This month has seen a number of tight deadlines coming at me thick and fast and that I knew I would have to stay very focused to get everything done. I had a plan to ensure that the work kept flowing. So far, so good right?
So why did I find that at times I was drifting into procrastination mode? I sat down at my desk all ready to do the task and then started to think about how it might make me feel. In my case, it was a mixture of stress and concern about meeting tight deadlines and coming up with work that covered the key points. I also knew that one of the reports I was working on was likely to get some very detailed feedback which made me more aware of the need to make it near perfect.
My coping strategy was to do anything but the task. Cleaning the bathroom or sorting the wardrobes suddenly became massively attractive jobs that couldn’t possibly wait for a second longer. I knew that this was only serving to take away the precious time I had to get the work done and that I would end up more stressed as the clock ticked. The sense of fear would only grow stronger and anxiety levels were set to rise as the deadlines approached.
It’s hardly surprising that with so many things going on in our worlds, it’s easy to get distracted when it comes to starting important tasks, let alone getting them finished by a deadline. According to the American Psychological Association between 80 and 95 percent of college students procrastinate when it comes to getting their course work done. And that’s before we look at those who have a chronic issue with procrastination which amounts to one in five of us according to recent research
But knowing this doesn’t mean that putting off getting things done is okay or is something you cannot avoid altogether. After all, procrastination is a bad habit that keeps you from accomplishing important goals and reducing your stress levels. Not to mention the impact it has on your ability to relax and unplug from work because you know that there is still so much to do if you could only get focused?
What if you could find a way to beat procrastination that works for you? You could stop putting tasks off and lose the sense of stress that so often comes with looming deadlines. And this would buy you time. Time that could be spent doing things you love once those dreaded work tasks are safely out of the way for the day.
If you want to get better at overcoming procrastination, I wanted to share the 7 most powerful techniques to help you get started, work better, and increase your productivity.
1. Know the triggers
In the book “Solving the Procrastination Puzzle” by Tim Pychyl, research shows that the more you feel like a task is uninteresting, the more likely you are to avoid those tasks. Pychyl made a list of seven triggers that might make you want to procrastinate on tasks. Look at the important stuff you need to get done but where you can’t seem to find a way to start or keep going. You might notice that most of these tasks make you feel like procrastinating when they are –
Frustrating
Boring
Unstructured
Ambiguous
Difficult
Lacking in self-reward
Lacking in personal meaning
2. Focus on the good aspects
The next time you encounter work that fits one of these procrastination triggers, a good way to overcome it is to try and find a way for self-motivation by changing the way you look at a task. Take time for self-reflection and consider which of the seven procrastination triggers are sparked when working on a task you are dreading. Then, try and change your mind about the work at hand by thinking differently about the task – focus on the good aspects even though it’s something you truly dislike doing. Personally, I can dread working with data when pulling together reports but I know getting through this will make a better final version.
3. Free Your Mind and Give Yourself a Break
We tend to put things off when we feel overwhelmed by a task before we’ve had a chance to start it. Help yourself by knowing your limits and respecting the correct amount of time that you need to achieve a goal. Can you work on a task for an hour? How about 30 minutes? Don’t pressure yourself too much to the point that it becomes debilitating. Another option to feel less frustrated is to have a mindfulness practice or engage in a mindful minute to help you stop being overwhelmed.
4. Look at the Rewards of Succeeding
It can be all too easy to get into a negative spiral when we procrastinate so try and focus on the benefits of working on your goals. Set aside one minute and imagine how achieving a simple task will help you. List the positive effects that you will feel and physically gain once you have freed yourself from your triggers and completed a task. And, as a method to keep yourself motivated, stick that piece of paper by your desk and read it every day, until you have reached your goal.
5. Take Time out from social media
It’s easy to be distracted by our phones and constant notifications which can be a fast track to procrastination. This is especially difficult when there are more interesting activities compared to that important project you are meant to be working on. When you notice yourself using certain apps that increase procrastination – disconnect. Instead, you can use apps like Forest to help yourself keep off your device, or Freedom which you can set to block off certain sites in order to help you focus. If you want to go a step further, take time away from the internet altogether by putting your phone into airplane mode or in the extreme switching off your WIFI router. This may sound challenging, but by removing digital distractions, you have no choice but to work on what is important.
6. Break down larger goals
Most projects have tasks and subtasks that can make activities more difficult to achieve. You need to fool your brain into thinking that big tasks are achievable by doing the small parts first. For example, if you have a writing deadline, divide the work by creating an outline, reading up on it, or just simply writing one paragraph to a report you must finish. Then, come back later to continue the rest. A useful tool is a method called the Pomodoro Technique by Francesco Cirillo. Studies show that you can’t get yourself focused after 25 minutes of work, so breaking up your workflow into shorter intervals helps your focus. If you take it one step at a time, it’s not that daunting at all.
7. Reward yourself
After a job well done, it is always a good idea to think of a way to celebrate your efforts. It doesn’t have to be a big gesture either. You can simply go for a walk or get some much-needed sleep. Think about what will be meaningful to you. After all, overcoming procrastination is no easy feat! Always remember to mark your achievements, whether they be big or small.
Have a career challenge that needs one-off support? Book in for a career power hour to get dedicated support. You decide the focus and the session will be tailored to your career needs. Click here for further information and a booking link
Comments