6 Effective Ways You Can Beat Procrastination
This article will teach you ways to defeat your procrastination habits, whether you are trying to work, study or do daily tasks.
Pic: Unsplash/ Glenn Carstens-Peters
This article will teach you ways to defeat your procrastination habits, whether you are trying to work, study or do daily tasks.
Start smart
Make sure that before you even start, you are prepared. Find a suitable place to complete your tasks. So, if you’re studying, find a peaceful and comfortable space that you will enjoy studying in.
Ensure you tidy your working space before you start so you around cramped and surrounded by toppling piles of mugs and paper!
Most importantly, get away from any type of distractions. So, switch off your mobile, the TV, gaming consoles and anything else that may distract you. DO NOT give in to them!
Make time
Know that there is a time for everything and learn to separate your social life from your academic and working life. When it’s time to get serious, don’t play about
Organise your schedule appropriately to fit the times you will work, study, do chores and the times you will relax and have fun. Doing the tasks you know are good for you doesn’t mean you have to obliterate your social life. Keep yourself on track with a journal, calendar or a to-do list.
Prioritise your work
Set out what you know needs finishing most urgently and start with that. Never start on a certain project first just because it’s the easiest or quickest to do. You have the most motivation at the start of your workday, so always start with what’s important. This way you can get it done and won’t have to worry about it later!
Break it down into chunks
Don’t feel that you have to gobble up and complete all of your work in one go. Doing this will only make you feel overwhelmed and you will give in before you even complete your first few tasks.
Instead, break each project up into sections, and each time you finish a section of the project give yourself a short break and maybe grab a snack. But don’t forget to come back!
Make your work aesthetically pleasing
Personally, I feel that if I’m studying, laying my work out really neatly and using colours helps me to gain motivation and understand what I’m doing better.
Do the same by writing keywords in different colours, putting bubbles around your headings and making key information stand out with the use of highlighters, for example. Or find something different that suits you! What is important is that it helps you to digest your tasks in a simpler and more fun manner. It may be posters, it may be flash cards.
However, don’t focus too much on how your work is presented. It shouldn’t be a time-wasting exercise! Just as long as what you’re writing is clear, understandable and works for you, lay your work out however you please.
Never leave things to the last minute
The whole point of overcoming procrastination is to be more organised and be able to do things without rushing. This way, you can focus and understand what you’re doing. By leaving tasks to the last minute, you are annihilating all of this! It will only bring back your procrastination habits and will leave you exhausted and stressed.
This will defeat the purpose of the first step, to organise and prioritise.