Overcoming Procrastination

Written By Colēgia

Throughout the day there are many things we'll need to do in order to make the most of our time. It can range from schoolwork to household chores to even our hobbies. Sometimes though it can be hard to find the motivation needed to do these things and procrastination can set in. Learning how to get past this can help us reclaim our time and give us the courage needed to make positive changes in our lives. Today we want to see how we can do that.

Break Down Tasks

It's easy to feel overwhelmed with the things we have to do. Sometimes we might not be in the right headspace or may simply be too exhausted for complex things. A great way to help with this is by breaking down tasks into more manageable pieces. Our homework is a good example of this since we could have a paper we need to write. We can take an hour to focus on sprinting through certain paragraphs where we write what comes to mind for a topic and then take time later to edit it. This approach helps us turn off our inner editor and gives us the chance to correct things later when we're tapped out creatively. Another example would be math. We can focus on problems that use a certain formula for one segment and then pivot to a different set of problems afterward. This helps us work on one skill set at a time so we're not overdoing things.

“A great way to help with this is by breaking down tasks into more manageable pieces.”

Make Achievable Goals

The biggest challenge we may face with procrastination can simply be goals that are too vague. The problem with this is that we might not have an idea of how to get started with something or we may feel unsure of how to progress. SMART goals are a productivity method to make this easier. It refers to making goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-based. The benefit to each of these is that they give us a tangible means of measuring our progress while also staying on track by forcing us to accomplish them within a reasonable amount of time. Sometimes we do need a time constraint in order to get us to follow through on something. Urgency can work wonders but we don't want it to be the only motivator which is why we need a balance to get past procrastination.

“The biggest challenge we may face with procrastination can simply be goals that are too vague.”

Positive Reinforcement

One of the last things to consider when breaking the habit of procrastination is to substitute it with positive reinforcement. Implementing a reward system can be an excellent motivator since it gives us a proper incentive to get things done. We can opt to get ourselves a reward if we finish a task a bit earlier in the week since that effectively helps us form a habit along with doing our goals. The key thing here is to do this on a consistent basis so that we can associate doing things sooner with good feelings. Procrastination doesn't have to be difficult, it just requires us to proactively change our habits in response.

Colēgia

Colēgia

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