How to stop procrastination. What an important question. Have you ever worked on something then suddenly lose your motivation and start procrastinating? If you have, I’m sure you’ve had a moment where you just want to give up. As long as we’re alive, procrastination is inevitable.
According to research by the University of Sheffield, around 80% of us will procrastinate at some point. And while some people are better at managing their time than others, it seems like we all struggle with procrastination at some point or another.
When we get home from school or work, many of us aren’t motivated enough to do anything productive. We watch TV or spend time on social media instead of making real progress toward our goals. This article will show you five steps that have helped me stop procrastinating and get more done on a daily basis.
How to stop procrastination: First, find out why you are procrastinating, and then go after that.
First, find out why you are procrastinating, and then go after that. If it’s because you’re tired or just don’t feel like doing what needs to be done, make sure that you get enough sleep and eat properly so that your body is well-rested and nourished.
If you find yourself putting off work because your mind is somewhere else, try focusing on the task at hand by visualizing how good it will feel when it’s finished or imagining what others will think of you when they see how well you did on your project.
If you have anxiety about completing something, ask yourself if this fear is rational or not. Do I really need to do this today? Or do I just want to get out of doing something? Is there another way around whatever is causing the anxiety? If so, try using it instead of avoiding the task altogether!
How to stop procrastination: Determine Your Most Productive Time of Day
You may think you’re a night owl or a morning person, but chances are your productivity isn’t affected by when you wake up — it’s affected by when you start working on important tasks.
Instead of being held to your biological clock, determine what time of day works best for you, and then make sure that’s when you get started on important tasks (or at least try).
This way, if you’re feeling tired at 11 pm, there’s no harm in pushing back an important task until tomorrow morning instead of trying to get it done tonight!
I recently saw a video where someone recommended that you prioritize yourself in the morning. Meaning, try to reach your personal goals before going to the work you need to pay the bills.
How to stop procrastination: Create a To-Do List – Check!
The first step in getting more done is creating a to-do list. This might seem like an obvious tip, but so many people don’t do this because they think they don’t need one or they’ve heard bad things about them (e.g., “I’m just not good at making lists”). But the truth is that making lists is one of the easiest ways to get things done! They help us prioritize our tasks so we can focus on what’s most important, they help us feel more organized, and they make us feel less overwhelmed by giving us a sense of control over our day-to-day lives.
How to stop procrastination: Set Up Small Rewards for Reaching Goals
The easiest way to stop procrastinating is by setting small rewards for reaching your goals. You don’t have to wait until you reach your final goal before rewarding yourself (although that certainly helps). Instead, set up small rewards along the way that are achievable and easy enough that they won’t take up too much time or energy on your part.
For example, if you want to write an ebook and make some money from it, don’t set aside time on Wednesday night at 8 pm for writing your book. Instead, set aside 30 minutes after lunch each day for writing 500 words or so. Once you do this consistently for a week or two (without missing any days), then reward yourself with something that makes you happy.
How to stop procrastination: Make It Quick and Dirty at First
And last but not least, make it quick and check that box to give you a boost to keep going. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by your task list, start with the easiest tasks first. That way, when you check them off your list, you’ll feel accomplished and motivated to tackle the rest of it.
Hey, sometimes I write something so easy on my list just so I can cross it off. And you know what? It works!