How To Stop Procrastinating

(DailyThrive.com) – The art of procrastination: putting everything off until the last minute, only to find yourself rushing to get a project or task done on time. This can lead to being so rushed that it may affect the quality, or outcome, of your work. Worse yet, it often seems as if no matter how hard you try, you just can’t seem to break the cycle.

There is hope!

If you can admit to falling into the same trap, please know that you aren’t alone. Up to 20% of the population views themselves as chronic procrastinators. But as YouTube channel WatchWellCast reports, there ARE effective ways to change those bad habits.

How to Stop Putting Off What You Can Get Done Now

Break down the project into smaller steps. Have a big project due with a daunting deadline? For a procrastinator, it may seem like too much; scoping out social media seems more fun than being overwhelmed. Break a big job into bite-sized tasks, completing a small chunk and then stop to take a break. Refresh and recharge after each accomplishment. This gives you more motivation to keep at it and eventually reach your goal.

Do your favorite thing first. Take a glance at your to-do list. Find the most interesting item and do that first. This feel-good move can help keep you motivated to get things done. A bit of reverse psychology can be efficient when it comes to beating procrastination.

Keep temptations at bay. Answering text messages, glancing at social media, and watching web videos are all easy distractions from your work. Mute everything while you dive into your project. Carve time out of the day to work on the task at hand and stick to it. Don’t be tempted by checking emails or chatting with co-workers — unless it’s a 911, it can wait.

Everyone puts off completing tasks from time to time; that’s just a part of the human psyche. The problem with procrastination lies in the fact that it is often chronic, and it can even become addictive over time. Stop falling into the pitfalls of avoidance by committing to completing smaller steps. Reward yourself for getting up early and getting your work done ahead of schedule. Then, ask yourself if it was really that bad.

We bet the answer will be, “no.”

~Here’s to Your Success!