Unravelling the Productivity Puzzle: Strategies to Defeat Procrastination and Manage Time Effectively

“Realize that now, in this moment of time, you are creating. You are creating your next moment. That is what’s real.”-Sara Paddison.

I was on an important project to submit that day. I was already in a hurry. I gathered all my attention and started it. Hardly 5-10 minutes passed, and a ping notification came on WhatsApp. It was a joke in my school group—quite a laughing one. I had to send an emoticon. This led to mandatory checking of other groups and statuses. At that time, the Facebook notification showed that someone liked my previous week's article. This led to compulsory scrolling of different profiles and news feeds, and I spent almost half an hour without realising it. Can you relate these sequences of events in your life? It is more or less happening in everyone’s life every day. We have some important work or projects to finish. We delay it, and when the time demands to do them, we get lost in the overwhelms of social media. This increases stress and anxiety and more delay.

If we consider the most successful persons in any field and not as successful as the majority of the rest, one thing is common to everyone. The time of day is approximately 24 hours for each of us. So what does make the difference? We listen a lot about time management. But in a rational thought process, can we manage time? We can only manage ourselves. Time is precious. We find it challenging to organise this special thing effectively to increase productivity in our professional and personal lives.?

In this blog article, I will explore the strategies to defeat intentional delay (i.e. procrastination), how to manage ourselves, and how to prioritise the to-do list to improve productivity.

Procrastination: Dictionary meaning: Intentional delay or putting off things.

But there is something more…

?????????Common self-regulation problem

?????????Unnecessary and voluntary delay in the start and completion of an important task

?????????Despite the recognition that delay may have negative consequences.

(Fuschia Sirois, Do It Now: Overcoming Procrastination, Narrated by Fuschia Sirois, Audible 2021, Audiobook)

“Procrastination is the art of keeping up with yesterday and avoiding today.”-Wayne Dyer.

There are different types of procrastinators:

1.????Perfectionists: tend to make perfect every step.

2.????Dreamer: great at planning and scheming but frustrated by the practical reality of sitting down and completing.

3.????Overdoer: Never say no to anybody. Too much stuff on the plate.

4.????Defier/ Avoider/ Self-saboteur: Rebels against external deadlines.

5.????Worrier: Avoid making decisions resist change, and be fearful about the unfamiliar.

6.????Crisis maker: last-minute adrenaline rush. They feel they will do better under pressure.

We can identify the type of procrastinator in us. It may be mixed types.?

Timothy Pychyl and other psychologists have studied procrastination and found that it's often linked to our desire for instant gratification and avoiding short-term discomfort. When we're faced with tasks that are unpleasant, difficult or require much effort, our natural inclination is to put them off and find something more enjoyable or easier to do instead. This provides a temporary escape from stress and anxiety but ultimately makes the task more difficult and increases the amount of stress in the long run.

Procrastination can also result from our tendency to focus on short-term goals and rewards rather than long-term benefits. This can make it challenging to stay motivated and focused on tasks that may not provide immediate rewards. Additionally, some people may struggle with self-discipline, making it hard to keep on track and avoid distractions.

Understanding the root causes of procrastination is a crucial step in overcoming it. By recognising the underlying psychological factors that drive our behaviour, we can work to develop strategies and habits that help us overcome the temptation to procrastinate and increase our productivity.

So, the basis of procrastination is the?avoidance loop. An "avoidance loop" is a negative feedback loop in which a person or system avoids dealing with a problem or situation instead of addressing it directly. This can cause the problem to persist or escalate and create a cycle of avoidance, leading to further frustration and stress.

Breaking out of an avoidance loop requires confronting the problem head-on and facing it instead of running away. This can be difficult, as it requires facing one's fears and challenges, but it is often necessary for growth and resolution.

“Until you value yourself, you will not value your time. Until you value your time, you will not do anything with it.” -M. Scott Peck.

