We take that time that we were supposed to devote to the thing and use it somewhere else. You can positively procrastinate by doing other tasks that need to be done, but you still are avoiding the one thing that needs to get done.
Some people are chronic procrastinators because they need the additional fire and push of a later deadline. That’s perfectly understandable and something that you have to work on over time if that is a goal. That’s why these six tips are here to help you work on that procrastination!
Set S.M.A.R.T. Goals
If you have heard it once you are going to hear it again: S.M.A.R.T. goals are the best way to set yourself up for success and decrease the amount of procrastination that is going on in your life.
Writing down your goals in the S.M.A.R.T method is what is going to help. Here’s a quick breakdown of what this kind of goal is:
S: specific and detailed
M: measurable by actual progress markers
A: achievable in rational steps
R: relevant to what you are doing
T: time-based and deadline focused
Give Yourself Deadlines
Are you a deadline pusher?
If you are and you want to start working on breaking that habit, start setting earlier deadlines for yourself and hold yourself accountable. Better yet, try to find an accountability partner that can help you stick to the schedule that you have set for yourself.
This can be in work or in your personal life. Deadlines are still deadlines and you have to stick to them.
Help Yourself Focus
Utilizing different supplements or even electrolytes can help you focus more and stay on task rather than jump from task to task. If you don’t want to use herbs and medicines to help yourself focus, use focusing music, focusing background noise, put your S.M.A.R.T. goal in front of your face, anything to help yourself refocus.
Another great way to help yourself focus is decrease your distractions that are around you. Only you can determine what a distraction is for you so make sure that your workspace limits those distracting elements.
Minimize Your Decisions
Part of procrastination is having to make decisions. We don’t want to make them and would rather avoid them! At least that’s most people. If you like making decisions, that’s great but even you are going to have a hard time making consistent decisions.
This is where you need to minimize the amount of decisions that you have to make in a day. A great way to do this is to have routines set up throughout your day that predetermine the decision making process for you. How do you take your coffee regularly? With cream. That’s one less decision to make.
Wednesdays are pant days. Yet another decision done for you that you no longer have to worry about.
Plan Your Day Ahead of Time
When you plan out your day to avoid procrastination you are also taking advantage of the routine idea by starting each day with a to-do list that makes your day much more simple to follow through with.
There are three things that every to-do list needs: absolutely must get done tasks, major tasks, and minor tasks. Once you have your tasks in order, it makes it easier to go through them and start working on what needs to be done in order of importance. What’s even better is the dopamine that comes from crossing things off of your list as you get them done!
Finish One Thing at a Time
Multitasking is the killer of any sort of time management. Procrastination is actually worse when you are working on multiple projects at a time and this is because you are unable to concentrate on a single task.
When you attempt to multitask the action is sort of like procrastination itself: because you want to work on multiple things you are going to take longer in getting the final product done for each task.
That’s why it is better to focus on one thing at a time. If you need breaks, that’s okay! Just make sure you are getting those tasks done to completion instead of halfway before jumping to another task.
In Conclusion …
Procrastination is the killer of san productivity. If you want to make sure that you get your work done without having to stress all of the time, then take these six tips to heart. They are going to help you win the procrastination battle and defeat it once and for all!