How to beat procrastination: Useful tips
Sasha Savina
Almost every one of us has experienced procrastination. - went to instagram instead of writing a diploma, or drank coffee for too long and read Facebook in the morning, and in the end was late for work. Scientists say that by procrastinating, we avoid assignments that bring unpleasant emotions, and instead of them we do what gives short-term pleasure. Putting things off until later, we begin to feel guilty and shame - and because of them we continue to remain inactive.
The good news is that you can fight procrastination: although it seems that we can’t do anything with ourselves, this is far from being the case. We talk about several techniques that will help you get together and finally get down to business.
Try to understand why you are coloring
In the fight against procrastination, it is very important to understand why you are postponing things for later - the reasons can be very different. Having found out the reason why you are coloring, you will be able to track the course of your thoughts and analyze your actions in order to take action in time. For example, very often the reluctance to take on a particular task is connected with perfectionism: a person may be so afraid that he will not be able to do the work ideally, that he will prefer not to start at all or to tighten to the last, modifying, correcting and trying to improve the result.
Often we prokrasiniruem, because the task that needs to be done, it seems too boring - to spend time on social networks or watching the series is much more fun and easier. If you notice this trait behind you, take a closer look: how much time do you spend on the Internet and other distractions? Another common reason for procrastination is that we simply do not think about the consequences of our actions, it seems to us that they will not come again soon and there is nothing to worry about. In this case, it is useful to remember that retribution is sure to come for inaction, and force yourself to think about the consequences in advance, rather than an hour before the deadline, frantically trying to complete a weekly task.
Break the task apart and make a plan of action.
Very often we cannot start working because of fear: the task seems so vast and incomprehensible that it paralyzes. To cope with emotions, you can break a big task into smaller ones - this is how an abstract volumetric task will turn into a set of clear and concrete actions. For example, if you want to write an essay or a long report, select the part that seems to be the simplest and most understandable to you, and try to start with it. When you complete at least one small task, you will immediately feel more confident. You can think up a small reward for doing each small part: it will be easier to get to the final.
The abstract task always seems more complicated, so before starting work on a large and important project it is useful to draw up a clear plan of action, think about what exactly and in what sequence you need to do. This will also help to better plan working time: you can estimate how long it will take for this or that action, and put the deadline for each of them - with precise deadlines it will be more difficult to distract. When you start moving from point to point, a task that seemed impossible to accomplish will become more understandable and specific - and you will feel better and gradually get involved in the process.
Grace Marshall, author of the book "How to be Really Productive", advises to make small lists of actions and set yourself a period for which you must perform them. For example, you can set yourself five small tasks and start a timer for an hour. If you will be distracted, not scary: the main thing - to keep within the allotted time.
Fight boredom
Sometimes it's hard to set about the task, because it seems awfully boring. Monotonous and mechanical tasks that can be performed almost on the machine, it is easier to do with your favorite music or watching a movie - any background that is fascinating for you personally. The more interesting task of this, however, will not, but it will work a little more fun. The main thing is to ensure that your actions do not go to the detriment of work and do not reduce productivity - there is a risk that you will get carried away and you will not be able to finish the work on time.
Another technique that will help you cope with a tedious task that you cannot get away from: determine a short period of time, for example, 20 minutes, in which you will not do anything except work - and after that, allow yourself a little rest (walk, read, eat) . For several such time intervals, you will cope with the task - and if you really are not distracted, then you will make it much faster.
Get rid of external irritants.
It happens the other way around: background music and other stimuli make it difficult to concentrate on work. Listen to your feelings: if you work best in the twilight, boldly curtain the window, if you need perfect silence - take earplugs or soundproof headphones.
You can install a special application on your smartphone or browser extension, which calculates how much time you spend on social networks: seeing the scale of the problem, you will begin to take the matter more seriously. If you need to perform an important task without being distracted, it makes sense to turn off social network notifications and instant messengers and temporarily do not check email - or you can use a browser extension that blocks access to social networks for a certain period. It is possible to have separate accounts for computers and entertainment in a computer or (a way for the dedicated), like George R. R. Martin, to work on a computer without Internet access.
