALIZE your weaknesses. Do you only like to do a particular line of work? Do you tend to avoid work at a certain time of the day? Do you always make excuses? Maybe you’re afraid of failure or not meeting up to the standards.
Whatever be the reason, procrastination is never the solution. Procrastination is a habit that can be hard to get rid of, but with time and consistency, you can definitely beat it. Understanding your weaknesses will help to target and counter them.
ACT right away. Just do it. Don’t wait for the right time or place. The right time is now. Starting the work just right then will make it easier to continue. Push yourself and you will definitely get better results.
SET reminders. Put timer for a particular period of time, e.g. 15 minutes, 20 minutes or one hour, and start with a part of your work. Try to finish the part on or before time. The pressure of finishing your work in time will ensure optimum focus leading to less wastage of time.
TIME management. Make a timeline. Balance other activities with your work. Don’t spend unnecessary time on a particular task and end up completely avoiding the other. Allot the required time for each task based on your ability to finish it. Don’t set unrealistic limits. Make a proper record of your tasks.
INTENTION of your work. Keep it in mind. You’re doing it for a reason. It’s the source of your income or future income. Or it’s related to your health, or family’s well being or your relationship. Remembering the original intent of your undertaking a particular task will push you to complete it.
NO social media. It will drain out all of your time. The never-ending curiosity for checking out social media every ten minutes isn’t going to help. A feed filled pretty pictures and funny memes can wait. Put everything aside and just focus on your work. You can catch up with everyone later.
AVOID beating yourself up if your work is not perfect. Getting rid of a habit can be difficult and takes time. So don’t be hard on yourself if you don’t meet your plan in the beginning. Trying and being consistent is the key. Keep working in parts and you will eventually beat procrastination.
TREAT yourself every time you finish a part of your work. It can be tempting to keep the work aside and do something else. So when you complete a part of your work, treat yourself to your favorite things and get back to work with even more enthusiasm. Make a list of treats based on the quantity of work finished. More work completed=better treats.
IMAGINE the incentive you’ll get after finishing your tasks, the benefits of finishing the task on or before time. You can have more leisure time. You can save time and plan ahead. Take the much-needed nap. Your boss gets happy. It’s a win-win.
OVERCOME your obstacles. Don’t waste too much time on TV, phones, or other electronic gadgets when you’re working. Focus only on the task before you and make it your top priority. As I mentioned in the previous point, finishing the task early will save you time and you can do whatever you want to do without worrying about the completion of your work.
NAIL it. Whatever the task, believe you can complete it within the scheduled time.
With proper planning and motive, you can certainly beat procrastination.
And don’t forget to be awesome!
So what are your strategies to deal with procrastination?
Share with me in the comments below and if you liked this article don’t forget to share it with others.
so informative, very nice article, thanks for sharing the knowledge
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you liked it. Thank you for visiting :)
DeleteGreat tips and ideas - - I find I tend to procrastinate more right in the middle of the week - so I compensate by doing more Tuesday and Thursday. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteWell it's all about finding the right balance between leisure time and work time. Thank you for visiting :) I look forward to interacting with you more.
DeleteLove the tip about setting a timer. I think I am going to start doing that. I think it will force you to move faster knowing there is a deadline!
ReplyDeleteSometimes pressure can make us work better. Thank you so much for visiting :)
DeleteThis is indeed a very helpful article. Keep writing!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much :)
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