This article has been written for all those who are seeking the will power to overcome procrastination and channel their energy more efficiently and productively.
What is procrastination?
It is the act of unwarranted and unnecessary delay in our decisions and actions. Everyone has dealt with procrastination at some point in life whether they are a student or an adult.
In instances like these, your willpower and motivation is usually outweighed by anxiety, fear, laziness, etc. However, this is nothing that lasts long but it does require you to take action and implement simple techniques and strategies that would help you avoid procrastinating.
Before we delve into the little things that you can incorporate, it is imperative that you ask yourself and understand why exactly do you feel the need to procrastinate, are there any situations in particular that aid in procrastinating and what is at stake if you keep up with this tendency.
The main aim of these techniques is to help you deal with big and small tasks in your day and prompt you to stop procrastinating any work and start taking action.
Strategies To Incorporate :
Set Goals
As vague as you think this advice is, it is vital that you are CLEAR of your goals since procrastination stems from goals and achievements which are vague thus leading you to not act on them assertively.
Your goals need to mean something to you, they need to keep you excited and on your toes for you to be able to work on them. They can’t be something that you are alright with not accomplishing at the soonest and thus procrastinating it.
Most importantly, your goals need to be in tune with your potential and capabilities so you can achieve them as set by you. Once you succeed in a part of the task then success for the rest is just a part of the momentum and then there is no question of procrastinating.
Have A Plan
No, by this, I don’t mean chart out a map, make a list, stick it on your desk and then forget about it. A plan needs identified steps and clarity for the goal ahead. A plan that involves not just doing something but how to make the journey of taking the next step more easy on yourself.
This could include modifying your behavior and perspectives. Being more positive towards your work, prioritizing difficult tasks over the simple ones, breaking down the larger tasks into smaller ones and creating an environment that is more conducive to your work.
Stick To Your Productivity Cycle
For every individual, there are different times of the day that one can stay more focused and get more work done. For instance some wake up early in the morning to work better while others are better involved working late in the nights.
This is your productivity cycle. One way to overcome procrastination is to recognize your peak times, i.e., the time of the day when you are most productive and then you can plan your schedule around that time.
Be in a State of Flow
This state is referred to as a mental state of being totally immersed in whichever activity you would like to be engaged in. It is also referred to as “being in the zone” which enhances your level of productivity and allows you complete concentration while you enjoy what you do.
This would be more conducive if you would eliminate other external distractions and maintain more favorable conditions to work in.
Set Deadlines
Once you have deadlines for completing each assigned task for yourself, you are less likely to procrastinate. Deadlines help you stay more committed to your work and keep motivating yourself to achieve the said tasks on time.
However, it is important that you set realistic deadlines knowing how capable you are of completing any task in the given time whilst keeping the deadlines concrete to follow through.
Reward Yourself
Lastly, always have an incentive to work on time, to work more efficiently and to make those little sacrifices that will all be worth it in the end.
Rewarding yourself can be as small as taking a break or taking yourself out on a nice meal. But do remember that a reward doesn’t always have to be at the end of every task.
The goal is to keep yourself motivated throughout your journey and thus, rewards to yourself can be for merely starting a task, or while working on it and then even for completing it. After all, every small step you take is a whole journey in itself.
Conclusion
These are some of the very basic techniques to adopt in order to overcome procrastination. However, incorporating these in your daily routine would benefit you in the long run if you are willing to put in the effort to follow through.
As you maintain your consistency, you can keep adding to your techniques by identifying your core strengths and weaknesses and then planning your schedule and work around it.
