Stop Procrastinating!
Procrastination is a universal problem. It affects people from all walks of life and at all levels of education. We've all procrastinated at some point in our lives, but it's important to understand what causes procrastination and how to deal with it effectively. In this article, we'll explore the causes of procrastination and how you can overcome them through simple techniques that will change your life forever!
Create a Schedule.
• Create a schedule and set aside time for tasks, breaks, meals, exercise, and family/friends.
• Make sure you schedule time for yourself!
Set Up Deadlines.
As you might have guessed, this is the best way to get something done. It's also one of the easiest ways to stop procrastinating, because it takes away any excuse or possibility for failure. If you have a deadline, then there’s no way around it—you need to do your work!
How do you set up deadlines? You could set them as new tasks in your task manager (like Todoist), or even just in your calendar app if that’s easier. Don't use "today" as your deadline—instead, pick a specific date and time when you'll finish each task by. If possible (and realistic), try setting multiple deadlines for different parts of a single project: like doing an outline first, then filling in details after that; or writing an introduction before moving on to paragraphs; etcetera. This will help keep things organized and prevent confusion about what needs doing next.
Recognize Your Procrastination Triggers.
Procrastination is a problem for many people, but it should not be viewed as a character flaw. It’s one of the easiest problems to solve because all you have to do is get started! This is often the hardest part for most people, so why not make it simple? Here are some tips:
• Recognize your procrastination triggers and learn how to avoid them or deal with them in a healthy way (for example, by writing down your thoughts instead of just letting them run around in circles in your head).
• Tell someone about your goals and commitments—whether it's an accountability partner or even just friend or family member who can help keep you on track. You might even consider making this person responsible for helping you follow through (if necessary).
Create Distraction-Free Workspace.
• Turn off your phone. Your brain is a powerful, beautiful thing that can do amazing things if it's not constantly being interrupted by notifications and all the other distractions on your phone. So, turn it off for a few hours, or even better: leave your phone in another room altogether.
• Put your phone away (or at least across the room). It's hard to avoid looking at one's own device when it's just sitting there in front of us, especially when we've already been staring at screens all day at work! It might sound silly to say that putting our phones in another room will help us focus on what we're doing (especially because so many people have limited space), but trust me: once you get used to having no internet access while working on something important, I promise you'll notice an incredible difference in how productive you feel throughout the rest of our day/week/life
Switch Off Your Cell Phone.
Turn off your cell phone. Don't check any email or social media accounts. You can even turn off all notifications, both within the application and on your phone, because receiving a notification will be enough to distract you from what you need to be doing.
Don't use your phone for anything else while working on this project, like playing games or watching videos—even if they seem like non-distracting activities, it's still a good idea to just turn off your screen entirely for a set amount of time so that there's no temptation to engage with it at all during this time.
Even if you don't plan on using your phone at all while working on this project (which is highly recommended), it may be helpful for reference purposes if you have an internet connection available through other means such as WiFi or ethernet cable; however, we recommend against accessing any sort of digital information via these sources until after completing the task at hand so that they don't distract from finishing it entirely before checking in with friends online
Create a To-Do List.
To-do lists are the perfect way to get yourself organized and make sure you're getting things done. The first step is to create a list of all the things that need to be done, then prioritize them by importance. Next, create a notebook or app where you can keep track of this list. Finally, add new tasks as they come up or revise your original list as needed!
Remember to be realistic about how long each task will take so that it doesn't become overwhelming (or impossible). If something seems like too much work for one day's worth of time, break it down into smaller chunks—and if something takes longer than expected due to unforeseen circumstances (like traffic), don't give up! Just add more time for other things on your schedule so everything gets finished at once.
Use the 2-Minute Rule - Starting a task takes longer than 2 minutes? Do it immediately!
There’s a simple rule that will help you stop procrastinating. It’s the two-minute rule: if you have to do something, just do it. Don’t put it off. Don't worry about how long it will take or what other people might think of you for doing it (after all, no one can see inside your mind). And most importantly, don't worry about the outcome; just get started.
So what does “just do it” mean in practice? When faced with an unpleasant task that needs to be completed as soon as possible (for example, finding something online or making a phone call), follow these steps:
• Turn on your computer or go outside and make sure you have access to the necessary resources (a phone if needed).
• Get out of bed and go straight into action--don't even allow yourself time to think about whether or not this is what you should be doing at that moment
Break Down Large Tasks into Smaller Ones.
• Break down large tasks into smaller chunks.
• Focus on one task at a time. If you have a large project or task to complete, break it down into smaller tasks and focus on completing one at a time. This will help you stay focused and work more efficiently, instead of becoming overwhelmed by the big picture and putting off your work for later (which would be procrastinating).
Minimize Distractions or Eliminate Them Completely.
To minimize distractions and help yourself focus, here are some things you can do:
• Use a phone app to block distracting sites. There are many apps out there that will block certain websites for you, like Freedom. This is especially useful if you tend to get distracted by the news or social media. It's also helpful when trying to focus on work after a long day of dealing with social media posts from your friends and family!
• Turn off notifications while working on important projects or assignments. If people know they can reach out to you at any time, they'll be more likely to distract you with their messages and calls than if they knew they'd have to wait until later in the day when it's more convenient for everyone involved!
• Use headphones instead of speakers so as not pick up any ambient noise while working (especially if there's music playing nearby). This way nothing else will interfere with what it is that needs done during this specific task set aside just for itself only; all other distractions should be kept elsewhere away from reaching our ears so we're able not only stay focused but actually enjoy what it is we're doing without being distracted by anything else going on around us."
Stop procrastinating and get to work!
• Stop procrastinating and get to work! Procrastination is a bad habit that can lead to stress and other more serious problems, such as lack of motivation, low productivity and even depression. If you want to be successful in life and work, then it's important for you to learn how to stop procrastinating right now! (For some people this may seem like an impossible task.)
• Once you've learned how to stop procrastinating, make sure that your friends are aware of your new commitment; otherwise, they might think that they can still expect similar behavior from you in the future...
Conclusion
I know you’re busy and that it can be hard to find time for yourself. But I also know how important it is to create a work/life balance so that you don’t burn out or get overwhelmed. Remember, when it comes down to making decisions about what you want in life, always choose the option that will help you feel good about yourself—not just now but in the future too!
Author: Dennis J. Carradin, Jr.