About 65% of people surveyed see themselves as procrastinators. A good third of this number profess to be chronic procrastinators.
When you procrastinate, you tend to avoid or put off doing high-priority tasks that seem difficult or unpleasant. You would rather put them off and squander time doing other less important (and more pleasurable) things.
If you procrastinate once in a while, your actions may not have significant adverse effects. However, if you make it a practice to procrastinate most of the time, the habit can have negative effects on your job, relationships, and self esteem.
Fortunately, there are specific things you can do to overcome procrastination and become more productive.
Tips to Overcome Procrastination
You may find it easier to start working on important tasks instead of putting them off if you do the following:
- Don’t wait for the “right” moment.
Procrastinators tend to dilly-dally, waiting for inspiration or the “right” time to start working towards their goals.
Waiting for the “right” time will not cut it. If you want to succeed, you need to take action – and take action NOW.
Take little steps if that is all you can manage. The important thing is to do something that will lead you towards accomplishing your goals.
When you wait to be inspired, wait to be motivated, wait for things to be just right, chances are, you will end up accomplishing nothing except waiting.
- Prioritize things.
People who procrastinate often have so many things they want to do that they end up accomplishing nothing.
You have to prioritize your goals. You may even have to cancel out on some second-priority ambitions if they keep you from going full throttle on the really important ones.
You have to take time out to decide on your priorities. Focus your time and attention on the ones closest to your heart or the ones you deem most essential.
- Make yourself accountable by drawing up a precise plan of action.
A timetable is essential to success. If you want to seriously bring an important project to completion, you have to plan and work out a comprehensive timeline. If you don’t have a specific plan, you will end up procrastinating and taking your time.
Make a to-do list so you know exactly what you are supposed to accomplish for the day, the week, or the month. Check how well you are doing against schedule. Look for planners or apps to help you stay on track.
A precise and well-thought out plan drives you to action. It keeps you on target.
- Cut yourself some slack.
A timetable is there to give you direction. It should motivate you. It should keep you going.
If you fall short every now and then, however, don’t be too hard on yourself. Failing to meet one task according to target doesn’t mean that you’re a complete failure.
Learn from the experience. Don’t feel dejected. Don’t allow small failings to discourage you from trying to do better.
- Avoid distractions.
You can fritter your time on things which are not essential – without even realizing what you are doing. Be mindful about where your time and energy go.
Do you really have to spend hours on end on social media? Do you really have to go aisle by aisle when you go shopping? Determine what tasks help you achieve your goals – and stay focused on them.
- Take little steps.
People fear failure – and avoid things that may lead to it.
This is one reason why people put off starting big, important, and time-consuming projects.
If you find yourself hesitating to start something which you should be doing, ask yourself why. The reason may be because you are scared to fail. You may feel inadequate or insecure.
If this is the case, break the project into manageable bits. You will feel less intimidated.
Start small. Fix your attention on one easy step. Tackle just that. After you have accomplished it, take another small step. Move along, taking one small stride at a time. Before you realize it, you would have finished a considerable portion of the project.
- Use positive visualization.
A lot of people procrastinate because they let their imagination stall them. They imagine having a hard time. They imagine failing. They imagine other people thinking less of them.
Let your imagination work FOR you instead of against you. Imagine yourself successfully accomplishing your goals. Imagine how satisfying and empowering that feels. Imagine sharing your accomplishments with the people you care for.
Thoughts of success will drive you to take great leaps. They will excite you. They will move you to start working on your goals RIGHT NOW.
- Celebrate small successes.
Don’t put off celebrating the small gains you make. Keep yourself going by giving yourself a pat on the back even for small achievements.
If you’re planning to lose 25 pounds, celebrate every single pound that you lose. This will boost your self-esteem and drive you to lose more weight.
- Do not strive for “perfect.”
Don’t wait for the “perfect” timing. Don’t wait for the “perfect” inspiration. Don’t wait for things to work together in a “perfect” manner.
There is no such thing. Waiting for “perfect” will leave you doing nothing and accomplishing nothing.
In the same manner, don’t hold yourself up to “perfect” standards. Just aim to finish. Fine-tune the result, if you must – but AFTER you get the result. Don’t allow visions of perfection to hold you back.
- Make your space work in your favor.
Your work space should inspire you to be productive and creative.
Research shows that a clean and organized work space makes you more productive. It stimulates your mind to think, focus, and work without being distracted by the unessential.
- Follow up periods of intense work with rest and relaxation.
Once you’ve started working, don’t expect yourself to be the total work horse all the time.
Plan to have power work time interspersed with rest and relaxation.
Set aside about twenty minutes to work with intense focus and concentration. Set aside all distractions. Follow up these twenty minutes with a short period of rest (about 5 or 10 minutes).
Working on intervals will give both your mind and body time to recharge. Taking the time to rest will help inspire and motivate you to go on another period of power and focus once again.
