How to stop procrastinating: 18 new ways

Let's not be cunning: each of us is familiar with procrastination firsthand. Most are even able to courageously admit that from time to time we intentionally (or not?) delay making an important decision that can affect our lives. It could be a trip to the dentist, a big or small task waiting to be done, or a simple house cleaning. Today we will try to find out in what situations one should be on the alert and what can help in the guerrilla struggle against this unfavorable quality for a person.

Let's start without delay.

1. Determine if you really need to do it

Perhaps the reason for your procrastination lies in the absence of a good reason to take action. A job that you can't stand, or something else, unloved since childhood, which you always wanted to get rid of, is from a completely different category, which does not include dreams and real goals.

In such situations, I would advise first of all to approach the assessment of the upcoming task critically: why waste time on something that is decidedly not to your liking, if there are many other tasks that are a pleasure to take on?

2. Conduct a small "reconnaissance in force"

Once you figure out what tasks are idle, take one of them and do a small part of it to get an idea of ​​the level of complexity of the execution. Based on the impressions received in the process, decide whether you need help.

Often we overload ourselves with thoughts about how many things need to be done, and then we can’t move, imagining an endless list of tasks: there are many of them, and the worker, that is, you, is alone. This approach is obviously wrong. But what if you give a pressing issue, say, 15 minutes or half an hour? It is likely that you will get a taste, thereby moving off the ground.

3. Listen to yourself. And do the opposite

The best friend "I'll do it tomorrow" - "I don't want something." If rebellious moods grow in the soul, they must be fought with the same decisiveness and toughness as with international terrorism. After all, if you follow your desire to do nothing, what will happen next? Correctly, nothing.

So, before you take on something that cannot be avoided, try to tune in to a new way: meditate, take a walk, or resort to another method that works for you.

4. Order First

The environment around you can successfully both promote procrastination and help in the fight against it. Take a quick look at your desk, home decor, or any other place where you have to work.

Surely not everything around you is in a state of perfect order, so find the strength to tidy up: get rid of the garbage, put everything in its place so that both the eye will be happy and the work will be argued.

By the way, after a little cleaning and I think it's easier. See for yourself.

5. Accustom yourself to the thought: now it will always be like this

As a rule, the first steps in anything, whether it be sports or new responsibilities at work, are always difficult. Probably the simplest example would be a situation in which each of us found ourselves at least once in a lifetime. Remember the magic Snooze button on your alarm clock? I bet you may not know what this English word means, but you absolutely know how this button works: there is nothing easier than pressing it and sleeping peacefully on.

So here it is it is forbidden succumb to this kind of temptation, listening to your inner voice, calling to put all things on the back burner. Forget about the rules of etiquette when he once again sounds in your head: cut off his tirade in mid-sentence and do what you must.

6. Tell a trusted person about your important decision

It can be your business partner, wife or best friend - yes, anyone, the main thing is that he is in the know. State your intentions to this person with key points, dates, and deadlines. Ask him to control you as an experiment.

It may very well be that your ally in the struggle for productivity and yourself needs help and additional motivation in life. Therefore, we urge you to be honest with each other: gently but decisively point out the places that, in your opinion, require special attention. And act.

7. Don't Let Yourself Be a Victim of Circumstances

Have you ever wondered why the expression "being a victim of circumstance" is so popular? Why do stories from the mouths of losers gather crowds of sympathizers? The answer is simple: people want to be sure that there are always those who are weaker, more unfortunate, more unfortunate than themselves.

Let's be productive: digging into your own problems won't help you find solutions. Chin up! Try to dispel the gloom, convince yourself: "I'm fine." Then everything should work out.

8. No apology accepted

In general, you should apologize as little as possible. To apologize is, in fact, to forgive oneself, that is, our main enemy. If you forgive yourself everything right and left, in the end you will become stupid and begin to live, guided only by instincts and natural needs. Is this life?

There can be infinitely many reasons to agree with yourself, following the path of least resistance. Eradicate in yourself the slightest germs of this bad habit.

9. Learn to focus in a short time

If you want to be successful, learn to manage your time. Start small: train yourself to be focused for the small amount of time it takes to complete a given task.

Having mastered this technique to perfection, you will be able to begin long-term planning. As my favorite poet said, "big things are seen from a distance."

10. Listen to Indian Mantras

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Even if you are not a frequenter of ethnic festivals and have never thought about a trip to Nepal or Goa, pay attention to the national music of the country of elephants and curry sauce. Mantras are positive attitudes, listening to which and meditating, you can find peace and tune in the right way. The first thing to learn is to control the breath. When it is within your power, you can begin to comprehend more complex states - concentration on what you need.

