How to stop procrastination to be productive: 10 Tips

Most people battle with procrastination from time to time. One day, you are furiously engrossed in working or reading and seriously distracted by another.

There are those moments when you don’t feel like doing anything. Then, you just realized that the time has ticked by unknowingly. You ask yourself, how to stop procrastination and be productive?

As much as you want to make the most of your time, you just couldn’t. But worry no more – below are some tips you can do to stop procrastination to be productive.

1.   Determine your values

Knowing your values is quite important when it comes to stopping procrastination. It helps you take action and focus more on the necessary things in your life.

Thus, take time to identify your values. Treat your values as your life’s compass. It directs, guides, and nudges you in the right direction. So, whenever you feel the urge to procrastinate, your values will be there to remind you not to.

2.   Meditation

This might be the nth time you are reading about meditation. It’s all over the place – in a book or a video. So, why do people invest so much time in meditating?

Chris Bailey, in his book The Productivity Project, mentioned that meditation had such a profound effect on his productivity because it allowed him to slow down enough so that he could work deliberately and not on autopilot.

If we so much meditate once in a while, we could reap the benefits he was talking about.

3.   Daily goal setting and set deadlines

Planning ahead can help you beat procrastination. You are aware of what you are about to do and when to finish it. Setting deadlines creates the urgency to act and finish the job.

Once you made your plans for the next day, stick to them. Managing your time starts with goal setting. Doing this will certainly ensure that tasks are performed and deadlines are met. It likewise helps you sustain momentum.

4.   Stop multitasking

Multitasking can be quite counterproductive. If your aim is to focus and be more productive, multitasking is not applicable in your case. This is so because it lessens your ability to focus.

When you shift from one task to another, it negatively impacts your memory. You are likely to forget things. You might likewise find yourself wasting time as your mind tends to wander towards a different task; hence, giving you the excuse to procrastinate more.

5.   5-second Rule

Overcoming procrastination to be productive does not happen in a snap of a finger. Thus, you need to have a practical strategy. Thus, one strategy that anyone can do is the 5-second Rule.

Mel Robins’ The Five-Second Rule Book can teach you the wisdom behind counting from 5 to 1 and deciding to act. This technique helps you avoid procrastination. It makes no room for overthinking and doubt.  You seem to just go as your guts dictate.

6.   Be result-oriented

Steven Covey’s book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, explains this concept although in different terms. He advised people to always begin with the end in mind.

If you think of the result you want to achieve, you are likely to focus on the strategy or ways to do just that. You will no longer think of putting off your task for a later time or date. You would just simply act on it as you have to attain something.

So, think of the result you want to accomplish on a given date. What is it and how are you going to reach it?

7.   Eat that Frog

In his book Eat That Frog, Brian Tracy highlights the importance of tackling the most challenging task you have at hand. Suppose you are given two frogs to consume. The trick is for you to eat the ugliest one.

Take this as a challenge for you – a test to gauge your self-discipline. Work on the hardest thing you can have your hands on. As much as you can, avoid giving in to procrastination.

You can never finish even just a simple task without you delaying the job. So, make no excuses and just do the task.

8.   Touch-It-Once Rule

According to Brian Tracy in one of his videos, once you “touch” a certain project or task, make sure to do it until it is completed.  But, of course, this would depend on the urgency of the task you are about to do.

If one task requires you to do it immediately, then prioritize it first. However, in general, the Touch It Once Rule maximizes your time well.

This works really well when you want to stop procrastinating. Some people might find this a little burdensome. But once you get the hang of it as you practice it every day, it becomes a no-brainer.

ALSO READ: 12 Time management tips to stay productive

9.   Change your environment

One of the reasons people procrastinate is due to their environment. You might be experiencing the same situation. If you are so used to your environment, there are times you just don’t feel like doing anything.

It matters then for you to change your environment. Perhaps, you can reorganize your room or workspace. Decorate it and make it look like a new one.

Or you can also leave your house. Try working on something in a café. Working outside of your comfort zone can break the monotony you feel and bring you the energy you badly need.

10. Break large tasks into smaller, manageable pieces

Big tasks can be discouraging and overwhelming. They seem insurmountable. Thus, it is advisable that you divide the large task into chunks.

This strategy helps you to see things as more approachable and doable. It reduces your propensity to procrastinate. Know that our brain can only do so much.

So, when you are given a number of tasks, try dividing them. It would make it simpler and easier to accomplish.

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OVER TO YOU

Procrastination is manageable only if you are determined to do so. Remember – if there is one thing rich and poor people alike have in common, it is the gift of time. You have 24 hours to do as you please. How you actually spend it makes all the difference.  Spend it well.