Do you like to lie on a bed, watch sitcoms, movies or sit in the park and watch people? Then you probably like to procrastinate. Sometimes you may also prefer washing dishes rather then do your homework or read some useful book. It is also called procrastination. Such activities do not help you develop certain features or improve your situation in studying. That is why you should know the ways to get rid of this bad habit.
Why Do People Procrastinate?
It grows its roots from our laziness and our fear of responsibility. We do not like to be obligated to do something, that is why sometimes we prefer to choose some activity that does not have to be done but that results from our own will. It is even funny when you understand that someone will go for painting walls rather than reading something. That is why at the very beginning of your fight with procrastination you need to realize what is the source of it.
The reasons of procrastination can change in different situations. Anyway, here are ones that are more usual:
- You have too much to do.
- You hate what you have to do.
- Someone pushes you to do something.
- You are tired of working or studying.
How to Minimize the Influence of Procrastination?
It is easier than it sounds. For example, if there is much work that has to be done, you just need to write a list of tasks. It means that it is better to write down everything that you have to do and then decide which task is more urgent. After a while you will see that you were mistaken about the amount of work. It can be explained by psychologists. When we are thinking about our tasks we are mentally starting to solve them. That is why you get tired without even starting to do anything. After you write everything down, you will free your mind and will feel fresher and ready to work. It is also an advantage that you will be doing one thing at a time and not switch from one task to another simultaneously.
Do Not Overwork
If you are tired of studying or reading then have some rest. Seriously. While resting do not let thoughts about work or obligations come to your mind. Feel free to have yourself a holiday and do not feel sorry for that. Remember, you are just a human being and not a robot, you cannot work 24 hours per day 7 days a week. It is just important to switch your thoughts from work to leisure, otherwise you won't be able to continue being on track after a weekend.
Check Your Inspirationbar
Another great thing you can do is to reflect on your needs. It means you should learn to understand yourself better and to differ your own needs from the wishes of your parents and people who surround you. It is better to take a break when you think that you hate what you have to do or that you are doing it not for yourself. Rethink your task, look for advantages which it can give to you once it is done. If you are not impressed with the positive results that your work can bring, then stop doing it.
It is better to find yourself, to find something which will inspire you than to give your life for something you hate.
Improving Productivity
Once you are sure you are done with procrastination, here is how you can get productive again.
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1. Find Time for Silence.
Even if you are concentrated on certain task, some thought may still come on your mind. Not only one thought: we have unending inner dialogue in our heads. We are not even talking about other times when radio station "Unending thinking" brings anxiety, fear and negative emotions into our life. At the end, it influences our ability to work. If we are worn out by our thoughts, we definitely cannot work effectively anymore. You should learn to switch off this inner radio station.
How to Do It?
Get the habit to sit every day for five minutes trying to stop your thoughts. Day after day it will become better. It will help achieve the maximal concentration level.
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2. Ask "Is It Necessary?"
Some soldiers use an expression: "Hold on to perform your duty, it might be that it will be rescinded." That is why the first thing you can do after receiving a task is to ask whether it should have been done anyway. Of course, you should master the art of philosophical, calm treatment towards any situations and tasks. After the question "Is it necessary to be done?" you should ask yourself "Am I the person who must do this?" It is a rather good method to deal with people who always put their responsibility/work on someone else’s shoulders.
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3. Find Time.
The recipe of finding time is rather easy. Everyone has time, the amount of it is even bigger than we think. The problem is that we spend our precious hours on no one knows what.
Carry out an experiment. Write down what you are doing every exact quarter of hour during several days. The main losses will become obvious on the second or third day of the experiment.
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4. Perform Work on Your Own Conditions.
Most of the requests which we receive are provided with certain limitation conditions. Limitations can be as following: "I need it to be done for today till 4 pm." or "I'm entrusting you with the project X. The budget of 2 billions is already concerted." Play the same game! Set your own conditions.
You need to make only three steps for that:
- make your own plan
- co-ordinate it with necessary people
- start to execute it.
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5. Work According to Your Biorhythms.
Every person has certain parts of the day when they are the most productive. Listen to yourself and define such periods. Plan your working day in such way so that the biggest amount of work is dealt with at the time of your productivity being high. For example, if you have more energy in the morning, then leave main creative tasks and tasks which need a lot of thinking for the morning hours.