Procrastination
is something many people suffer from daily. Fortunately, it’s also
something that is purely mind over matter to overcome.
Typical procrastination excuses we tell ourselves
I’ll do this tomorrow, there’s not enough time to do this today.
I work better under pressure, I’ll wait until it’s almost due and then the work will be even better.
This is such a huge project, I don’t even want to think about it yet, I’ll put it off for one more day.
I don’t really need to do this yet; it can wait until sometime in the future.
Unfortunately
all of these lead to the inevitable day when you must actually complete
the task. And while most people actually do get it done under that time
pressure, working that way does not always produce the best results,
and allows less time to proof and make it perfect.
The causes of procrastination:
Perhaps
procrastination is a part of the human condition, having an extended
period of time to accomplish something makes us put it off into the
future, even if we can begin it now. Perhaps it is modern society, which
often times seems to focus on immediate and instant results, rather
than something carefully crafted and refined over a longer period of
time.
Part of the modern business world for most of us also
involves a constant connectivity. Cell phones, office phones, email,
Blackberries, etc. are constantly ringing, buzzing and updating
interrupting us with communications. Our friends, parents, co-workers,
bosses, managers, etc. all are vying for our attention for sometimes
trivial and sometimes important messages.
While these are all
part of modern life, and we have learned to function efficiently with
them, they can be a hindrance when in the midst of a project which
requires complete focus. There is absolutely nothing wrong with staying
in touch and being friendly/social with your peers, co-workers and
friends, and giving proper attention to your loved ones – in fact I
encourage all of those things. But there is a time and a place, and
unfortunately being distracted can sometimes make you lose focus and
motivation with the task at hand.
6 ways to minimize procrastination and maximize motivation:
To be the most proficient, successful and happy at whatever it is you
do in life, especially if you are producing intellectual products; you
need to have a distraction-free environment. This will guarantee your
mind is completely focused on the task at hand and you’ll always get the
best results.
Start projects immediately if
you have idle time. Once you actually start something and get into the
flow of it, you’d be surprised how easy it is. Don’t think about
starting something, act. You can always tweak the project and make
changes as you go along. Getting that first start is vital.
Remove all distractions from
your environment. Anything that will make you lose focus is something
that will potentially set you up for procrastination and destroy your
motivation.
Eat well, sleep well and get
exercise. From personal experience, a healthy mind and body is less
likely to procrastinate. You’ll feel better, you’ll be more upbeat and
active, and more optimistic about accomplishing your goals sooner rather
than later. If you’re tired or hungover, you’ll be less productive and
more likely to procrastinate a task until the next day.
Mix up your projects and
assignments so you’re not simply doing the same exact thing every day.
If you keep things fresh they will be more interesting and compelling
for you to work on, and you’ll be less likely to procrastinate them.
Keep your thoughts positive,
and recognize when you’re entering a cycle of procrastination. Here is
where you will need to address mind over matter. Start by just getting
into it and doing step one of whatever your task is and go from there.
Sit down and break the project up into consumable parts that are less
daunting.
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