10 Simple Ways To Beat Procrastination Today

Guest Post | Most of us don’t get productive naturally. While some people accomplish everything effortlessly, others need much more time. Nevertheless, everything can get done if you make an effort to beat procrastination, think in advance, and focus. You probably have a list of all the things you need to do right in a front of you. Trust me, it probably looks scarier than it actually is.

If procrastination sneaks into your daily life and you don’t know how to throw it out, here are 10 simple and manageable ways you can get productive right now. You don’t need to do all of them at once. Choose the ones that you think will work the best for you.

1. BE IMPERFECT

Perfectionism is often encouraged by aiming for excellence that is not realistic. It can be self-destructing if it heads to negative behavior like overdelivering when you do not have to, or overthinking every choice you make. Striving for perfection leads to falling into a procrastination hole. If you are concerned about obtaining perfectionism with every individual project so much that you are anxious to complete it, it means this mindset is holding you back from accomplishing great things. Let yourself be imperfect. There is much more you can learn from doing your best and then receiving feedback.

2. EMBRACE UNKNOWN

Fear of the unknown is a common productivity enemy. Most of us tend to think that the work we need to do is more complicated than it is. That is because we thought too much about it and have not even started. You’ve been there before and now is the time to believe in yourself once again and make that first step. Remember all the previous examples of when you thought something was harder than it is and ask yourself why wouldn’t you be able to do this once again. Only by taking action, you will be able to beat procrastination and the fear of the unknown.

3. DO IT NOW

Think about that one thing that you need to do but always leave for later. That is what you need to tackle right now. Once again, doing things immediately will help you stay on track and prevent stress. The tasks you pushed back will come to you eventually and then it will not be pretty. Most work-related anxiety and stress happens because we didn’t do our work when we needed to. We postponed them until it was too late. Help your future self and start ticking off things from your to-do list. The sooner you get done with it, the more free time you will have.

4. TACKLE HARD TASKS FIRST

Who else is guilty of doing small and not so important tasks first? Working on simple tasks because they are easier sounds like a great idea while in fact, it is not the smartest thing to do. Prioritizing our tasks from important ones to less important ones can help us be more productive. The key is to break down that most important assignment into smaller and more manageable steps. That way you won’t feel as overwhelmed as you would if you just start. When you focus on not-so-important tasks you are deceiving yourself of being productive when in fact you are only trying to avoid major tasks.

Ultimate Productivity Strategies For Working From Home

5. FIND INNER MOTIVATION

When we face a productivity block we tend to try and find outer motivation which is good if it helps. Most of the time it is useful only for a little while. What we need is an inner motivation that will push us forward constantly. That inner motivation is a goal you are working toward. If you can see how your work is connected to your dream or goal, you are more likely to feel motivated to invest your time and energy into it. Whenever you start procrastinating remember why you started in the first place. This will make you want to work harder as now you know exactly what you want to accomplish.

6. GET THINGS DONE

Of course, not all we need to do is enjoyable. There are some tasks that we find utterly boring. Those are the things that we just need to be done and over with. Postponing them is eventually only going to leave you with ten of those tasks. Trust me, leaving them for later won’t make them any more interesting. Try to adopt the mindset of getting things done. That doesn’t mean that you won’t try your best it just means that once you do them that is it. You will feel so much better after just ticking those annoying tasks off your to-do list.

7. REMOVE DISTRACTION

Distraction is one of the biggest reasons we procrastinate. With social media, Netflix, and other fun things to do, who would feel motivated to sit down and start working. Constant notifications aren’t making it much easier for us as well. One of the ways to remove distraction is to turn off all notifications from smartphones and desktops applications while you are working. This will help you focus only on the thing you need to do and you’ll be able to do it faster. We don’t even realize that when we fully concentrate on one task we are more likely to finish it faster.

8. SET SHORT DEADLINES

Although it may seem like this will make you feel anxious, it will make your work more productive. There is the thing called Parkinson’s Law. Parkinson’s law means that if you designate 8 hours to finish a specific project it will take you exactly 8 hours, even if it can be finished in under 4 hours. The shorter deadlines will make you focus better and with that, you’ll be over sooner. If you think something will take you 2 hours, try setting the timer to 1 hour and see if you are more productive. When you set shorter deadlines, you build a strong motivation that requires you to concentrate.

9. VISUALIZE THE RESULT

Sometimes it is hard to find motivation when we forget what we are working towards. There are some methods you can use to get closer to achieving your goals. If you are a visual person, close your eyes and imagine what you need to do. You can also do a vision board and keep it in a place where you’ll always see it. Do this in the morning before you start your day, and when you go to bed at night. The key is to do this every day and make it feel as real as possible. This will make focus on the end result. You can also write down affirmations and repeat them every day or listen to them.

10. MAKE A PLAN

Write down everything that comes to your mind, whether it’s an important project or an everyday chore like taking your dog on a walk. Organize all of your tasks in the order of most important to the least important. Think about how much time you need for each task and when is your deadline. With a game plan, it will be easier for you to get down to business. If you have another method that works better for you use it. When it comes to beating procrastination it is all about knowing yourself and finding a routine that works for you.

If you enjoyed this post be sure to check out Working From Home – The Art Of Stress-Free Productivity + eBook

My name is Antonia and my blog is Sweet Passions. I’m happy I had a chance to write guest post for Kayleigh’s blog. I love to share lifestyle, beauty and skincare tips. You can find me on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.

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