How to Stop Procrastinating?
Do you have this habit of putting things off? Whenever there is something that needs to be done, no matter how big or small, important or irrelevant, your instinct will be to do it later or put it off for tomorrow. There will always be times when you will find yourself frantically slaving away on a task that should have been completed yesterday, last week, or even months ago. Charles Dickens rightly called procrastination to be the thief of time. If success is what you are after, you need to banish procrastination from your vocabulary as procrastination and success are the exact opposites. Here are a few ways you can avoid procrastinating.
1) Break Your Tasks Into Pieces
You tend to procrastinate because some tasks may seem too daunting, and subconsciously you feel overwhelmed. So break down the work into little parts and then focus on one piece at a time. Hence it is easier to start working when you establish simple and small tasks rather than a big, vague plan. This makes your work less intimidating and more manageable.
2) Plan Ahead
You cannot work on any task if you do not know what and when the task needs to be completed. So create a planner that will help you keep track of the to-do list and the important due dates. Creating a timeline gives you a more orderly and measured framework within which you can work better.
3) Take a Break Between Tasks
When the task at hand is long and tiring, you can take breaks in between. It is better to take mental breathers every now and then. You can take a walk or listen to some good music or anything that helps you relax by taking off the work from your mind. Taking breaks in between can help you focus better, and it also helps to retain information better.
4) Finish the Hard Ones First
Working on the more complicated stuff while your brain is still fresh means you are less likely to give up on them. So it is always better to finish off the most challenging assignments first and do the simpler and easier ones later. That way, everything after it may seem easier and attainable.
5) Reward Yourself
Who does not like getting rewarded? Try to reward yourself no matter how small the task is. By doing so, it helps you to complete your tasks quickly and efficiently. This way, it is easier to pay attention, and less likely you are to procrastinate.
When you procrastinate, you squander away your time and tend to put off important tasks you should be doing till it is too late, and you end up having your deadline looming. So follow these steps to stop procrastinating. Do not let procrastination dominate your life.
