3 Easy Ways To Stop Procrastination

For many of us, procrastination is the bane of our existence. From starting business admin tasks and writing blogs to doing our taxes, it’s a habit that follows us through multiple stages of our lives. We know we shouldn’t do it and often, we have the best intentions not to. We buy those running shoes to start that new fitness program or block out time in our calendar to get started on a personal project. But then we get home and the temptation of the lounge and Netflix is just too strong, so we continue putting it off. Then, before you know it, months have passed and you haven’t even started that thing you really wanted to do. Or worse yet, you leave an important project to the very last minute and have to pull a stressful all-nighter – which is never great for your health.

Imagine how much you could achieve (both professionally and personally) if you stopped delaying tasks and just got started. The good news is, by making a few simple changes to the way you work, you can kick the procrastination habit. Here’s how:

1. Have a plan

Often, the reason we procrastinate about starting an important task is that it just seems too intimidating. We know it’s going to take ages, so we psych ourselves out and delay it for as long as possible. However, there’s no need to tackle the whole thing in one go — unless you’ve left it until the night before! Figure out what it’s going to involve, then break it into smaller, more manageable chunks over a week or month (depending on your deadline.) I promise getting started will feel a lot less scary if you do it this way!

2. Ban distractions

Now that you’ve got your plan, it’s time to find a quiet, distraction-free environment to work in. The last thing you want is to be distracted by electronics, so put your phone away and turn the TV off. If you’re working on a computer and can’t resist the urge to check Facebook every 5 minutes, apps like SelfControl temporarily block those distracting websites while you work.

3. Monotask

Multitasking and procrastination go hand in hand, because it’s too easy to get distracted when you’re doing a few different things at once. Instead, why not try the opposite — monotasking? It’s exactly what it sounds like: focusing on just one task at a time. One popular type of monotasking is the Pomodoro technique. This time management method involves using a timer to work solely on one project for a short burst, before taking a timed break. You can do whatever you want in that break, as long as you get stuck into your work again when the timer goes off! Pomodone is a great app you can add to your browsers for a Pomodoro timer.