Do you ever feel like your life is passing you by? Do you often find yourself not accomplishing the goals that you set out to achieve and instead wasting time in front of your phone or computer? I've been there. It's hard enough as a busy teacher, dad, husband to find time for myself, let alone have any left over for my personal goals. But after years of struggling with this feeling, I found some valuable tips that helped me overcome procrastination. The one thing that has made the most difference is having a plan on how to beat procrastination before it starts! Read more below for 7 tips to help you start living again today!
"The event is next month. So I have 4 more weeks to go. I’ll think about it next week.
Chicken Genius just published a new video on YouTube. I want to hear his latest investing tips."
I guess you probably have a similar experience before, where you need to do something important and yet you keep delaying and delaying. In simple terms, we procrastinate.
What is procrastination
Procrastination is the act of delaying or postponing tasks that we are supposed to do. It is the force that prevents you from following through on what you set out to do.
According to research, about 95 percent of people admit to delaying their work. So, it’s safe to assume you, like me, are a procrastinator at times…you might even be procrastinating over something by watching this video.
The good news is we can learn some tactics to get ourselves to do the things that are important and avoid procrastination. Yeah!
Before I dive into the tips of beating procrastination, let us understand why do we procrastinate? What is going on in our brain that causes us to avoid the things we know we should be doing?
This is a good time to bring some science into our discussion. I took this information from an article written from James Clear, author of Atomic Habits.
According to the article, Behavioral psychology research has revealed a phenomenon called “time inconsistency,” which helps explain why procrastination seems to pull us in despite our good intentions.
Time inconsistency refers to the tendency of the human brain to value immediate rewards more highly than future rewards.
Let us imagining that we have two selves: the Present Self and the Future Self. When you set goals for yourself — like losing weight or writing a report or book or editing a long video — you are actually making plans for your Future Self. You are envisioning what you want your life to be like in the future.
Researchers have found that when you think about your Future Self, it is quite easy for your brain to see the value in taking actions with long-term benefits. The Future Self values long-term rewards.
However, while the Future Self can set goals, only the Present Self can take action. When the time comes to make a decision, you are no longer making a choice for your Future Self. Now you are in the present moment, and your brain is thinking about the Present Self.
Researchers have discovered that the Present Self really likes instant gratification, not long-term payoff.
So, the Present Self and the Future Self are often at odds with one another. The Future Self wants to be trim and fit, but the Present Self wants a donut. Sure, everyone knows you should eat healthy today to avoid being overweight in 10 years. But consequences like an increased risk for diabetes or heart failure are years away.
"The Future Self wants to be trim and fit, but the Present Self wants a donut."
Similarly, many young people know that saving for retirement in their 20s and 30s is crucial, but the benefit of doing so is decades off. It is far easier for the Present Self to see the value in buying a new IPhone than in socking away $100 for 70-year-old you.
This is one reason why you might go to bed feeling motivated to make a change in your life, but when you wake up you find yourself falling back into old patterns.
Your brain values long-term benefits when they are in the future (tomorrow), but it values immediate gratification when it comes to the present moment (today).
Now comes the most important part… What are the ways to beat procrastination? I have gathered 7 tips that I personally find useful and applicable to help me overcome procrastination.
Figure out why
When you aren't in the mood to work, procrastination is telling you something important. It could be something simple, such as you need to take a break or eat.
It could be something complex, such as the task is too daunting or you are suffering from a burnout. Whatever it is, instead of punishing yourself for procrastinating, take a moment to reflect and figure out why you're procrastinating.
For me, I know I’m procrastinating because the task of marking a report is tedious and brain draining.
So by knowing why I procrastinate, I can make changes to my routine to make me feel better.
Therefore figuring out why you are procrastinating might be the most productive step right from the start.
Take The Smallest Step
When you don't feel motivated, take the smallest step possible toward your goal. After taking that step, you're more likely to continue taking more steps toward that goal.
Whenever I am going to mark the report, instead of telling myself to finish marking the whole report, I tell myself to just open the document in my computer. That’s the smallest step I can take. Then I start reading the introduction and let the momentum take over.
For you, maybe instead of telling yourself to run 4 days a week, say you'll go for 1 round today. I can’t emphasize how important it is to take the smallest step to kickstart everything.
"Instead of telling yourself to run 4 days a week, say you'll go for 1 round today."
Give Yourself A Deadline, Then Put it in your calendar
Another tactic to overcome a natural tendency to procrastinate is to create a hard deadline for yourself and then put it on the calendar. Having a scheduled deadline that you commit to will make it easier to get tasks completed.
Treat the deadline the same as if your boss created it, and then honor it the same way you would if your boss was waiting for you to complete the task.
I am sure you have a similar experience like me. When you are given a task with no deadline, you won’t take action. But if the deadline is tomorrow, we will definitely rush to complete the tasks.
Make sure you have the right environment
Working in the wrong environment can make you succumb to procrastination. This means keeping yourself away from television, electronics, friends, and loud places.
Say for example, you want to start writing a proposal, your phone sent a notification from YouTube that your favourite Youtuber just published a new video. You watched the video and another video. You end up not writing the proposal.
Sounds familiar?
So make sure to exercise discipline by working in the environment that's right for you.
Jump right in or say ‘Just do it!’
Sometimes it's really hard to get started on something, even when it's something you love to do. I might be staring at a blank Word document or standing on the track on a cold morning.
That first step is difficult, but once you get going--typing that first line or jog the first few steps--your mood improves dramatically. When you focus your attention on how difficult and tedious it is to get started, you discourage yourself from doing so.
When you dive right in no matter what, your mood quickly improves, which helps you to stay on task.
Next time, when you find yourself procrastinating, have a mantra like “Just do it!”
Get An Accountability Partner
The next tip is to find an accountability partner. This works best for me whenever I feel lazy.
I remember back in the days when I was into running, it was so difficult to stay disciplined to run every other day. So I decided to arrange to meet a few friends to run together and it worked! I never miss an appointment with them.
Accountability implies commitment, that you not only let yourself down but that partner. Therefore if you find yourself procrastinating over certain tasks, find a partner who will help you overcome procrastination.
Celebrate the completion of your task
Don’t be too hard on ourselves. Have a specific reward in mind for when your project is finished. Go out for coffee or a nice dinner.
If you have completed a big project, take a weekend trip. Have a party.
The celebration should be equal to your task. For me, whenever I complete a tedious task, I will reward myself with some me time in a cafe.
Conclusion
The key to beating procrastination is to understand that procrastination is rooted in different emotions. The 7 tips above will help you to beat procrastination and to achieve greater productivity than ever before.
How do you beat procrastination? Which one of the 7 tips do you think is the most helpful?Share your thoughts in the comments section below. I look forward to learning some tips from you.
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