APRIL 13, 2024
Five (5) ways to overcome procrastination and boost productivity
Procrastination is the habit of delaying tasks. Believe it or not, procrastination affects everyone at some point. In this post, we will list five (5) ways to overcome procrastination and boost productivity.
Putting off work assignments, neglecting household chores, or postponing personal goals can often lead to feelings of guilt and stress. Procrastination can also hinder productivity.
The good news is that overcoming procrastination is possible with the right strategies and mindset.
Below are five (5) techniques that you can use to help you conquer procrastination and reclaim control over your time and productivity.
1. Understand the root cause of your procrastination
It is essential to understand the cause of your procrastination before you can even look at ways you can overcome it. There is more than one factor that procrastination can stem from and the factors can vary from person to person.
Some of the common root causes of procrastination include:
# Fear of Failure
Some or most people may procrastinate because they are afraid that they will not be able to meet the expectations that they have set for themselves or what they think others expect from them. They do not want to disappoint anyone or themselves so they avoid doing the task altogether.
# Perfectionism
Perfectionists often set impossibly high standards for themselves which is the reason why they procrastinate. They may be under the belief that if a task cannot be completed flawlessly, it is not worth doing at all. Because they want to wait for the perfect time to start working, they will then procrastinate.
# Lack of motivation
When a person lacks motivation or a sense of purpose regarding a task they may procrastinate. This is because they do not see the value in completing this task. They will not muster up the energy to start because they do not have a compelling reason to do so.
# Poor time management skills
When a person has poor management skills they will procrastinate. This is because they struggle to prioritize tasks, set realistic goals, or assign time effectively. They will then become overwhelmed by the work which means that they will then procrastinate.
# Avoidance of discomfort
A person may procrastinate to avoid discomfort or unpleasant emotions that are associated with certain tasks. This means that a task may be boring, tedious, or something that they are not comfortable with. The truth is that temporarily relieving themselves of the discomfort will ultimately lead to prolonged stress.
# Lack of confidence
Individuals who believe they will not be able to complete tasks because they doubt their abilities may hesitate to start tasks. A lack of confidence can lead to procrastination.
# Overwhelm
When a person thinks that a task is too daunting, they will normally postpone taking action on that task and do less demanding activities. The feeling of being overwhelmed by the amount of work or how complex a task is can be the reason why a person will procrastinate.
# Impulsivity
Some people may procrastinate because they tend to prioritize short-term gratification instead of focusing on long-term goals.
Always remember that understanding the root cause of your procrastination can help to address it effectively and boost your productivity.
2. Set clear goals and prioritize the more important tasks
Setting clear goals will help you see what you want to achieve which will make it easier for you to create a roadmap for your actions.
Below are 6 steps that can help you set clear and achievable goals.
#Define your objectives
Start by laying out what you want to achieve. Be specific in outlining the outcome you want to achieve and why this outcome is important to you. This can be anything from completing a project to learning a new skill.
#Make your goals SMART
The SMART criteria stand for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. This means that your goal should be:
Clear and well-defined.
Should be measurable to see whether you have reached your goal.
Should be attainable.
Should be relatable to what you want to achieve.
Should be able to set a deadline for it.
# Write them down
Sometimes you may think that you will remember your goals without writing them down, but you will not. Unless you have 1 goal you get away with not writing it down.
Writing down your goal is not only so you do not forget, it’s so you can see it over and over again and also keep track of your progress.
# Prioritize your goals
Write down your goals starting from most urgent to least urgent, or most important to least important. Once you’ve done this you will be able to assign time and resources accordingly.
# Review and Adjust regularly
Once you’ve started with your goal, you should update it regularly. If there are some changes that you want to make along the way for some reason you should do this too. You will be able to see if you are on schedule and if there are some strategies that you need to adjust.
# Set deadlines
Deadline will help will hold yourself accountable. Just be careful to be realistic with setting deadlines. It would be best if you were not too lenient but also not too strict.
3. Break tasks into smaller steps
Once you have set your goals, some tasks may look so daunting because they seem like huge tasks. The way to overcome this is to break your tasks down into smaller tasks, that will be easier to manage. Working with smaller tasks will avoid overwhelming feelings and can avoid procrastination.
