Have you ever had a whole lot of tasks that need attending to on one side and a busy-working, creative mind on the other, but you just couldn’t get your mind on to it because you had to finish the new “Stranger things” season?
That is a question that in some way applies to all of us. And of course, there is a name for it. Procrastination. The art of consciously avoiding a task that needs to be accomplished otherwise known as the greatest enemy of the 21st century.
Sometimes it’s a simple mundane thing, like organizing your closet or that mess in your room. But more often are those big things, that require our utmost attention and commitment, like applying for that job position that you want, but you’re afraid of being rejected, confronting a situation that seriously affects you, or pursuing your long-awaited dream.
As humans, we’ve come up with an awful lot of excuses about why not today. ‘Maybe tomorrow. Or better yet, the day afterward.’ And these excuses are responsible for many broken dreams and unachieved (unpursued) goals that eventually lead to a regretful life.
Not to worry. You can easily change the course of things. It all depends on you. In order to reorganize and get a hold of your life, we suggest you start today and follow these 7 simple rules.
1. Write down your daily tasks
The easiest way to awaken your productive self is to organize. If you find yourself in the middle of procrastinating at this very moment, finish reading this article and stop for a second.
Think about the tasks that are pending, whether they are goals, errands to run, simple daily chores or bigger responsibilities. Write them down. Start your own planner or a diary to help you memorize everything that needs to be done.
Categorize your tasks for each day of the week, and when you are done for the day, just mark them with some stickers. Create a routine that works for you and stick to your daily planned activities.
2. Start off with the simple chores
Simple tasks like doing the dishes and cleaning the desk drawers are still tasks. And they are very important. Taking care of these menial chores will get the job done but will also teach you responsibility. Use the energy you’ve been directing toward excuses and focus it on the activity you’ve been avoiding. Action eliminates anxiety and laziness.
3. Break large projects into smaller ones
Aside from those everyday tedious duties, there are our life goals and work responsibilities. Part of the reason why we procrastinate is because subconsciously, we find that work is too overwhelming for us.
So why not try and make it more tolerable. After all, we owe it to ourselves. Break your goals into little manageable parts and focus on one part at the time. Remember, you don’t need to know every step of the way. Just GO FORTH and the path will become obvious.
4. Change your environment
Your surroundings and environment often leave a big impact on your productivity level. That is the main reason why everyone should find that safe place, that perfect little nook where they can be themselves and create at peace.
Environments that made us feel inspired before, can easily lose that effect after a period of time. If that is the case, take immediate actions. Rearrange and throw away all of the old, unnecessary things you’ve been keeping over the years. Make place for new ideas and let your creativity flow!
5. Avoid distractions
People nowadays are madly addicted to social media. No wonder procrastination is a big problem. In this world of Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, it’s all too easy to get distracted.
In before you know it, your whole day gone by scrolling meaningless stories. Help yourself and before you sit down to do some serious work, turn off your phone or just leave it in another room. It will do you good, I promise!
6. Reward yourself
One of the most important rules, in my opinion. As every other living being, humans respond perfectly to the reward system. Oh, and they take it very seriously too. This method is very much needed in order to achieve your goals. The main force behind it is Motivation.
One way to do it is to promise yourself that if you work until a certain time of day, you can relax afterward or do something fun. But be careful, in order get the most of this method, you really have to be honest with yourself, otherwise, you’ll end up with all rewards and no progress.
7. Just do it!
At the end of the day, it all comes down to taking the matter into your own hands. You can do all the organizing, strategizing and planning, but if you don’t take action, nothing will ever happen. Just imagine the feeling once you do whatever it is you’ve been postponing. That’s the taste of freedom.
So, stop wasting your time, step out of your comfort zone and start today!
Source: Forbes
A professional writer with over a decade of incessant writing skills. Her topics of interest and expertise range from health, nutrition and psychology.