Don't you really hate it when you have to do a job, chore, study or anything else and you meet the deadline with nothing to show for ? This is often the case when you procrastinate. Procrastination shows itself very often to those who usually work online, or don't have a boss around to keep them on track. This doesn't mean that you are a bad manager of your time, it simply means that you aren't a good tactician in the war inside your brain.
Well if you know what I'm talking about, and want to free yourself from this bad habit of putting things off, here are 5 easy ways to help you stop procrastinating.
1. Setting your mind. Just think of yourself as a now you (staying in your chair reading this, wanting to stop procrastinating) and a future you, that will have different circumstances and choices to choose from. Remember that the future you can't be trusted because of the different choices and circumstances that define our reality at a given time. We usually confuse what we really want to do and what we should do because of this. So, the now you needs to be smart and strong in tricking the future you through the decisions you make now, so both now and future you will benefit in the end.
2. Analyzing your work. First you should analyze your work, see what must be done that day and put a "time" price on it so you can estimate the time needed to finish it. It's sometimes easier to make yourself a schedule. Yes a schedule like you did in school, with checkboxes if necessary and after you finish a bit, check it off. You'll see this helps your pride, seeing with your own eyes that you got a little closer to the end.
3. Removing distractions. Another thing that MUST be done is to remove all distractions that may come during your time working. This includes switching your social applications and smart phones off, telling your family or roommates that you need to work and that they shouldn't bother you during this time.
4. Finishing the hard chores first. When you have something to do that was bothering you and pushed you to put it off for later, don't say "eh...I'll do it later", instead you should tackle this problem like a boss. Finishing the "heavy lifting" first, will give you a boost in easier tasks to come. If the "heavy lifting" cannot be done in just one sitting, you could try and break it off into smaller parts and go from there.
JUST ONE MORE
5. Not waiting for the perfect time. Often we like to lie to ourselves, saying that we're waiting for the perfect time to do something. Know that there is never a perfect time for doing something, because every time is perfect, so stop waiting and start doing.
Hope this info helps! Until next time
- King Steele