Wait for a minute! Someone told me that there is a way to stop procrastination. I tried to stop procrastinating but I couldn't.
Apart from the fear of failure or success and perfectionism, there are other teeny-tiny causes like tiredness. And I am glad I didn't. Here are some interesting things that I did instead.
If you do the same, you're likely to shield yourself from the negative effects associated with procrastination. You know the guilt, the shame, the anxiety, and even the difficulty to relax without feeling guilty. With time after you've learned how to manage procrastination, you'll eventually stop procrastinating.
Be aware of thoughts and habits that make you procrastinate
This could make you do tasks you procrastinate on first. You trying to prevent a disease before you it infects you. You're preventing yourself from a potential contaminant.
This habit could be watching YouTube videos first thing in the morning makes you procrastinate on working out. It could also be that watching the news in the morning makes you mad that you can't do anything else after.
Similarly, some thoughts can you to procrastinate. "I can't do this". " This task requires work."
Set deadlines and make consequences immediate
It's so easy to set deadlines for ourselves. This is because most of the time this is a mental process.
" I'll finish the work by tomorrow evening."
Rarely do we adhere to these deadlines.
Make it easy to start
The prime reason we find ourselves procrastinating is that it's hard to start our tasks. The key to overcoming procrastination is starting a task. Once you've started, getting into the flow and continuing won't be a problem. Spending 2 minutes on a task is very effective for this.
Break tasks into manageable pieces
This will manage procrastination by stopping you from being overwhelmed. When we start a new habit, end up procrastinating because we overwhelm ourselves with learning everything on day one. We forget that Rome wasn't built in one day. Just take one step at a time, will you?
Start with a motivational ritual
Although action inspires motivation, some of us find it easy to take action after we feel motivated. A motivation ritual is an activity that gets you in the mood to do your task. It comes in handy especially if boredom is the cause of your procrastination. It could be something like dancing to songs on your playlist. It could be journaling. It could anything that gets your adrenaline high.
Prioritize important tasks
We all have different important tasks. It could be cleaning your house. It could be reading a book. It could be writing a blog post. The important question is: When you procrastinate on this task, does it make you feel like a failure, cause you sleepless nights, or even make you anxious?
When you can truthfully answer this question, then you know what your important priorities are.
Promise yourself a reward
This rule has been my go-to. You can follow it, too. Whenever I fail to procrastinate, I reward myself with $50. Do you know why it always works? Dopamine is a reward-seeking hormone. Every time you do a task, you'll look forward to finishing it. This is because there is a reward that's waiting.
Batch mini-tasks
Sometimes procrastination is a result of ignoring tasks that seem easy. This is because we think we can do them last minute. Imagine if you could do all these mini-tasks in one day. That could be a relief, relief, right? Checking your mailbox, replying to emails, or doing monthly shopping.
Don't rely on your brain to remember to do a task
I've relied on my brain to do a few tasks in the past. Let me tell you those are some of the worst decisions. I ended up forgetting to study for a test. I missed an important work call. When you rely on your memory, you're likely to remember to do the task late. When that happens you're likely to procrastinate. Why not substitute your memory for something like a to-do list? It will be worth your time. I promise.
Make use of the time you feel more productive
Are you a night owl or a morning person?
Studies suggest that if you know what time you work best, you're unlikely to procrastinate on important work. If you utilize your internal circadian rhythm, then you're good to go.
Work on the tasks you procrastinate on early on in the day
You're not to blame for your situation but you're responsible for it- quote by Mark Manson.
If you have a 9 to 5 that exhausts you and let's say you also do writing part-time, it's up to you to make time for your writing.
Cal Newport also suggests spending 3hours early in the morning doing deep work. Morning is when we grasp things faster.
Other things you can do include:
- Design your environment to be distraction-free.
- Aim for a flexible schedule
- Structure and organize your task on a prior date
- Set realistic goal.
After all, even Love Island needs your attention, right? Procrastination does not only involve delaying important tasks. It also involves delaying menial tasks. There is a reason work-life balance exists. There is a reason you bought your tv.
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