"Procrastination is like a credit card: It is a lot of fun until you get the bill" -Christopher Parker
Regardless of where we are in life, we always have some deadlines to meet. Hustling and bustling at the last minute in getting ready for school, getting creative with a work task, cooking dinner for the family--these are everyday routine tasks that get done without so much of an issue. However, imagine a different scenario wherein you need inspiration to get yourself to the gym, or take up a new hobby where you have virtually no skills in undertaking, doing an office report for a subject you absolutely loathe--these are just some of the things we tell ourselves to delay doing until we are totally "committed and ready" to them. But, needless to say, if we keep on putting them off, we might never get around to doing them.
This may seem like a harmless habit when you are at home; but in an office milieu, your so-called harmless habit could potentially be the cause of why you would lose your job. The truth is, every single one of us procrastinates. Regardless of whether we are a university student trying to graduate or an SEO specialist skilled in link building services, things that we hold no passion for would cause us to delay. However, making a habit out of procrastination can be very detrimental; it causes stress and would likely overwhelm you with so much to do at the last minute. If you are trying to find ways to overcome delaying tasks, read on below for some tips.
1.) Do it first thing in the morning
More often than not, dreading to do something causes us to create excuses as the day goes along and delay doing it until it gets forgotten. Doing it first thing in the morning prevents you from creatively making up alibis as to why and how you cannot do it and it effectively ticks one thing off your to-do list. Additionally, the feeling of accomplishment in having done what you were dreading to do is incredibly rewarding.
2.) Break your work into little steps
One reason why people procrastinate so much is because, at the back of our minds, we find a task particularly overwhelming that even just starting is already wearing us down. If this occurs, break it down into parts and focus on one part at a time. If you find yourself unable to do it and still procrastinating, break it down even further until it is simple enough for you to do. Make enormous and difficult tasks manageable to do.
3.) Eliminate things that tend to make you procrastinate
If you find yourself procrastinating a little too much, then maybe it is because you have made it easier for yourself to procrastinate by surrounding yourself with things that distract you. Finding yourself browsing social media for hours at a time, or jabbering away at the office water cooler for more than your allocated time are cardinal signs that you are getting easily distracted. Come up with strategies for overcoming them such as blocking non-work related websites for at least four hours or so while you are working and giving yourself only three minutes max at the water cool station.
4.) Commit to your goals
A universal rule to accomplishing your goals is to list them down. Seeing them on paper gives them a sense of urgency that would enable us to get the inspiration to do them. Similarly, if there are things you find difficult to do or things that you tend to delay day after day, incorporate them into your goals and make them a priority. Accomplishing them and crushing them off your to-do list will give you a sense of achievement.
5.) Stop over-complicating things
Looking for the perfect time to do a task or to do something is just a creative way of putting things off. There will never be a perfect time other than now. Get a grip and just do it as if you keep waiting for the right time or delaying it for countless reasons, you are never going to accomplish anything. If you are truly committed to change, start whatever it is you are delaying today. Remember, do not do tomorrow what you can do today!
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