So you have a project deadline breathing down your neck. Yet instead of focusing on your work, you are fidgeting with insignificant things like checking social media pages, emails, watching videos, surfing blogs. If that sounds too relatable, then be sure my friend, you have been bitten by the procrastination bug.
We are all acquainted with this phenomenon called procrastination. When we procrastinate, we let go of our free time and delay the work until it’s the eleventh hour. And then when it’s too late, we begin to regret not starting early.
According to psychologists, people who procrastinate tend to have a flawed sense of time. They believe they’ve got more time to accomplish something than they actually do. While procrastinators may attempt to avert the hassles, this approach can ironically cause more trouble in the long run. So if you want to fall into the same trap, you need to maintain these steps to stay away from procrastination.
- Prepare a precise timetable and give yourself deadlines
Creating a timetable is extremely crucial when you are trying to get over your habit of procrastination. All you need to do is to make a compilation of everything you need to accomplish in the near future in a particular order that makes sense to you. Creating a thorough list of things to do will allow you to feel much more confident about managing those tasks efficiently. This way when you actually sit down to finish the tasks, you won’t find the process to be tedious at all.
What’s also significant in this case is that you give yourself deadlines for each task. This will invariably create a sense of momentum. When you are aware that a task has to be completed by noon, a sense of urgency will prompt you to work faster. With the help of this process, you’ll be able to finish your tasks one after the other.
- Maintain a realistic approach in case of accomplishing your tasks
As you create the detailed timetable, you need to have a rational approach to the things you can accomplish in a specific timeframe. College or university assignments or work projects often take much longer, so always ensure that you have extra time before the deadline.
Also, you should look for ways to make the work easier. For instance, if you are not used to waking up early in the morning, don’t expect yourself to wake up abruptly an hour earlier to work out that you have been avoiding for months. It might be better to go about it after lunch or before dinner.
- Focus on the long-term goals
Procrastinators generally tend to focus on short-term results (like having a momentary sense of relief by avoiding a task) as compared to long-term results (the stress of working at the last minute, and also the consequences of avoiding the task). So you should ask yourself the reason you are doing this particular task and what are the advantages of completing it.
Now for example, if you have been constantly delaying washing dishes, think about how good you will feel when you look at the decluttered kitchen sink.
Or, if it is a tuition assignment that you have been putting off, think about how preparing the assignment will allow you to learn more about a particular topic and help you receive high marks, and will widen your scope for further research on the same topic.
- Do away with distractions
Eliminating the distractions may seem an easy thing to achieve, but the truth is it takes a lot of determination to strike out all the persistent ways that make it easier for you to procrastinate.
Pay attention to the ways your attention gets deviated. Maybe you’re too attached to various social media sites. Maybe you tend to chat with classmates or coworkers.
Identify these distractions and keep away from them while you are trying to focus on your work. Always resist the temptation to open the social media pages on your computer. If you are working at home, use your headphones to listen to soothing music to stay away from the chaos and focus better. No matter which technique you adopt, make sure to keep at it.
- Consider changing the workspace or even the time
Different surroundings have a different influence on your productivity. Look around your workspace and your room. Does your room make you feel compelled to work or does it make you feel sleepy? If it’s the latter, then you must aim for a change of environment where you can accomplish your work efficiently.
Another thing that you must understand that an environment that has previously made you feel positive and enthusiastic about your tasks may lose its impact after a point. If this has already happened in your case, then don’t hesitate to change things up a bit when it comes to your workspace.
Even though there’s nothing much, you can do if you are working in a proper corporate office except driving away distractions. But if you work from home, you can create a little space dedicated only to your work.
- Stop with the excuses
-“Just one more hour of the game and then will finish the presentation.”
-” I have already had a hectic day; I’ll start tomorrow.”
-“I perform better under pressure.”
Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? These are just some of the staple sentences every one of us uses as excuses when we actually procrastinate.
But for the sake of your productivity, stop it!
Let’s be honest; such excuses are the greatest enemy of your productivity. Sure, it is important that you allow yourself some quality time for unwinding, but should never come in between your work and productivity.
- Work on the hardest task first
You have probably heard many accomplished people say that you’re at your productive best during the mornings. So, this is the time when you should get started on your toughest project first.
When you are done with the most complex part of your work first thing in the morning, this will provide a major boost to your confidence like nothing else. With the toughest part of your work being over, you will feel immensely productive, and as a result, the remainder of the work will feel less daunting in comparison.
- Concentrate on one thing at a time
Multitasking is as real as the loch ness monster or the mermaid. In fact, this isn’t an ability that you should aim to acquire when you are dealing with the issue of procrastination. You can only truly focus your attention on one task at a time. Use this limitation by accomplishing the particular task at hand, and once it’s done, then you can move on to the next task.
When you concentrate on a single task and continue to work on it until it’s done, you’re basically increasing your resistance to procrastination.
- Break the tough tasks into doable chunks
While carrying out the difficult tasks, you can divide them into manageable portions. This is the quickest and also the surest way to actually accomplish them. When you get down working on a complex or elaborating project, it’s natural to be intimidated by the volume and feel dejected even before you begin.
But when you split the task into small, easily manageable sections, you’ll notice that those sections are falling into place perfectly as you move ahead with your specific task. This way you’ll feel a sense of satisfaction while still working on the project, and you’ll also be able to determine your productivity in the process.
And if you still procrastinate, break some of those sections further into even smaller chunks. This way it won’t be long when you’ll have the complex projects finished and you’ll be able to look back on the progress you’ve made with the tasks.
10.Reward Yourself with Breaks
There will times when it will be impossible for you to maintain your focus. You can’t spend all your time buried under a project with the same energy and attention that you have started out with. Sooner or later, you will be distracted.
This is why taking breaks are just as important. Strategic breaks will allow you to feel rejuvenated and take your mind off of work for some time, so when you resume work, you will be less likely to procrastinate.
Spare some time from your work to take a short vacation, or even just a weekend getaway will do too.
- Don’t over-complicate things or try to be perfect
Are you waiting for an opportune moment to start with your work? Do you think you are not at a right frame of mind because of so and so reasons? Quit these thoughts because there’s no such thing as a perfect time. If you keep waiting for one, you will end up accomplishing nothing.
Perfectionism is one ofthe primary reasons for procrastination. This is what keeps us from moving ahead with our work and life in particular. It’s common for people to find a hard time letting things go when things don’t quite turn out exactly according to their expectations.
Make no mistake, it’s vital to be detail-oriented at times, but unless your workload requires complete perfection, maintain your focus and then moving on can work wonders.
Maintaining the momentum is more crucial when it comes to getting everything on your list done, so complete the individual tasks, and keep going until all tasks are done. In the end, you can always look back and go through the details to check if anything you miss.
- Hold yourself accountable
People tend to feel more enthusiastic when they’re held accountable for something other than themselves, and you can follow the same approach. Maybe you’ve got a classmate who needs Australian assignment help, which you can solve and vice versa. In this case, try to follow a system where you track the progress of each other. You can reward each other for progress or even rebuke each other for slacking. The pressure to get things done will feel instantly discernible.
Maintaining these strategies will make you up and running so you can ditch procrastination for good. The willingness to do better in your work is all it takes, and also the inclination to improve yourself. The outcomes will be evident as you continue to move ahead.
Author Bio:
Gracie Anderson is a clinical psychologist who has been a part of this field for the past two decades. She has pursued her Ph.D. from the University of Queensland. She has also been associated with MyAssignmenthelp.com/au as a distinguished assignment help.