How to Stop Procrastinating; Top 10 tips on how to Get Things Done
How long is it since you absolutely, positively, definitely decided that you were going to do something, decorate the spare room for example? How often have you then not gotten around to it? Isn’t there always a good reason, and it’s hardly ever your fault, ‘something just cropped up’ or you ‘ran out of time’.
Procrastination is an easy and bad habit to fall into, and it’s quite difficult to get out of. Self-discipline is the way out - but if you had that you wouldn’t be procrastinating in the first place - so what techniques can you use to rewire your brain and develop more proactive habits - leaving procrastination behind? Here are my top ten tips for beating procrastination,
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so don’t put it off,
read through them now.
Don’t try them all at once. Pick a couple and consciously apply and practice them. You may be surprised at how quickly things start getting done, and with a few successes under your belt you can try some of the other suggestions.
1 - Delegate
Need your garden tidying up? Hate gardening? Pay for a gardener to come in and do it for you. Delegating may sound like it’s cheating - getting someone else to do whatever it is you are putting off but if you delegate appropriately not only will that task get done, but it will be a win-win for whoever you delegate it to. Delegating in this case includes paying someone else to do it. For more about effective delegating see my next blog.
2 - Tell someone else what you intend to do and by when
This helps on two levels, by actually voicing your intention it fixes better in your subconscious, but also your ‘task buddy’ can check in to see if you’ve actually done what you said you would. If you’re feeling particularly bold you can add a penalty - ‘if I haven’t washed the car by the end of the weekend I’ll buy the next round at the pub’.
3 - Make it visible
Want to get fit by going for a run each day? Keep your running shoes somewhere prominent. Want to decorate the spare room? Put the paint and brushes just outside the room. A visual reminder will encourage you to get on with it (especially if the visible reminder actually gets in the way!!).
4 - Bitesize it
This is particularly useful for those big jobs - back to the decorating the spare room example. Don’t tell yourself you are going to decorate in one weekend - break it down. Step one - decide what colour paint you want, or pick out the wallpaper. Step two - go to the shop and get the paint/wallpaper any equipment you need. Step three - clear the room of clutter. Step four - …. well you get the idea. It may take longer overall, but each step is easily achievable and you will get a sense of satisfaction each time.
5 - Imagine success
How good is it going to feel once the task is completed? If you visualise the benefits of success it could be just the push you need to get going. Completing the spare room - imagine having visitors coming to stay once it’s finished (this won’t work if one of the reasons for procrastinating is that you don’t want any visitors to come!!)
6 - Enjoy it
Can you make a game of it? Can you buy a new gadget to help you? A positive attitude benefits in all walks of life - so try applying it to the task in hand and look for something enjoyable either in the task, or that you can do at the same time. Hate vacuuming - play your favourite music full blast and sing as loud as you like at the same time (probably not a good idea if you’re not on your own!).
7 - Treat yourself
Remember when you were a kid, ‘if you eat all your vegetables you can have a piece of cake after’. Basically it’s bribery - but you’re bribing yourself. Tell yourself that once you’ve completed the task you’ll - have a piece of cake/ play a game on your tablet/ watch an episode of the latest bingeworthy series - or whatever it is you look forward to. This is quite simple but often very effective - even though you could probably have the treat without having done that job you’ve been putting off for ages, if you have it as a reward afterwards for some reason it feels better - it’s been earned.
8 - Tackle the worst first
Getting something that you really aren’t looking forward to done first thing in your day can be a great pick me up. Often it’s not as hard as you thought, and with a sense of achievement so early on you can usually get a couple of other things done too.
9 - Put it in the diary
Sounds odd to make an appointment or diarise time for something that only involves you - but it can be incredibly effective - especially if you get notifications to remind you. At the appointed time you feel obliged to do what you set the time aside for.
10 - Routine
You’d be surprised how quickly something can become a good habit and routine. Want to get fit by going on a run a few times a week? Set a schedule maybe every other day before breakfast. First day it will probably be tough, second time not so much, third time you’re already getting used to it, after the first week you’ll be surprised that you don’t really think much about it anymore - it’s just something you do!
Good luck.
