10 Ways To Stop Procrastinating Today
By Guest | Jan 7, 2012
Procrastination is a bad habit. You know you have things that need to be done, but you put these unenjoyable tasks off until later and tinker with unimportant tasks like checking email, playing on Facebook, and watching TV. In the end, you get little done, and the process snowballs. The more you procrastinate, the more your tasks pile up, becoming so daunting that now you really don’t even want to begin. To help you stop the procrastination cycle, here are 10 ways to stop procrastinating today:
- Divide larger projects into manageable pieces. Procrastination sometimes occurs when a large project seems so insurmountable. Break the project into smaller tasks; focus only on accomplishing one piece at a time.
- Make a schedule. Each day, give yourself a work schedule of the tasks you’ll accomplish and what times you’ll complete them. Don’t just make a to-do list and hope you’ll get things done; schedule specific time slots for each item.
- Remove the procrastination fodder. There are usually a few common things we like to do when we procrastinate. For example, if one of your typical go-to procrastination activities is checking email, turn it off. If texts and phone calls distract you from the task-at-hand, turn off the phone.
- Work somewhere different. Sometimes the location we are working is a procrastination facilitator. If people are constantly walking by your desk and chatting, move to a more secluded location to tackle your project uninterrupted.
- Set goals. Setting both long-term and short-term goals can help keep you motivated and stop procrastination. Make sure your short-term goals include a “complete by” date, so you can ensure you’re making progress.
- Share your goals. Share your goals with your family, friends and/or colleagues. This gives you a sense of accountability, as others will be expecting you to accomplish your tasks, which can help you stop procrastinating.
- Just do it. Sometimes getting started is the hardest part of any task; however, once you get going, you will find it was much easier than you originally thought. Bite the bullet and just do it. The sooner you get started, the sooner you’ll be finished.
- Plow through the rough spots. Procrastination can sometimes come when you hit a rough spot in a project or task. For writers, as an example, writer’s block can turn into an unfinished novel that stalled with procrastination. Instead, just work through the rough spots as best you can (or skip them if possible) and then come back to them to fine-tune those areas.
- Know when you work best. Some people are most effective in the morning; others can get a lot accomplished burning the midnight oil. Find out what times of the day you work most effectively and efficiently and schedule your tasks accordingly.
- Commit yourself to small chunks of time. Just as a big project can be overwhelming, thinking about a task that is going to take hours and hours (or even days or weeks) can make you not even want to start. Instead, commit to working on the task for a small amount of time, and then reward yourself with a short break. It’s easier to commit to focusing for 30 minutes than four hours.
Byline: As a small business owner, Randall Davidson is aware of just how debilitating procrastination can be. His company, a proofreading services business, works with authors who are up against tough deadlines. ProofreadingServices.Us offers fast English proofreading services to a wide range of clients.
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One Response to “10 Ways To Stop Procrastinating Today”
Brennan Smith on January 10th, 2012, at 1:36 pm said:
These are great tips, Randall. To stop procrastinating, I especially believe in #6, “share your goals.” Too often people make their goals in a void, and then just let themselves miss them and beat themselves up for it (classic reinforcer of a procrastination habit).
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