Breaking down your tasks will work with these 4 easy steps:
- Clarify your task
Here you will have to clearly define the task or goal that you want to accomplish. Add to this the desired outcome you want. This will make it easy to break down a task.
- Identify the subtasks for each of these tasks
Break down the task into smaller measurable subtasks so that you can see whether you have completed the subtask or not. Then outline what needs to be done and in what order you will need to do these subtasks.
- Sequence the steps
Arrange these subtasks in a logical sequence that will be easy to follow. Figure out which tasks depend on other tasks to be done for you to be able to start with it. Then you will be able to figure out the sequence that you will need to follow.
4. Utilize time management techniques
There are different time management techniques that you can try to use such as the Pomodoro Technique, time blocking, and creating to-do lists. These can help you structure your time more efficiently and reduce the likelihood of procrastination. Experiment with different time management techniques until you can figure out what works for you.
Here are some popular time management techniques:
- Pomodoro Technique
With this technique, you break down your work into intervals which is typically 25 minutes each. These tasks are separated by short breaks. After you have completed 4 tasks, you take a longer break. This technique aims to help maintain focus and productivity by leveraging the principles of timeboxing and frequent breaks.
- Time blocking
When using this technique, you will schedule specific blocks of time for different tasks or activities throughout your day. You will allocate dedicated timeslots for tasks or activities. By doing this in advance, you can optimize your time and ensure that important tasks receive sufficient attention.
- Eisenhower Matrix (Urgent-Important Matrix)
This technique categorizes tasks based on their urgency and importance into four quadrants namely urgent and important, important but not urgent, urgent but not important, and neither urgent nor important. You will then prioritize tasks accordingly, focusing on the important and urgent tasks first while delegating or eliminating less critical ones.
- Eat That Frog
When using the eat the frog technique, you will tackle your most challenging or unpleasant task first thing in the morning which will then make the rest of your day feel more manageable.
- The two-minute rule
The two-minute rule states that if a task can be completed in two minutes or less you should do it immediately. This will help you get the smaller tasks out of the way so that you can focus on bigger tasks.
- Batching
The batching technique is when you group similar tasks and complete them consecutively during dedicated time blocks. Batching minimizes context switching and increases efficiency by allowing you to focus on one type of activity at a time.
- The 80/20 rule (Pareto Principle)
This rule suggests that roughly 80% of the results come from 20% of efforts. You should then identify the most impactful tasks that contribute significantly to your goals and prioritize them accordingly. This will then mean that you should focus your time and energy on high-leverage activities that yield the greatest returns.
- Time tracking
You can use tools like time-tracking apps or simple pen-and-paper methods to track how you spend your time. By doing this you will be able to see how you spend your time and you will be able to eliminate time-wasting activities and allocate your time effectively.
- Limit multitasking
Multitasking decreases your productivity and decreases errors. It would be good to focus on one task at a time, giving it your full attention until you have completed it.
5. Practice Self-Compassion and celebrate progress
Practice self-compassion by acknowledging your efforts and progress, even if those steps seem small.
Ways you can practice self-compassion are:
Acknowledging your humanity
Being mindful of self-talk
Practicing self-kindness
Validating your emotions
Cultivating a growth mindset
Practicing self-care
Setting healthy boundaries
Forgiving yourself
Celebrating your progress goes together with self-compassion. By celebrating your milestones you will maintain motivation, boost your morale and sustain momentum toward your goal.
Conclusion
Even though procrastination is a common challenge that many people face, it does not have to be something that controls your life. By implementing the five strategies that we have outlined above, you can develop the discipline that you need to overcome procrastination. Once you overcome procrastination, you will be able to unlock your full potential. But you have to remember overcoming procrastination will require patience, self-awareness, and consistent effort from your side. By not giving up you will have to potential to cultivate habits that will promote productivity and success in all areas of your life.
Important: This post is for informational and educational purposes only. This post should not be taken as therapy advice, financial advice or used as a substitute for such. You should always speak to your own therapist or financial advisor before implementing this information on your own. Thank you!
