How To Overcome Procrastination: 7 Tips To Get Going
“The only difference between success and failure is the ability to take action.” — Alexander Graham Bell.
“Getting an idea should be like sitting on a pin; it should make you jump up and do something.” — E. L. Simpson.
We always think about what we have to do, without necessarily finding the motivation to do it. It’s an almost Olympic sport and one that everyone practices, to varying degrees.
This famous and at the same time misunderstood sport is procrastination or “the tendency to systematically put off until tomorrow actions that could be done the same day”.
Procrastinators waste a considerable amount of time postponing action for as long as possible, or even replace these tasks with more pleasant ones that give immediate satisfaction. So, do you recognize yourself?
Koober presents you today 8 tips to fight against this phenomenon!
And don’t forget… “he who puts off until tomorrow will find misfortune on the way.”
1- Stop with the distractions!
Whether at work or at home, the smartphone has become an extension of the hand… Looking at it under the pretext of a notification or a message, scrolling through the Facebook news feed… We do it unconsciously, but we always have something or someone to distract us.
But without these distractions, it is easier to focus 100% and use all your energy to finish the task. A simple but effective solution could be to put your cell phone away, as it is always less tempting to look at it than when it is within reach.
Are you able to stay off social media for 24 hours? At Koober, we bet you can’t!
2- Start with the most difficult tasks
Freud said: “We tend to spontaneously go for what is easy and pleasant, and to push away everything that is difficult and unpleasant.” Who could contradict him? The problem is that by starting with the pleasant tasks, you naturally tend to spend more time on them. You put off as much as possible your difficult and tedious tasks. Unconsciously.
A solution can be to dedicate yourself in the morning to the most difficult task, to start climbing that mountain while you are still fresh and full of energy. Especially since if you consider it difficult to accomplish, it must be important!
3- Set several clear and attainable milestones for each big project
Very important: when one of your projects takes a long time to implement, break it down into distinct steps! By doing so, as soon as one of these steps is completed, you will feel satisfaction and this will push you to continue to finish the project. You will not be overwhelmed by the scope of the project.
Going through several phases of contentment is often more acceptable than having only one at the very end: it will be easier to get on with it!
For example, writing a book is very complex, but giving yourself the goal of writing a page or two every day seems much simpler and more affordable!
4. Proclaim your goals loud and clear
You’ll have a harder time backing out if those around you know that you have to go running this Thursday! You’ll look like a coward or a weakling if you don’t do it. So it’s the ego that pushes us to do things when they need to be done and not to put them off. The next time you complain that your cell phone doesn’t work very well, your colleagues will be there to remind you that it’s because it’s been six months since you changed it.
5. Don’t multitask
Avoid multitasking, you will quickly get discouraged. Focus on the most essential task until it is finished.
The same goes for people who work with 30 tabs open in their browser… It’s the best way to get scattered (unless you do it smart). You have to behave with the task you are doing the same way as with a spouse: loyalty and exclusivity are required.
6. Reward yourself after the work is done
Take a nice break, only reward yourself once the work is done. The prospect of this pleasure will push you to continue and finish once and for all, because enthusiasm is a powerful weapon! This technique is especially useful for people who tend to need a “kick in the butt” to get going.
Whether it’s an episode of your current show, or a good restaurant… after the effort, the comfort!
7. Enough with the ready-made phrases!
Here is a small, non-exhaustive list of phrases that show that you have the symptoms of acute procrastinitis and that you should therefore avoid saying at all costs:
- “I’ll get to it at 9am sharp.”
- “Well, I’m just doing this quickly, then I’ll get started.”
- “I’m 60% of the way through my revisions, so if I do well on the midterms, I’ll already have the average!”
- “I’ll have time tomorrow.”
- “If I do it today, I’ll have to do it again in a little while.”
Procrastination waits until you’re at your lowest point to strike… We try to justify with anything and everything our lack of motivation and unwillingness to get to work, and in the end we end up like this:
