Laura has a long to-do list for her week. It’s Monday, so he doesn’t worry too much: he still has 5 days to get everything done. Tuesday arrives, Wednesday, Thursday… And you find yourself with the same pile of tasks. He doesn’t know how it happened, but once again he left most of his chores for the last day.
Just like Laura, many people have a tendency to procrastinate. In fact, a study conducted in 2017 indicates that between 80% and 95% of university students could engage in delaying behavior at some point. And, no, it doesn’t just happen to students. For these reasons, we will share with you 7 tricks to stop procrastinating once and for all.
Procrastination is a behavior that consists of delaying or avoiding important tasks despite knowing that this can have negative consequences. Some people do it because they have trouble controlling their impulses, while others may do it to avoid the feeling of failure or being judged by others. Procrastination can have a significant impact on different areas of our lives, including:
It is important to note that procrastination is not a sign of laziness or lack of will, but may be related to deeper psychological factors. In the next lines we will show you some reasons.
We have all put off a task at some point, but why do we do it? Procrastination is a complex behavior that can have several psychological roots. Understanding these reasons can be the first step to overcoming it.
It is important to remember that procrastination is a complex behavior and the reasons behind it can vary from person to person. Understanding the factors that contribute to your own procrastination is the first step in finding effective strategies to overcome it.
Tricks to stop procrastinating forever
Understanding why we procrastinate is the first step, but how can we overcome this habit? Below, we share several tactics that may be useful to you:
1. Turn big tasks into small steps
Often, The magnitude of a task overwhelms us and leads us to postpone it. Distribute your activities into smaller, more achievable stages. This will make you feel less overwhelmed and allow you to move forward gradually.
2. Create a conducive work environment
Your environment greatly influences your productivity. Make sure you have an organized workspace, with the necessary tools and free of distractions. Find a quiet place where you can concentrate and avoid interruptions.
3. Set clear and realistic goals
Clearly define what you want to achieve and set specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound (SMART) goals. This will provide you with clear guidance and allow you to sustain your motivation. For this, it is also super important to overcome perfectionism, work on what you can achieve and remember that “done is better perfect.”.
Phone notifications, social media, and other stimuli can be major distractors. Turn off notifications, use apps that block websites, and create a schedule where you dedicate specific time to important tasks.
5. Try the Pomodoro Technique
This technique consists of working in 25-minute intervals, followed by a short 5-minute break.. After completing four work cycles, take a longer break. This method promotes concentration and prevents mental fatigue.
6. Think about the consequences of procrastination
Reflect that if you give in to the impulse of not completing a task, you will miss out on the benefits of something better. For example, if instead of dedicating yourself to designing that website, you decide to play video games first, later you will have to balance it in the same way and you will experience stress.
Therefore, it is important that you determine if you will give in to the first temptation (playing video games) or if you will opt for the less immediate, but more rewarding option (avoiding stress).
7. Wait before giving in
Do you want to go watch Netflix and not do your activities? Wait 5 minutes. Do you prefer to do gardening work in the middle of an afternoon studying, instead of reading that important document for your thesis? Don’t give in to that impulse for 5 minutes.
If necessary, set an alarm for that moment and only then will you make the decision about what to do. You will realize that, in many cases, the desire to engage in less productive activities will fade..
Try which of these strategies works best for you to leave procrastination behind and be sure to reward yourself when you achieve your goals. This will help you associate work with something positive and keep you motivated.
