Procrastination. Even the best of us do it. And almost always we feel guilty about it.
Even now - I’m writing this post while I should be working on a bunch of other things. But hopefully, when I’m finished, I still feel a lot better, because I’ve completed a really important article. Procrastination is one of the biggest time leaks and should be dealt with wisely.
- Focus on starting the task, rather than finishing it.
Once you have started, you suddenly get a lot more motivated once you see some light at the end of the tunnel. - Break a big project down into shorter tasks.
- Divide a task over a longer period of time.
Do a small portion of your unpleasant task every morning for a few days in a row. - Do the unpleasant task the first thing in the day.
It’s like eating a frog - the longer you stare at it, the harder it is to eat it. Once you’re done, the rest of the day seems like a dream. - Find someone else to do your task.
- Clarify your goals.
Sometimes you’re just not sure if the thing you’re doing really needs to be done. - Stay focused.
- Reward yourself at the conclusion of the task.
Once your lazy half knows what’s coming it’s easier to convince the other one. - Change your environment.
Go outside or sit in a cafe to get your unpleasant task done. - Bore yourself.
Do something that is boring as hell. After this even the most routine task seems interesting.