How to Turn Procrastination into Action
Believe me, I know how easy it is to let the “I’ll do it tomorrow” mindset take over. I’m here to tell you that there is hope for you, my fellow procrastinators! You can take control of your time!
When procrastination comes into play, this is what happens. It rules over you. You won’t get a moment of peace because in the back of your mind there will always be a little voice saying “you still have to do (insert task here).” Often, the biggest struggle procrastinators have is simply getting started.
There’s this certain feeling of freedom that comes with getting the job done early and that feeling is attainable! Here are some specific ways that procrastinators can begin their tasks and create new habits!
Do what Nike does
You know the phrase! Just do it! Usually, I look at Nike’s catchphrase and say “easier said than done, Nike.” Motivation does not grow on trees. It comes after the act. So to get the ball rolling, take a small step. When you do this, you automatically put yourself into work mode (even if it’s just for a second). This will have a snowball effect on your work. Humans crave completion. Once you’ve started it will be harder for you to stop. At the completion of that task, you’ll realize that it wasn’t so bad and it becomes way easier to move on to the next thing. There’s your motivation.
Eliminate the Undesirable
There’s always that one task that you know is going to be torture to preform. So you put it off in hopes that maybe a miracle will happen and it will disappear. Yeah, that’s not gonna happen. It’s still going to be there and it will become a distraction while you’re doing your other tasks. The best thing to do is to “eat the frog” as they say. Get it out of the way first! When it’s done, you’ll get great joy in knowing that you don’t even have to think about it anymore. To help you do this task, set up a reward for yourself! Example: when you finish, go grab a snack, take a walk, or drink some coffee.
Visualize your success
Whenever I feel my motivation starting to wane, I list everything that I have already done. That list will sometimes surprise me by being longer than I expected. It’s encouraging to be able to physically see progress. Start a checklist for yourself and check off everything you do as you finish each task. Celebrate the success of getting things done!
Do something you love
Studies show that the happier you are, the more productive you’ll be. Don’t believe me? Check out this article. I don’t know about you, but free chocolate always makes me happy! So now you have a legitimate excuse for taking a short break to do something that puts you in a good mood! When you come back to your tasks, you’ll feel refreshed and you’ll be looking at everything with new eyes!