Every now and then we find ourselves engrossed in useless activities and missing out on the important things on our to-do lists. Begin by picking up one task at a time. Surprisingly it involves just two simple steps: Ask yourself, ‘So what can I do TODAY and right NOW that moves this task ahead even if by a tiny bit?’ Once you are done identifying the action, start working on that task for exactly five minutes. Once you start the seemingly small task, a loop will keep running in your mind to just finish it off as soon as possible, and this is how those five minutes will prove to be a miracle for you! As suggested by its name, the power hour is one where you put all your distractions aside and only focus on the important job. Am I not able to figure out the starting point for this?’ Try answering these questions out loud starting with, ‘I am not able to do this because…’ Assess what shows up in your mind; identify your doubts and uncertainties and make a path to overcome them and stay happy. You will realize that the simplified list is far better to look at, and you will find yourself much more focused, and determined to do these. Having a buddy to account yourself to is a great way to complete work on time. Set a day and time with him/her and tell them that you will complete your pending tasks before the set time. Reward yourself Another way to trick yourself is to set a time for a task and reward yourself once you complete it.
Every now and then we find ourselves engrossed in useless activities and missing out on the important things on our to-do lists.
We keep telling ourselves that there will be enough time to do it LATER. We spend our days sitting on a couch, scrolling through social media feeds when we should instead be finishing up the pending work piled up on our tables.
Yet we are unable to move from the comfort of our couch to the messed-up table that desperately needs our attention.
Summarizing the above in an easier way – procrastination is what keeps us from focusing on our priorities.
It is the intended but counterproductive postponement of a planned task, despite knowing the benefits associated with its completion. While delaying tasks, we feel that a psychological force is keeping us from pursuing what we had planned to achieve. Nevertheless, it is very important to beat this force before it beats us!
To beat it we must first figure out why we procrastinate.
There is primary psychology associated with the act of procrastination which encourages us to blindly continue doing it. We must identify why our mind stops us from working to our full potential.
Prior to researching this subject, I always assumed that procrastination is a flaw and an irrational act which causes a decline in our productivity. After the research however, I realized that it can be advantageous as it assists us in altering our mundane routine. The challenge associated here nevertheless is a big one, i.e. to differentiate whether feelings of procrastination are rational or irrational.
In this article, we will be going through some tips and tricks to beat our irrational thinking and counter procrastination like a pro!
#1. Choose your poison, TODAY!
According to a survey, procrastination affects over 20% of the population. The key to killing procrastination is concentration and focus. Often, we have so many tasks lined up that we feel overstressed and end up doing nothing.
Begin by picking up one task at a time. Try to choose the one which you had been avoiding the most so you just get done with it as soon as possible. Once you have selected the first task, start working on it right away. Do not wait for another couple of hours or a day or so, because that tomorrow never arrives!
#2. The Five-Minute Phenomenon
This is considered as probably one of the best ways for people struggling with procrastination and works like a miracle! Surprisingly it involves just two simple steps:
- Ask yourself, ‘So what can I do TODAY and right NOW that moves this task ahead even if by a tiny bit?’
- Once you are done identifying the action, start working on that task for exactly five minutes. Set a timer to monitor yourself. It has been proved by research and several studies that once you get off to some work, you end up completing it by the highest probability. This happens because of a psychological effect known as the Zeigarnik effect, which suggests that most unfinished tasks hang…
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