Procrastination.
I do it.
You do it.
The fact is, we do it more often than we like to admit.
So GenuLines urges you to get moving on some ways to stop procrastinating.
(You can listen to this article by clicking HERE)
4 Solid Ways To Stop Procrastination
Procrastination is more than turning in school or work projects late.
It can also include putting off important life decisions.
Like whether to ask your boss for the raise promised you last month. Or whether you should join a gym, or end a relationship, or have a baby.
The list of possibilities is endless.
The effect of not dealing with this can be life-long. Your relationships, career, and health might all take a hit.
But the tendency is to put things off until later. There’s always tomorrow, right?
It won’t be easy but try to identify the stress factor behind your procrastination. It could be fear of failure, fear of confrontation, fear of not being perfect.
You are your own worst critic.
Follow these tips to help you avoid procrastination once and for all.
1. Turn burdensome tasks into habits
We all have enough willpower to get about 3 or 4 tasks done each day. Turn yours into habits rather than mundane tasks.
You’ll give it less thought, and rely less on willpower. You won’t fall into the procrastination rut.
Why not turn healthy eating, daily exercise, or turning in reports ahead of time into daily habits, too? Procrastination is all about taking that dreaded first step.
So why not ease into it knowing that in time, or once you’ve finished X, you can watch videos or head outdoors.
2. Break work tasks into chunks
Instead of cleaning out the entire garage, do the right side first. Take a break.
Then do the left side. Take a break, and then finish off the rest.
At work, big tasks may seem daunting when you look at them as a whole. The answer?
Break them down into smaller tasks. Make an outline of the entire project, and then divide it into smaller tasks.
Working in 30-minute increments also helps break down tasks into smaller chunks. Those are manageable and not so intimidating.
After the 30 minutes, take a break and assess your work. Seeing how much you’ve accomplished will give you that boost of confidence you need to keep at it.
3. Remove distractions
Checking your email every 5 minutes isn’t doing you any good. So, once you’ve committed to doing the job, limit distractions by putting your away.
You can find apps that help you stay on track, but some will say that’s completely missing the point.
The important thing is that you set up a certain time for checking emails or your social media. Once you’ve started your task, you avoid the urge to take a sneak peak.
Another serious distraction is multi-tasking. Even though it may seem that you’re being productive, the truth is it wastes time and energy.
Yes you’re working more. But your end results will be below average.
4. Work during your peak hours
We all have certain times during the day when we’re most alert. Some of us are morning people, some are night owls, and some have more energy during the afternoon hours.
Find out what your peak hours are and tackle your most difficult tasks then. You’ll be more of a powerhouse then with your brain working at its highest capacity.
Procrastination is different than laziness. When you procrastinate, you delay one task for a more pleasurable activity.
So why not turn that mundane task you’re dreading into something more fun and enjoyable? Then you’ll put the brakes on procrastination.
JohnK 9-7-2020
chiforyourself.com home
Overheard: “Procrastination is opportunity’s assassin”
~ Victor Kiam
Article image by Sam Solomon on Unsplash
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