John wanted to do his assignment by 8p.m and ended up completing it by 12’O clock. What did he do? He kept watching a TV series on Netflix and procrastinated doing his assignment. He prioritized the TV series to his assignment to have fun. Procrastination took over him and ate away his target. Are you someone who postpones things like John? Do not worry; every one of us is a procrastinator on something in life. Procrastination is a trap that every one of us falls into. When we realize that we are late, we start panicking and blame ourselves for not being active. Here are a few tips for not letting procrastination take away your life.
1. Know the Difference Between Laziness and Procrastination:
Procrastination is far different from being lazy. Laziness means being inactive and unwilling to work. When you procrastinate, you choose to do something else instead of the task you are supposed to do. Procrastination makes us feel terrible, guilty, and ashamed as we lack productivity and miss our targets. This may lead to a decrease in self-confidence, depression, or jobless sometimes. So, don’t label yourself as a lazy person and try not to procrastinate.
2. Get Organized:
Keep a to-do-list. A to-do-list will help you to prioritize tasks easily. Become a master in planning things effectively to reduce your stress levels.
Use task management apps, if you are not good at it. There are apps designed to help you to be more organized like Toggl, Trello, TaskWorld, etc.
3. Create deadlines:
Having one deadline will make you procrastinate more as we keep pushing back. Try to create a deadline before the real deadline. Breakdown your work, keep individual deadlines, and finish it in advance. You will be free from the unwanted stress. This will help you to build your confidence levels.
4. Try the Pomodoro Technique:
Pomodoro is a productivity technique developed by Franceso Cirillo in the late 1980s. Pomodoro is the Italian name for tomato. This technique helps you to concentrate more and finish tasks creatively. What all you need is a Pomozen (tomato-shaped timer) and set a 25-minute timer with a 5-minute break. You can create the number of cycles as per the load of your work. Take a long break when you complete four cycles of Pomodoro.
During the five minute break, you can make yourself a cup of tea or coffee, stretch, walk around, do breathing exercises, or walk around. If you have set your break time for more than five minutes, you can meditate, plan your next Pomodoro rounds, or take a nap.
5. Discuss your Tasks:
Before you start working on your goal, tell your manager, friend, or your family member about it. You can also post on your social media handles if you are active online. As soon as you see them, they will keep asking you about your work. This will help you to focus more on your task and complete it within time. But, keep it mind the fact, action speaks louder than words. Make sure you're actually implementing those tasks besides sharing them.
6. Reward Yourself:
Everyone loves being rewarded. It is important to give yourself incentives, no matter how small it is. It could be as simple as ‘If I work on this assignment, I'll get an ice cream and enjoy it’. Feel the happiness of finishing things. It is easy to pay attention when you get rewards. Incentivisation helps a lot in your personal development.
7. Get Rid of Distractions:
It is vital to get rid of disruptions while doing work. See that you don’t get sidetracked while you are on something. If you get distracted by social media, see that you put your mobile phone away from you, avoid sitting near the television. If it’s your annoying siblings creating trouble, listen to music to get away from their chatter.
8. Stop Complicating Things:
Avoid thinking of the right time to start a task. If you are going to wait for one, you will do nothing. Start doing with a hard task. This will help you to concentrate on small tasks easily. Never think of being perfect at the end. Admit that you are learning and accomplishing things.
9. Just DO it:
For many of us, procrastination comes from obligations. Our ability to say ‘No’ for things that are not moving towards our goals is a tough skill to learn. Ask yourself ‘What’s the worst thing that would happen if I don’t complete my task now?’ This fear will let you do things right away.
The only way to stop procrastinating is to realize that you are doing it. Whatever you do, don’t put it off till tomorrow, create a grip on you and do it. I know it is not easy to get out of your comfort zone and work, but it is the only time when you will be succeeded.
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