Don’t leave this post to read later: being productive vs. procrastinating

If you are reading this, you are probably struggling with procrastination and postponement of obligations in some form. Whether procrastination is a minor problem that simply harms your productivity or it is a major problem that prevents you from achieving your goals, you need to take action.

Procrastination is the simply postponement of obligations: we know what we should do, we just don't want to do it. It is easy to postpone unwanted tasks until the last moment, but then we are forced to do them where we are subject to stress, excessive and poor quality work.

But why would we do something like this, when we are already aware of the consequences?

The thing is, avoiding a hard, tedious, or stressful task temporarily provides relief from those emotions. It turns out that people fall into the trap of postponing obligations simply for the sake of immediate relief. So the relief we feel at the moment seems more attractive to us than the relief in the future.

We think that tasks can be postponed because then they become a problem for the "future self", which will be able to cope with them. The problem is that this strategy can work in the short term. Many people who chronically delay their obligations are, nevertheless, very successful. The point is that procrastination does not primarily affect our success and efficiency, but our well-being: constant postponement of obligations causes anxiety, chronic stress, and reduced physical activity.

So is there a way to stop procrastinating and start being more productive in a healthy way? Here are some tips that can help.

1. Write down tasks and activities

You can't do any work if you don't know what tasks you need to do and complete. Buy a regular notebook or write down all the appointments for the day or week in the calendar on your phone. This will make it much easier for you to follow the activities and tasks that you need to complete.

2. Set simple, achievable goals

One of the reasons you procrastinate is that the task you set for yourself seems too daunting. It’s much easier to start a project when you set simple, achievable goals rather than big and vague plans. Instead of saying to yourself, "I have to practice my German" you will say, "I'm going to practice making a phone call to the doctor’s office tonight". By doing so, you make your goals and deadlines more achievable and less intimidating.

3. Set a time frame for your goals

Once you have set your goals, set a time limit for achieving them and write that deadline. Crushing the task into small pieces with a time limit makes them much clearer and easier to manage. If you are writing a paper, you can say: "I will write an introduction and conclusion on Saturday morning from 10 AM to 12 PM."?

4. No excuses

So many people get caught saying "One day" or "I have the time". It is true that "one day" and "I have time" will never come. It is important to set a precise date when you want your goals to be achieved. If you have a task that you have to do, by planning and setting a deadline you will try to finish it sooner. This way, if something unexpected happens, you still have time to complete and edit it.

5. Set the time for which you will complete a certain activity

How long to focus on a particular task? Depends on you, but if you set the time, you will get the job done sooner. You will have a certain amount of time in your head when you have to finish it. And so you will prevent yourself from postponing tasks. Set a timer or alarm to know when it's time to rest and when to move on. You may be experimenting until you find your ideal work period.

6. Find time to rest

As important as work is, so is the rest. When the timer turns off, pause for 10 to 30 minutes. Listen to music, take a walk, train, sing, stretch, everything that comes to your mind and that allows you to relax.

7. Include small rewards and use incentives

Everyone loves to be rewarded. It is important to give yourself incentives, no matter how small. It could be something as simple as, "If I work on this task for an hour, I'll watch an episode of my favorite show tonight." Or it could be a bigger goal like, "If I finish these tasks great, I'll go to my favorite restaurant." It is easier to pay attention to tasks and perform activities when something nice and fun comes after them.

8. Do the hardest thing first

I know a lot of people put off the hardest for the end. But come to think of it. You do everything else, and maybe you don't, you get tired, and the hardest thing is still standing and waiting for you. So do the thing you don't want to do and what seems most complicated to you first. After that, everything else seems easier and lasts shorter. If you continue to delay learning a language, for example, you will never be able to finish it. It is best to start with the most difficult task because everything seems easier afterward

9. Start within 5 minutes

Ask yourself, "What should I do first?" Just starting a task already works wonders. Activity produces motivation, not the other way around. Why five minutes? Because your problem is not to do something, but to start and stop procrastinating. When you go and use the steps I suggested, there are no limits to you, excessive hours of work, and stress. In addition, you will enjoy how much better and more fulfilled your days will be.