You know that feeling you get when you know you need to do something important but it feels way too difficult and overwhelming? That’s procrastination. Procrastination is a powerful force, and the more we wait to address it the more difficult it becomes to actually get started on a task. But there are ways of dealing with this issue — five, in fact, that we’ve outlined for you here!
1) Find your motivation: what is your personal reward for doing this? Having a clean house? Getting on top of all those bills or maybe just tackling that fire-hose of items in your inbox.
2) Define the task: break down what needs doing into manageable chunks. For example, it might be as easy as picking up a few things from the shops this weekend.
3) Set yourself small goals: it’s all too tempting to wait until the last minute or procrastinate on something once we’ve set our minds on finishing it. So instead, break down your task into smaller ones and set yourself a specific number of days to complete each batch.
4) Don’t be afraid to switch things up: if you’re stuck on the same task year after year, it might be best to try something new. Ask someone to assist you or find a new way of tackling your work.
5) Make sure you know when the time is right . Some people procrastinate because they don’t like the feeling of getting started on a task — they prefer to leave everything till the last minute. Others don’t like the pressure of an impending deadline or maybe they don’t know what they want their work to look like. The thing to remember is that the harder you push yourself to do something, the easier it becomes.
In conclusion, there are five simple ways to deal with procrastination. If you have any other suggestions, please leave them in the comments below.