By the way, there are many mantras. You can experiment and choose the one you like and works.

11. Leave your comfort zone

Our eternal enemy is the inner voice. If you allow it to sound, it will subtly convince you that it is right. And we know for sure that in most cases he is wrong. Try to distract yourself from it by any means known to you.

Most often, it occurs in those moments when we tend to doubt our abilities. Therefore, if you are not sure whether you will reach the end of the path, try to drown out the words of doubt with positive attitudes: “I can, I will get there, I will do it.”

12. Visualize goals. Represent Success

Visualization is a powerful tool for achieving goals. It has been proven time and again that this technique helps to kill procrastination in the bud, motivating you to succeed.

Looking to the future helps you focus on your final goals and how achieving them will affect the quality of your future life. Get a "wish board" if you want to succeed as soon as possible.

13. Give yourself some trouble

Or a lot, as long as it takes. What am I talking about? The fact is that suffering and various kinds of grief are also sources of motivation: the feeling of disorder pushes us forward, and we change jobs, move, learn something new.

Having reached a certain point of awareness of a situation that one does not like, a normal person begins act. So, if you are still sitting still and prefer not to think about the problem, then everything suits you, not otherwise.

In general, you are the same wizard who can help you cope with everything. As the wise Mahatma Gandhi taught us, if you want a change in the future, become this change in the present.

14. Who dares wins

Curb your fear! Fear of something is the surest accomplice of procrastination. Just tell yourself: "No, I'm not afraid of anything, I will succeed." Repeat this often, write it down on a piece of paper and hang it in a prominent place - we already talked about the benefits of visualizing thoughts in point number 12. If you manage to gain control over fear at least once, then it will continue to work.

How to do it? Talk to yourself - everyone has done it at least once in their lives. So why not make a good, healthy habit out of it? Alone with your thoughts, you can not pretend and not look for excuses for your negative traits: fear, laziness, unwillingness to change something. Try to identify your problem areas and start to deal with them.

15. Work on self-discipline

To be honest, the choice is often not so great: either gather all the will into a fist today and embark on a path of change, or reap the bitter fruits of disappointment in the foreseeable future. Leaving important life issues for later is too easy and, alas, completely ineffective.

Many people know the proverb "Sow a thought - you reap an action, sow an action - you reap a habit, sow a habit - you reap a character, sow a character - you reap a destiny." Charge yourself with the right thoughts, acquire good habits, because everything is in your hands.

In general, each of us is nothing but a collection of habits and patterns. You can train yourself for absolutely everything. Use this feature of human consciousness to your advantage!

16. Scales must be correct, and deadlines must be foreseeable.

It's easy to make promises, isn't it? Many songs have been sung around the world on this topic and even more words have been said. The same applies to deadlines, deadlines, as it has become fashionable to say now. It takes at most half a minute to assign them; it can take weeks and months to complete.

How to proceed? Let's think strategically: imagine that as a punishment for disrupting your work schedule, you will be deprived of the opportunity, say ... to drink coffee for a month! Not a very happy prospect, is it?

17. Declare war on perfectionism

In fact, there is absolutely nothing good in it. First, let's look at the definition. Perfectionism is the belief that the best possible outcome can (or should) be achieved. It would seem that nothing is wrong, but, thinking in a similar vein, we are infinitely moving away from the true goal, which is to get the job done - get sh*t done as they say across the ocean.

The main mistake that many tend to make is the substitution of concepts. Perfectionism has nothing to do with high quality. No matter what anyone tells us about this, the answer will be the same: time is money. Learn to manage it in the same way as an experienced commander manages his army.

18. Don't Forget to Reward Yourself

Sometimes we miss the reward for a job well done. We must not forget about encouragement, because it is one of the strongest sources of intrinsic motivation. That's why it's so important to celebrate your victories, both big and small. Arrange an extraordinary day off, please yourself with a purchase that you have long dreamed of, feel the joy of triumph!

In the end, the fight against procrastination is not easy. As Jim Rohn, a famous American public speaker and business coach, said in his book Vitamins for the Mind:

We must all experience two kinds of pain: the pain of discipline and the pain of regret. The difference is that discipline weighs ounces, while regret weighs tons.

Are you prone to procrastination? What and why do you tend to put off over and over again? Share with us your opinion and successful experience in dealing with adversity!