If you consider yourself a regular procrastinator and want to boost your productivity, you're not alone. From your experience, you probably already know that procrastination negatively impacts your personal and professional life. Because of this fact, it’s vital to learn how to overcome procrastination and develop positive habits that will help you be more productive.
Identify Your Reasons
Are you procrastinating because you're overwhelmed by a task? Are you afraid of failing? Maybe you're simply not interested in doing that task. Once you understand why you're procrastinating, you can develop strategies to overcome those specific reasons. For example, if you really just don’t want to do it, can you delegate or outsource?
Perfect Your Goal-Setting Technique
While it may seem like redundant advice, remembering that your goals need to be set with intention will help. Instead of setting vague goals like, "I want to be more productive," be more specific. For example, "I will complete the first draft of the article by Friday at 5 PM." This will help you focus and stay motivated to achieve your goals.
If you’d like to learn more about goal setting, you can read about it on many education websites. For example, here is one from Southern New Hampshire University. While directed at students, learning better goal-setting techniques is helpful to any part of life.
Create Realistic Schedules That You Can Stick To
Creating and following a schedule will keep you organized and focused on what you need to do to get results. Take the time to plan out your day thoughtfully. Block out specific times for each task that are realistic. For example, if your baby is hungry at 2 PM, you’ll never write at 2 PM. Being realistic will help you avoid distractions and stay on track.
Take Regular Planned Breaks
Taking regular breaks to avoid burnout and maintain your productivity is vital. The breaks don’t have to be that long. You can take a few minutes to stand up and stretch. You can also take longer breaks to get some fresh air. It will also help if you plan enjoyable activities for each milestone, no matter how small. Regular breaks provide something to look forward to and help you recharge. You’ll return to your tasks with a fresh perspective and more energy.
Eliminate Distractions
One thing to understand about willpower is that it’s best to avoid things that require willpower in the first place. Distractions are a major cause of procrastination. If you're easily distracted by your phone, social media, or other sources, eliminate those distractions while you're working.
Turn off notifications. Find a quiet workspace. Consider using a productivity app to block distracting websites. Inform your family, friends, or coworkers when you need them to give you space.
Ask for Help
If you're struggling with procrastination, seek support from friends, family, or even a professional. Sometimes, having someone to talk to who can offer support and accountability will make a big difference. As a result, you can overcome a propensity to procrastinate, boosting your productivity exponentially.
If you are mindful of when you are procrastinating, you can overcome it. All it takes is developing healthy habits that eliminate any need to put off your success. Remember to be patient with yourself, and celebrate your success and progress on your journey. With just a little time and practice, you will soon develop positive habits to replace the negative ones – increasing your productivity and moving you even closer to achieving your goals.
