Don’t Delay On Adopting Our 10 Ways To Beat Procrastination
Procrastination is the bane of productivity. But some days it just feels like it’s hard enough just standing still, let alone moving toward your goals.
Maybe you don’t enjoy the work, or it’s difficult or stressful. Perhaps you feel you have enough time, or it’s not a priority. Maybe you don’t know why you even bother, or what the payoff will be. Or maybe you keep putting off that major project in favour of more trivial ones. Whatever procrastination looks like to you, the result is the same. You aren’t meeting your full potential.
Fortunately, we’ve got some tips and tricks to help you shake off those lazy traits and spur yourself into action! Let’s have a look at what you can do to get yourself motivated (and #METAvated)!
1 – To-Do Lists
The first thing on any project’s to-do list is to make a to-do list! Organize your time and your efforts by breaking things up into bite-sized pieces and make sure everything is accounted for.
Make sure your list is realistic. Overcompensate when you’re unsure of how long an item will take to accomplish. It will also let you track your progress and remind you of what you’re supposed to be focused on, so you don’t always have to backtrack to see how far you’ve come.
How do you make to-do lists?
2 – Fun Things First
Start with a task you enjoy doing, which will help you get the ball rolling and give you an extra boost of motivation at the beginning. Once you’ve got that thing behind you, the rest will seem less daunting, and you’ll already be in the headspace to work.
What tasks do you enjoy most at work?
3 – Chunk Your Chores
Break down large scale projects into more manageable actions. This will make your tasks seem less overwhelming. It also lets you organize the individual actions in the order you need to accomplish them.
What large scale project do you have that could be broken down?
4 – Don’t Overpromise
Stress is one of the main causes of procrastination. Surprisingly, when you have pressure to perform, you actually have a tendency to focus on the pressure as opposed to the task itself.
One of the biggest stressors is when you overpromise your time. When you’re rushed and worried about meeting your deadlines, the stress builds up, making it harder to move forward.
Be reasonable with what you promise to deliver, and ask for additional time when you need it.
Has overpromising ever got you in hot water?
5 – Less Is More
Multitasking seems like a great way to accomplish a wide variety of tasks simultaneously. In reality, pulling your attention too many directions can slow progress across the board.
Focus on one item at a time, and give it the full attention it deserves. Then move on to the next; completing tasks in sequence is better than in parallel.
Has multitasking ever caused you more problems than it solved?
6 – Prioritize Your Goals
Your energy will dwindle over the day as you work. Be sure to take care of the most important tasks first, then move onto the smaller and easier projects.
Keep in mind that you may not know how long certain items will take, so working from the most important tasks down makes it so you ensure you don’t spend too much time on projects of lesser importance.
How would you prioritize the tasks in your life right now?
7 – Stick To Your Deadlines
Setting hard deadlines is important to not only ensuring you complete tasks, but knowing how exactly to prioritize them. Long term goals are for overarching projects, and short term ones are for individual items.
Do you have trouble meeting deadlines? Why or why not?
8 – Don’t Distract Yourself
Minimize things that can draw your focus. TV, music, social media, etc. Even things like work email can be put on mute while you work on something that’s mission critical. Distractions pull you out of your headspace and mean you have to get back in the zone all over again, wasting your time and energy.
What is your biggest distraction from day-to-day work?
9 – Every Day Is A New Day
Don’t let past failures or stress bog you down. Treat each day as the best work day you’ll ever have, and set out with the mentality that you’ll accomplish as much as possible, regardless of yesterday’s woes.
Do you stress about old issues at work?
10 – Breaks Are Not Procrastination!
You only have so much attention that you can pay in a single burst. Keeping active with frequent, but short, breaks throughout the day will keep you feeling fresh and keep you out of the myre of overspending yourself. If you can, reward yourself after tasks with a quick bit of freedom!
What break time activity refreshes you best?
Conclusion
Everyone has good days and bad days. And everyone gets stuck in a rut from time to time, feeling less than motivated. But with these healthy tips, you’ll be sure to start getting the best of your worst aspects, and beat the procrastination problem!
Belleville Office
Unit 8, 161 Bridge Street W.
Belleville, ON K8P 1K2
Phone: 613-966-9069
Toll Free: 1-888-401-9636
Fax: 613-966-7357
Bancroft Office
Unit 3 124 Hastings St. N
Bancroft ON
Office: 613-332-3115 ext 202
Mobile Phone: 613-202-1584
Fax: 1-866-705-4520