20 Productivity Tips: Avoid Procrastination
People generally link procrastination with laziness and a lack of willpower. I prefer to link it to fear & being overwhelmed by the task at hand. Procrastination is the fear of doing something because it is important, and then the fear of failure. The following tips can help you improve your productivity.
1. Mindfulness or self-awareness : Focusing on the present moment and being mindful is incredibly helpful in being productive. It is possibly the single most important thing to remain focused on the task at hand. Being self-aware helps to avoid distractions.
2. Identifying & addressing the mental block : The reason why we might be procrastinating on a given task is important. Maybe we perceive the task to be too boring, too challenging, or too tedious. Ask yourself why you are procrastinating and why you do not feel like doing the task.
Note down the reason and then you can address it accordingly. A time-consuming & tedious task can be managed by breaking it down into several small chunks & working on them one after another. A boring task can be managed by maybe the promise of an exciting reward once the task is accomplished. Nevertheless, acknowledging the reason behind procrastination will create self-awareness.
3. Setting an end time : Many of us start the tasks without an end time. This encourages procrastination as it lets you put off the task indefinitely. But if you sit down for a task with an end time in mind, you can be stricter with the decision to perform your task diligently. It is also important to set a reasonable end time.
If you set an end time that is too short, you can get discouraged from completing the task and go back to procrastination. Allow yourself to take the time you truly need.
4. Create a good workspace : Have a distraction-free, clean & organized space to work in. It will greatly help boost productivity. A clutter-free space can lead to a clutter-free mind that leads to increased focus. Some people also find it helpful to have a designated workspace. If the workspace is also used for leisure activities, it may not be helpful. Therefore, it is usually advised not to work on your bed.
Also, remember to make yourself as comfortable as possible. Set the mood for working. You can play music in the background. Many find instrumental or lo-fi music helpful. You can get a snack. Keep essential items close by and easily accessible.
5. Plan out the task : It can be beneficial to outline out the task on paper. Make sure the end goal & any other crucial detail related to the task is clearly defined. Note down the time allotted for the task and reasons for procrastination. Our brain is not designed to comfortably remember all of the long lists of tasks that we need to do.
People tend to feel overwhelmed when they look at the long list of things that need to be done. This is the biggest cause of procrastination. Especially when the long list of tasks is all in your head. Simply, writing down all the tasks and have them in front of you will help you organize things in your head & can help you feel calmer. It certainly helps to not have to all the things you have to do. Doesn't it often feel like we are trying to remember a hundred thousand things?
To combat the endless countless distracting thoughts that come to mind as I start a task. I also tend to jot down things that are distracting me. For example, when I'm working on a boring work assignment, ideas for a new blog article can somehow pop up in my mind. I don’t want to lose the idea, nor do I want to get distracted by it. By writing it down, I ensure that I can come back to it later, instead of getting lost in my thoughts. Similarly, you can save the distracting youtube video in a playlist that you can watch later.
6. Take baby steps : Every task is better managed when it is divided into smaller manageable chunks. This is truly a game-changer and a tip that for some reason people tend to forget. In the words of Martin Luther King Jr. "You don't have to see the whole staircase. You just have to take the first step"
7. One minute rule : If you see something that needs to be done & you know that it can be done in under one minute, for instance, making your bed in the morning, finish that task immediately and do not leave it for later. Get small tasks out of the way so that you can concentrate better on the bigger tasks & the small tasks don't flood your mind. But be careful, do not ignore big, urgent & important tasks by doing lots of small tasks.
8. Ask yourself how you want to feel at the end of the date: Asking yourself - "How do I want to feel at the end of the day?" and anticipating the good feeling that you will have when you get some important task done can help you take action.
Procrastination is a form of fear and everyone can agree that we dislike the uncomfortable feeling of guilt & fear that we feel when we procrastinate on an important task. Think of this uncomfortable feeling. Hopefully, it should encourage you to take action.
9. Take a time-lapse of yourself working : When you are working, record yourself at your desk in time-lapse. This ensures that you do not use your phone & get distracted by it. More importantly, when you finish your task, you will be able to see all your work getting down & your persistence which can be motivating.
10. Just start : Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new. If you spend too much time thinking about doing a thing, you’ll never get it done. The way to get started is to quit talking and start doing. In life, people tend to wait for good things to come to them. And by waiting, they miss out.
11. Prioritize : One way people procrastinate is not by not doing things but by doing things that are not important instead. This doesn't look like procrastination & may not feel like wasted time. But, this is the worst form of procrastination, For example, a person would rather clean their room than write a boring work email. I have once rearranged my entire house instead of doing a boring but important assignment.
