Productivity tips for procrastinators; to help you get things done, once and for all.
Procrastination. A common habit we all experience at one point or another.
Whether it’s delaying waking up by hitting snooze on the alarm clock, or telling yourself you’ll start after the next episode ends, procrastination happens to the best of us.
Relatable, right?
Fortunately, there’s a solution, and it’s certainly possible to avoid the pull of this unproductive habit. It begins with making an active effort to break the cycle of procrastination.
In today’s article, we’re covering 11 productivity hacks that would serve to benefit anyone who happens to fall into the pattern of procrastination. If you try out these productivity tips for procrastinators, you might just be one step closer to delaying the work you oh-so-dread doing.
What causes procrastination?
There are certain studies that suggest putting things off is a chronic habit that affects up to 20% of adults. The figure increases significantly in students, where almost 90% of them are considered to procrastinate.
The cause of procrastination can be tied to factors such as mood, stress, anxiety, workload, and emotions related to the task at hand.
Productivity Tips for Procrastinators
1. Prepare mentally
By acknowledging the fact you continuously delay things until you have no other option, you’ve taken the first step toward ensuring that procrastination is a habit you’re trying to move past.
Commitment is necessary to eschew this habit when you always picture working in the short-term future that never comes. You have to want to put an end to it and take the correct steps to focus on what needs to be done rather than putting it off. Nothing can get accomplished unless you believe it’s doable.
2. Make a list
Creating lists helps our brains generate dopamine, the chemical feeling of reward when we accomplish a task. It’s precisely what makes you believe you’re a winner. The good part of organizing yourself with a list is that you receive this feeling several times per day.
When you strike task items off the list, you believe something has been accomplished. This little thing is enough to power through the day and maintain high motivation levels.
3. Stay realistic
It’s far easier to get things done when you fully understand what is necessary to achieve them. This is why it’s recommended to create a to-do list in the first place. However, it’s not enough to simply make a list of tasks.
The tasks need to be realistic and feasible to accomplish in a day. It also helps to allocate time to various tasks based on guessing, so you have a good feeling of when to move on.
Forgive yourself for failing to finish certain tasks within an allotted time because planning in advance will provide you with a sense of things you’re going to have to deal with throughout the day.
4. Set deadlines
Time is an increasingly scarce commodity, and it never returns when gone. No billionaire can afford more time. People repeatedly fail to value it until it gets too late. Do not allow this to be the case in your life.
This means creating a non-negotiable timeline. Follow it religiously and carve it into stone. Stick to it unless you’re in circumstances out of your control.
5. Divide your work up
It’s far easier to work on smaller items one at a time than trying to do a whole lot at once. The same dichotomy is true for work. Rather than being intimidated by a single massive task, divide it into smaller mini-tasks that are easily achievable.
In this way, you’ll never feel as though you have to give up on a project before beginning just because it looks hard. Instead, you’ll get the right picture of how to avoid guesswork and go about work in general.
6. Consistent motivation
You need to stay motivated with a system. Perhaps one that involves you reading empowering quotes every couple of hours? Set reminders, use sticky notes, and do whatever is necessary to maintain positivity throughout the day.
Sometimes a few inspirational words or quotes can alter your perspective and turn a bad day around completely. It can truly provide you with the boost necessary to get items on your agenda completed without struggle.
7. Remove distractions
The constant notifications on your phone, email popups, and texts from friends might seem urgent at the moment, but they collectively contribute to most delays. Many people find themselves saying “I will work right after chatting with friends” or “right after my emails”, etc.
Step away. Disable notifications when you’re focusing on something meaningful. Remove distractions such that your attention doesn’t get stolen by unimportant items, and you remain devoted to the work that truly matters.
8. Perfection doesn’t exist
Just because perfection is intangible doesn’t mean you shouldn’t strive for doing your best. Still, avoid the mindset that comes with the all-or-nothing approach. Often, fixating on the idea of everything going as it should keeps you from even starting. If you sit all day waiting for the perfect time to come, that day will never arrive.
Sometimes, the idea of perfection is typically the reason people put things off until it feels right. Timing is never right. You’ll never get to the destination if you never book the flight.
9. Have a community
The kind of individuals you keep company with heavily influences your personality. You may not believe it, but we slowly become the people we spend our days with.
If you find yourself consistently surrounded by slackers, you’ll start to think it’s good to procrastinate because they approve.
However, the opposite is true as well since people tend to imitate those around them. Therefore, you should focus on surrounding yourself with individuals that are aligned with your definition of productivity.
10. Stay refreshed
Taking healthy chunks of rest time throughout the day helps you reduce fatigue, improve productivity, relieve muscle or joint pain, increase overall alertness, and develop acuity.
It’s helpful to be hard-working, but go easy on yourself. One of the best time management tips for procrastinators is to balance work and play. Consider a stroll each hour or so. If you maintain a glued view on the screen, your productivity will never work.
Listen to music, go out, and take time to recharge. These breaks will increase your productivity rather than work against it because a tired mind will always put things off. It takes significantly longer to generate the right kind of output than a rested mind can do in half the time.
11. Be ready for tomorrow
Before you hit the hay once again, prepare all things you’ll need for the next day. This will likely take 15 minutes and give you more time to sip coffee in the morning.
If you have class at 7am, consider packing everything the night before with a checklist to ensure you don’t miss anything. You can even prep your food with containers to have quick meals after you leave. If you have to leave the house at 6am for your morning office commute, set the coffee machine on auto-pilot the night before. The more you can prep proactively will help you save time (and stress) the next day.
Conclusion
These productivity tips for procrastinators will help you take the first step to get things done. Remember, it’s not about putting pressure on yourself to transform into “the most productive person” out there but to instead start building a foundation of consistency, breaking one bad habit at a time. Start small, take it one day at a time, and continue practicing self-awareness. The fact you’re here, right now, reading this article and looking for ways to stop procrastinating puts you way ahead of where you were previously. Keep up the great work, you’ve got this!
Read more:
- How to Have a Successful Year Ahead
- How to Change Your Life in 90 Days
- 7 Steps to Get Your Life Back on Track When You’re Stuck
- How to Create a Vision Board to Manifest Your Dream Life
- 10 Daily Habits to Improve Your Life Right Now
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