Here are ten tips to overcome procrastination and for overcoming those daunting tasks you’ve been avoiding, according to science:
Start with one.
The key to beating procrastination is focus. We often give ourselves too many things to do and get overwhelmed, which won’t help to overcome procrastination. Start by choosing ONE thing that you have been putting off and commit to completing that task next week.
Start today.
“The really happy people are those who have broken the chains of procrastination, those who find satisfaction in doing the job at hand. They’re full of eagerness, zest, productivity. You can be, too.”
Norman Vincent Peale
Once you’ve narrowed it down to a task, you need to take immediate action. Today. If you find it daunting or don’t think you have enough time to complete the task, do the Five-Minute Miracle below.
Five-minute miracle.
This is one of the best techniques for those who are suffering from procrastination and want to overcome it. The 5-minute miracle technique is to ask yourself. “Well, what can we do something today in less than five minutes to achieve that small progress in our work?” Once you have identified a small action, set a timer for five minutes and spend five minutes acting on that certain task. Research shows that once you start something, you are much more likely to accomplish it. And, this is due to a psychological phenomenon called the Zeigarnik effect, which says that unaccomplished works are more likely to get trapped in your mind. (This is also the reason why our mind gets caught in a loop thinking about all the things we have not yet accomplished.)
Remember: Small action is still action. Five minutes can make a difference.
Do a power hour.
An hour of energy consists of saving all distractions and working in concentrated periods (I suggest no more than twenty minutes to start) followed by short periods of rest, to take advantage of the optimal performance of your brain and body.
Science has discovered that our brains naturally go through cycles with peaks and valleys. To maximize your performance, you must honor these peaks and valleys by balancing focused and focused time with relaxation and integration.
Kill him with kindness.
Research shows that the more you can forgive yourself for past procrastination, the more likely you are to get past your current procrastination and take action. Practice self-pity when you think of your experience procrastinating. So, be kind to yourself to overcome procrastinaiton.
Have a procrastination power song.
Pick a song that energizes you and play it when you want to tackle something you’ve been putting off. Then, the brain likes to have a trigger to create a new habit, and you are more likely to follow it when you feel good about your body.
Get under the hood.
Sometimes it can be helpful to understand exactly why you have put off a specific task. Are you afraid of something? Maybe you feel overwhelmed and don’t know where to start. Complete the sentence; “I am avoiding this task because …” or “I am avoiding this task because I am afraid that …”. And look at what appears. Identifying your fears can help you realize that the monsters in the closet are not as bad as you think.
Let it go.
Most people put too much on their to-do list. One way to stop procrastinating is to decide that you will never do it. What can you eliminate or remove from your to-do list? Try to cross something off your list simply because you realize you don’t need to do that … ever. Permit yourself to let it go.
Make a bet.
It can be very helpful to have a partner in responsibility. So, a fun way to take this one step further is to gamble with your friend. Choose a day and time within the next week to complete this task, and then tell your friend or colleague; “I will give you $ 10 / I will take you to lunch / I will buy you a coffee / I will see that horrible movie you have wanted to see / etc. if I have not completed this task by next Wednesday at 10:00 am”. Give your partner in charge a date and time within the next week and tell them that to redeem the agreed prize, they must register with you on that designated day and time. If you haven’t completed your homework by then … you owe them what you bet!
Make it fun.
Another way to motivate yourself to complete a task is to create a reward that you will give yourself once it is completed. What can you deal with once you have finished this task? Research shows that the human brain responds to the reward stimulus and this may be a good way to create habits. So, reward yourself to overcome procrastination.