To combat this, you must prioritize and be strict with yourself. After you note down the tasks you need to finish, assign a priority value to each task. You can do this in any way. One way is to categorize the tasks as urgent & important, important but not urgent, urgent but not important, and not urgent & not important. Urgent & important tasks must be finished off first. You can also simply assign a number to each task according to priority.
12. Stop dwelling on feeling motivated : Motivation comes and goes. Sometimes you start motivated and then completely lose interest. An exciting YouTube video on motivation will leave you motivated for a few minutes after watching but that is quite useless in the long run. When we consume motivational content, it can encourage procrastination. Many people tend to feel so motivated after watching such content, that they sort of begin to feel like the task is already done.
They may also begin to feel that now that they are aware of this "secret", they can accomplish the task in no time. That is, they become overconfident & possibly delusional. They begin to think that, "Now, I know this secret, I can finish this task in no time. And hence, I can do this task later". This makes them less vigilant of themselves and eventually, they might still procrastinate the task.
13. Reward system : If you reward yourself with something positive every time you accomplish a task, you feel begin to associate positively with doing the task. There was an experiment where two groups of people were instructed to go to the gym and exercise for a while. One group was rewarded with a small piece of chocolate every time they went to the gym. This sounds a bit counterintuitive but it worked! People who were rewarded were able to sustain the habit of going to the gym for a longer period and reported feeling more positive going to the gym.
14. Pomodoro technique : Taking breaks is important to avoid burnout. Pomodoro technique involves working for certain intervals of time and taking short breaks in between. Traditionally, the work interval is 25 minutes with 5-minute breaks. You can use a Pomodoro app or your phone timer. And you can set the time interval to whatever suits you the best.
15. Start your morning right : Starting your day right and setting yourself up for success right in the morning is an excellent way to help avoid procrastination. Get enough sleep and wake up as early as you can. Plan the day. Have a clear picture of what you want the day to look like right from early morning. It will give you a sense of direction.
16. Form habits and build a routine : Once you start working towards your goals and taking steps to avoid procrastination, turn them into a habit. It takes 40 days to form a habit. Figure out what practices help you be most productive. Write them down. Figure what is the best routine for you that helps you get the most work done. Create a timetable out of that. Then stick to these habits and routines. After 40 days you are most likely to continue doing those things because a brain works according to a routine.
It is possible that you are not able to study Biology at 6 PM because you usually used to watch movies at 6 PM and your mind starts craving for entertainment at 6 PM because it is used to getting entertainment at 6 PM
17. Avoid perfectionism : Avoid perfectionism especially for tasks that are urgent and important. Perfectionism usually limits the definition of success to an unrealistic standard. Done is better than perfect. Focus on the progress of your task. Aim to do "good enough".
18. Challenge limiting beliefs of yourself : If you are a serial procrastinator, chances are you have begun to make certain claims about yourself. You might look at a task and before even starting, already decided in your mind, that you aren't going to be doing this. You might think back on all the times you procrastinated on this task & begin to believe that you lack the discipline of ever doing it.
You essentially decided that you've failed before starting. Do not do this. Challenge these thoughts. Recognize that these are fear-based irrational thoughts. And as long as you have the physical and mental capabilities to accomplish the given task, you can accomplish the given task!
19. Five-second rule : Start counting down from 5 to 1 and start working. This helps you avoid thinking for hours about doing the task instead of doing it. Quit everything else. Don't think anything further. After you have said, "5, 4, 3, 2, 1", start the task!
20. Be weird : The brain is weird and what works for others might not necessarily work for you & vice versa. So of all the tips and tricks to avoid procrastination, find the ones which work best for you. And if you come up with a unique & weird way to get yourself to do a task, don't hesitate from using it. Maybe playing with your pets puts you in a good mood & helps you to be productive. Maybe eating a piece of cake or spicy noodles helps get you going. Do whatever works. Going to the gym early morning makes me super productive. Coffee helps a lot too.
Summary
1. Mindfulness or self-awareness
2. Identifying & addressing the mental block
3. Setting an end time
4. Create a good workspace
5. Plan out the task
6. Take baby steps
7. One minute rule
8. Ask yourself how you want to feel at the end of the date
9. Take a time-lapse of yourself working
10. Just start
11. Prioritize
12. Stop dwelling on feeling motivated
13. Reward system
14. Pomodoro technique
15. Start your morning right
16. Form habits and build a routine
17. Avoid perfectionism
18. Challenge limiting beliefs of yourself
19. Five-second rule
20. Be weird
Comments
Post a Comment