How To Overcome Procrastination And Become More Productive

Do you struggle with procrastination? Find excuses for things you aren’t in the mood for, but you know need doing? Let’s look at how to overcome procrastination and become more productive.

If you find yourself slacking off, and having a hard time motivating yourself to get back on track when things don’t go according to plan, it’s time to arm yourself with some coping mechanisms. No need to lose your momentum and get demotivated when circumstances start to get out of control.

Here are some ways to motivate yourself for a more fulfilling and a more productive year.

5 Easy Ways To Overcome Procrastination

The Motivation Switch: 77 Ways to Get Motivated, Avoid Procrastination, and Achieve SuccessEat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less TimeThe More You Do The Better You Feel: How to Overcome Procrastination and Live a Happier Life

1. Break down your task in smaller steps

If a job or task seems daunting, breaking it down into smaller steps.

Have you heard the question: “how do you eat an elephant”? The answer is “one bite at a time”. Same with a big job, or an overwhelming task. Make it easy on yourself and you’ll be surprised how painless it can be to accomplish.

2. Keep your eyes on the prize

I was so happy when I started to work from home! Aside from not having to travel in heavy traffic, I also don’t have to shop for office clothes. However, I didn’t know that there was a drawback when working on your own time like having the comforts of my room distract me from doing what I had to do.

I tried a lot of things to fight procrastination such as creating my own timetable and avoiding opening my social media accounts while working. But most of the time, that was not enough. So, I had to come up with better battle plans.

I think  Katalina Milovanovic summarized it best in her piece “4 Easy Ways to Avoid Procrastination When Working From Home.”

I find #4 the best item on the list – Keep the focus on the rewards.

Instead of just creating a regular timetable, include the prize you can get every time you accomplish a job on time. You can write how much money you will earn or what you can give yourself, like a chocolate bar or a 10-minute break after completing a certain task.  This practice will help you form good habits and put your focus on good things instead of thinking of all the hard work and pressure ahead of you.

3. Don’t find the time: make the time!

It’s hard to motivate yourself to do something, especially if the thing that you need to do doesn’t excite you. So you’ll wait until you’re in the right or perfect mood to work, to study or to hit the gym.

According to Katie Campbell, you can’t wait until you just happen to have some free time because someone or something else will always pull your attention away. So, decide what comes first, pick a time that works for you and make sure that you don’t cancel on yourself for any reason.

When you’re always finding time for something, you are obviously not in control of your life. Your ability to accomplish things is limited because you’re bounded by the circumstances around you. On the other hand, when you make time for your goals, you get to have more authority over your schedule and you can prioritize whatever it is that matters to you.

4. Accept your mistakes rather than criticize yourself

It’s just the first week of the year and you’ve already broken a resolution. For whatever reasons you may have, one way to keep going is just to accept it instead of wasting your time beating yourself up and blaming yourself for everything.

Move on by asking yourself, “What’s the next positive step that you could take?” Just because you fell off your schedule doesn’t mean that you can’t rise again. Keep pushing and keep working so you’ll always stay on.

5. Be open to adventure

Life is very unpredictable so you’ve got to have room for some new challenges, adventures and opportunities. When things don’t go your way no matter how hard you try to stick to your plans, be a little more flexible by trying a new approach or a new routine. Get excited to learn new things and make a plan with the insight that everything may change in time.

Author: Anne Cacherell