9 top-tips and mind hacks for avoiding procrastination.

I am currently living at the procrastination station. I've been living here for a while, however, I think it's time I pack up my things and move on from this stop and get on the train to productivity. I have the right midset now and all I have to do is put my plan to action.

1) Remind yourself that 90% of the time there is nothing actually nothing stopping you from doing the task at hand.

Laziness, Yes. But change that mindset and you can do anything. Even if it does involve writing that long essay. You CAN do it. You know what they say. Mind over matter!

2) Do the most dreaded task first

Sounds simple, but honestly so effective. By knowing it's only going to get easier throughout the day, you know that you will be able to do the other tasks.

3) Scare yourself by thinking of the worst outcomes if you do not complete the tasks

This one might not work for some of you, because you are OK with taking punishment, but for those of you who fear failure, give this one a go. What is it that you will lose? Money? Friends? A job? Whatever the answer to that question happens to be, think about it. Do you really want that to happen?

4) Talk about how you will feel in the future

After beating procrastination, how will you be feeling? The end of a productive day can feel liberating, and trust me it is something that you want to experience. Do you really want to go another day living in an unproductive, procrastinating slump where all you feel at the end of the day boredom and dissatisfaction? My answer: No. Also compare how you will feel if you do complete the tasks to how you will feel if you don't.

Side tip: Tell a friend at the start of the day what your plans of productivity are so at the end of the day you have to tell them that you did it and how much you achieved.

5) Break down your tasks

Looking at one big task which could take you hours, can be extremely intimidating. A way I like to make it seem more manageable is to make it five or six smaller tasks. This way I can do one or two after one another without getting completely knocked out, and I get more ticked off my list. Win-Win situation! For example, if I have a big essay due, I will split it into 5 parts; Planning, Introduction, Paragraph 1, Paragraph 2, Paragraph 3, Conclusion. This was I can do two, have a break and carry on.

6) Give yourself mini-deadlines.

"I'm going to get those 2 tasks done in the next hour" is something you need to be saying and be putting into action. By doing this you have pressure on yourself, which makes you more productive and by doing it inside a deadline, you have more time to yourself afterwards.

7) Eliminate those procrastination pit stops

We have all fallen into the trap of just 'quickly' checking our phones, or getting a snack and these quick stops seem to go on for a lot longer than planned. Get rid of them. When you are doing work, put your phone far, far away. When I put my phone out of sight and reach I have zero motivation to get up and find it. This means that I can get so much more done, and a lot faster.

8)Procrastinating is boring. By actually getting round to doing those tasks, you are filling your time effectively and doing things that need to be done, not sitting around being bored with not a lot to do.

9) Reverse Procrastination

Trick your brain into thinking you have even more tedious tasks to complete, this will motivate you to do the tasks that you NEED to do. For example start watching a video on something boring which doesn't really need to be done, you can then procrastinate the video by doing your essential tasks.

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thomasjlblog

7th April 2021