Break The Procrastination Habit - How to Stop The Loop of Procrastination from Stealing Your Time

Have you ever sat down to finish an important and urgent task – and next thing you know, you are suddenly loading the dishwasher or stuck watching YouTube on ‘How To Fold A Fitted Sheet”? Or maybe you suddenly realize that the dog needs to eat, emails need to be answered, your bathroom mirror needs to be wiped clean – or maybe you should go ahead and have lunch, even if it’s only 11am?

Suddenly, it’s the end of the day and your task is still undone.

Do you put off your work for later, only to find your deadlines steadily creeping in? Then you, my friend, are one of the millions of people afflicted by the procrastination virus. Procrastination is the biggest reason for loss of productivity and late output. Though many would not admit it, they would benefit greatly if they start their work on time.

For many people, putting off their work for later is more habit than desire. It can be so hard to get into a groove where starting your tasks in a timely fashion is a priority, especially if the consequences for being late are things that one can probably bear.

If you are one of these people, yet you desire to shake off your propensity for procrastination, then you have come to the right place.

Take back your time, don’t let procrastination steal it. Here are a few tips to help you overcome this dilemma and become a more productive and reliable person.

1. Set and Stick to a Schedule

It is very important that you have a list of activities to accomplish per day. This will help you realistically budget your time and resources. One of the cardinal sins people commit in regards to performing their tasks is to put off their work because they feel like there is so much time left. A journal, organizer, or calendar of events will help you plan and schedule your task so that you can start them promptly and finish them on time.

When creating a list of things to-do, make sure that you put a start time and end time. Doing so will ensure that you are committing to finishing the task by your deadline.

2. Work Now, Play Later

Many people put their work off for later saying, “I’ll just have a little fun then buckle down to work later.” While it may be true that they may have more than enough time to accomplish their tasks, it would be better if they finished their work first and relax afterwards.

Wouldn’t relaxation be sweeter if it were after a taxing job? If you choose to lay back and relax before doing your tasks, you will be more prone to burnout and will have nothing exciting left to look forward to after accomplishing a task.

Flow. It’s a person’s ability to enter into “the zone”. Research shows that human beings feel best in flow, when they are fully involved in meeting a challenge, solving a problem, discovering something new.

Train your brain to be in the zone when working. So you won’t have to find an excuse to get away from it. Learn to enjoy the process and you are guaranteed to reap the rewards without feeling stressed out or guilty for “having a little fun” when you should be finishing a job instead.

3. Never Underestimate Your Tasks

4. Never Get Comfortable Doing Nothing

It would definitely help if you kept a subconscious alarm whenever you are doing nothing. Get this alarm to remind you of things that may need to be done. This will help you foster the notion that jobs accomplished now means more time for relaxation later.

However, even if this is the case, do not forget to put some time in for rest and to remove all thoughts of troubles before hitting the sack. The trick here, however, is not to overdo your rest. There is a difference between resting and idling. Always set the right amount of time for rest and stick to that schedule.

Never confuse resting with idling. Make sure you are utilizing your rest time to actually get rest and recharge your energy for another task instead of idling, playing games or just scrolling on Facebook, which is equally as exhausting as worrying about a deadline you have not met yet.

Genuine rest time is valuable. If you separate if from idle time, it can provide all the space you need to take on goals and get involved in things you might not otherwise enjoy.