Adequately assess the amount of work
Sometimes we postpone work, because it looks too easy and it seems that we will cope with it quickly and without much difficulty. Unfortunately, this impression is often deceptive, and when the deadline approaches, it suddenly turns out that we have put in too little time to work. To avoid this, it is important to correctly estimate the amount of work: if you think you have nowhere to hurry, think about how much time it will take to complete each individual stage of the task (for example, you need to repeat 30 tickets for the exam, calculate how much time you spend on average ticket) - it may turn out that you will have to work a lot longer than it seemed, and it’s worth taking action right now.
If the task is really too easy and you can’t force yourself to sit at it, think about how it relates to the main result of your work and what significance it has for the work process and for your company as a whole. This will help to take even the most ordinary and easy matter more seriously. A simple example: collecting data on customers or partners of a company in one file is not the most exciting thing to do - but it will be much easier to do the mailing after that.
Just start acting
If you postpone work because you are afraid that you will not be able to do it perfectly, then the most useful (albeit ungrateful) advice - just start acting. Even if you do something imperfectly, in any case it is better than doing nothing, and with each next step you will feel more confident. In addition, the sooner you start, the more time will be left to correct possible errors and do the work really well.
Another effective technique is to start with a draft: for example, if you are going to have an important speech, you can jot down a rough outline of the speech and think what is worth mentioning in it. Working on a draft, you will not feel such pressure as if you were doing the task itself - which means it will be easier to start. Later the draft can be finalized and brought to the desired state. If the task seems too complicated or your knowledge and skills are not enough - do not be afraid to ask for help: yes, it is embarrassing and uncomfortable to ask for advice, but this is definitely better than not acting and postponing work until later.
Engage emotions
Procrastination can be defeated with positive emotions. You can, for example, watch the TED motivating lecture or put on a song that sets you up for new achievements. Aim at a successful outcome of the case: imagine how well you will feel when you finally complete the work - pleasant emotions (even if they are caused only by the power of your imagination) will help you to take on the task. Self-doubt prevents us from unleashing our potential; we procrastinate because we are afraid to make a mistake or face down in the dirt. But when finally it is possible to overcome this fear and get out of the comfort zone, the joy of the fact that we are actually capable of much more than we thought, is more than worth the effort.
Do not shift responsibility to yourself in the future.
“When we put off some business, we make a scapegoat for ourselves, but in the future,” says Fuchsia Sirua, a psychologist who teaches at Sheffield University. “Tomorrow I will have more energy, next week I will have more time.” Reality, as a rule, turns out to be more prosaic: time and energy are neither the next day nor the next week - most often we behave the same way as before, and use all the same excuses.
Alas, there is no abstract "future of you": responsibility for all the things that you do not do, in any case will fall on you. When you realize this, you are unlikely to be able to use the same excuses - instead, it’s better to think about how to organize your schedule in order to finally find time for what you constantly postpone.
Paint well with
If none of the previous tips helped, try learning how to benefit from procrastination. From time to time it is useful to pause the work: procrastination (of course, in moderate doses) gives time to think about a non-standard solution of the problem and look at the problem from a new angle. Adam Grant, an organizational psychologist who teaches at the Wharton School of Business, considers it an important part of the creative process.
True, we must bear in mind that not all pauses and breaks are equally useful. Psychologist Maria Konnikova, for example, advises to prokrastirovat, going for a walk and leaving the smartphone at home - to really think about the problem, not being distracted by social networks and other matters unrelated to work. The main thing is not to demand too much from yourself: we cannot work like a machine for several hours without a break. A small pause will help reboot and continue working with new forces. Well, if you fight with procrastination does not work out, do not reproach yourself: guilt is a bad motivator.