Top Tips for Beating Procrastination

Sometimes you need to hold off on a task, job, or project because something more pressing arises. When you continually push it off, you may be struggling with procrastination. People procrastinate for many reasons, from perfectionism to overwhelm, but defeating procrastination is possible with these nine tips.

Figure Out Why You Procrastinate

Understanding ‘the why’ behind your procrastination aids you in overcoming it. Some of the reasons you may put off completing a task include poor organization, feeling overwhelmed, fear of failure, fear of success, and perfectionism. Consider what is driving your procrastination so that you can defeat it.

Write Out a To-Do List

You may feel overwhelmed at everything you need to get accomplished. You may have less to do than you initially thought. Writing everything down can help you better understand what you truly need to do.

Prioritize What You Need to Do

After listing everything out, prioritize what needs to be done and add how much time it will take next to the task. If there are deadlines, you should add those. The goal is to be able to identify where to place your focus first. You may even find you have some you can put off or ignore.   

Break Projects Down into Bite-Sized Tasks

When you have a large project in front of you, it may seem like a mountain. You move a mountain one pail of dirt at a time. It helps to break your project into smaller, more manageable tasks that you can quickly check off.

Do Away with Distractions

Completing tasks takes twice as long when you are being pulled away. Turn off all notifications on your phone and computer. That includes social media notices and email. If you need background noise, find some soft music, but avoid turning on the television.

Tie a Reward to an Accomplishment

Some people love rewards for getting things done. If you do, pick a task or project and set a reward for accomplishing it or completing some steps. You might indulge in a movie, playing a video game, or having social media time.

Find an Accountability Partner

Knowing you must answer to someone about your progress can be a great motivator. Look for someone who can encourage you when you get side-tracked and give you firm reminders to get back on task.

Just Get Started

Getting started is often half the battle. Instead of just thinking about starting a project, set your timer for five minutes and work on it. Once the timer goes off, you are more likely to keep working, which means you are much closer to getting the job done than five minutes earlier.