Have you ever needed and or wanted to get something done but thought to your self “I think I’ll do it tomorrow” or “I have more important things to do”? Well that’s procrastination. Procrastination is avoiding or putting of a task and is the kryptonite of getting anything done. A common evil, procrastination has more than likely plagued you in someway whether it be at work, school or at home. As much if a problem as it is, it can be rather easy to overcome with the right plan of attack.
Here are 5 simple ways to help fight procrastination:
1. Do the work when set. When I was in high school the last thing I wanted to be doing was homework after a long day of school. What I failed to realize was that was probably the best time to do homework. This doesn’t mean you have to do it all right as you get home, but if you sit down for 45 minutes – 1 hour after dinner or after a shower that’s a good amount of work you don’t have to do the next day.
2. Break up the task. Working constantly for hours on end may seem like the best way to get work done but if you’re not doing the best work you can there’s really no point. If you do the work in small portions you can do other work in between or take a short break, getting the work done becomes A LOT less tedious.
3. Reward your self. Rewards are very effective motivators and can come in various different forms. A carefully planned out reward system partnered with planned breaks (see no.2) can be simple and fun way to beat procrastination. When planning the rewards, make sure you set fair requirements for reward and even let someone know about your system so you’re not rewarding your self too frequently or for anything below the requirement.
4. Separate your self from distractions. Distractions are hard to overcome often leading to putting the work/task off. By separating your self from loud/distracting people, turning off or putting away un needed technology or even moving to somewhere such as a Library or empty classroom/workspace, you can limit the possibilities of stress or spending more time than needed on the task.
5. Work with another person. Working with another person is a good way to keep you accountable when doing your work. You can make sure each other is on task, help each other finish the work and it is a lot less boring when you work with someone else. If you play your cards right and split the load between multiple people, you may even get the work done in a shorter amount of time. However you need to make sure you’re working with someone that isn’t going to distract you (see no.4).
If all you’re going to do is talk and not work, it may take longer to complete a lower quality of work. Remember work is not meant to be stressful, if you can’t do the work in the moment don’t force your self. If you really need to you can take 15-30 minute break and come back to it refreshed and ready. If you don’t understand the work or it’s too hard ask for help, stressing out is only going to make you want to put it off more.
Just relax and work at your own pace. No guide is perfect, but hopefully with the right application these 5 tips can help you achieve effective and procrastination free work/study.
