Five Easy, Quick Procrastination Tips
Five Easy, Quick Procrastination Tips
Everybody procrastinates sometimes. It is easy to do, but why stress yourself by putting that task off when you can get it done right away and get the load off of your mind? Here are five easy tips for stopping procrastination so that you can get on with your life.
Procrastination Tip One: Stop The Temptation
When you are procrastinating, there is always something more fun to do than the task at hand. Get yourself away from the temptation to do something else. Turn off your phone, unplug the TV, lock the door, shut the curtains, do anything you can to get focused on the project. Even if you have to sit all alone in a room with nothing but the task at hand, do it.
Procrastination Tip Two: Stop Interruptions
It's easy to procrastinate when you have helpers. Friends and family can be a constant source of chatty procrastination. Let everyone know that you will be busy for a while and that they shouldn't bug you unless it is an emergency where someone is bleeding or the building is on fire.
Procrastination Tip Three: Don't Prep
Prep work can be a sneaky way of procrastinating. No, you don't need to sharpen all those pencils before you start the report. No, you don't need to gather snacks and drinks to get you through preparing your tax return. No, you don't need to line up all your tools by length and usage before you change the oil in your car. You just need to do it.
Procrastination Tip Four: Don't Guilt Trip
A great excuse for procrastination is the famous guilt trips we all put ourselves on. For example, the classic guilt trip of any mommy: "If I do X then I won't be spending precious time with my child." Guilt trips don't do anything for you or the kids. It's just another way to put off something you really have to do. To counteract this particular guilt trip you could promise yourself lots of playtime with the kids after you finish your task.
Procrastination Tip Five: Treat Yourself
Sometimes the best way to combat procrastination is to just promise yourself a treat when you are done. It could be a gooey, chocolaty candy bar, eating out at your favorite restaurant, or a drink out with friends. Treating yourself on a regular basis can teach your brain not to hate doing tasks, but to love them, thus ridding yourself of procrastination forever.