The problem with a to-do list:

Our brain can effectively do the thinking process rather than remembering. So merely placing the junk lists of tasks in our brain will only distract us. That’s why we must keep a notebook to write down all our thoughts. But there is an inherent problem. We often do the most straightforward tasks, cross them, and think of ourselves as productive. However, the tasks are low-value tasks. We are more prone to delay the more complex and essential tasks.?

“It’s not the daily increase but daily decrease. Hack away at the unessential.”-Bruce Lee.

Do you know how I could solve this issue?

Ans: Prioritisation.

It is good to collect all the tasks in a place and then make them in order concerning their magnitude. This magnitude can be measured by two characteristics “urgent” and “important”. We can follow the?“Eisenhower Matrix”.

The Eisenhower Matrix is a time management tool that helps individuals prioritise tasks based on urgency and importance.?

Draw a matrix with two axes, with "urgency" on one axis and "importance" on the other.

Identify your tasks and place each one in the appropriate quadrant of the matrix:

Urgent and important tasks (Quadrant I)?require immediate attention and significantly impact your goals. Examples include meeting deadlines, dealing with a crisis, or completing an important project, kitchen fire or accident.

Important but not urgent tasks (Quadrant II)?are important but don't have an immediate deadline. Examples include planning, learning, and developing new skills.

Urgent but not important tasks (Quadrant III)?are urgent but don't significantly impact your goals. Examples include responding to emails and attending non-essential meetings.

Not urgent and not important tasks (Quadrant IV?are neither urgent nor important. Examples include watching TV, playing video games, or browsing the internet.

·??????Focus on Quadrant I tasks first. These tasks require immediate attention and should be your top priority.

·??????Please spend some time on Quadrant II tasks, as they are essential but don't have an immediate deadline. You can use this time to plan and prepare for upcoming projects or to learn new skills.

·??????Minimise the time you spend on Quadrant III tasks. While these tasks may be urgent, they are unnecessary, so try to avoid spending too much time on them. Try to delegate them or outsource them if possible.

·??????Avoid Quadrant IV tasks as much as possible. These tasks are neither urgent nor essential, so that they can wait.

You can prioritise your tasks, focus on what's important, and avoid getting bogged down by unimportant tasks. The matrix provides a simple yet effective way to manage time, increase productivity, and achieve your goals.

Steps to improve productivity:

“The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot”-Michael Altshuler.

1.????Track your time: this is very important to reveal the ground reality of your status of time spent. You can use a notebook to note the time and duration of particular tasks, or you may use some app (aTimeLogger or Simple Time Tracker). This tracking will solve the mystery of missing time. Also, you are now conscious of whether you are doing an important and urgent task or unmindfully scrolling through social media.

2.????Set a goal- Set a goal. Goal setting is an art. ( I will explore this in a later article)

3.????Set deadlines- these deadlines will create some actionable next steps and plans so that you can move forward to complete the task.

4.????Set reminders?daily in a calendar (google or else) to remind your essential task.?

5.????Schedule time block?– try to schedule 2-3 time blocks of 30-90 mins at your convenience. They will be utilised for deep work like a project, novel writing, learning a new skill etc.

6.????Change your environment?– you should have an environment to work more efficiently. The workplace should be decluttered and organised. This will decrease distraction.

7.????Emphasise?one big thing. Identify it and go for it. "Eat That Frog" by Brian Tacy comes from a quote attributed to Mark Twain, who said, "If the first thing you do each morning is to eat a live frog, you'll have the satisfaction of knowing that it's probably the worst thing you'll do all day."

8.????To take care of?the non-negotiables?(7-8 hours of restful sleep, meditation, exercise, journaling, gratitude practices etc.)

9.????Sometimes, we get stuck due to our inner voices, chatter and fear of failure. We tend to overcomplicate simple things. There is a beautiful hack, the?“5-second rule”, by Mel Robbins. Count backwards from five to one, and immediately take action towards your goal. The idea is that counting backwards from five disrupts the hesitation and self-doubt that often accompany essential tasks and helps you take action quickly.

10. Self-compassion and self-forgiveness. You can start afresh anytime if you like.

11. Reduce the number of your decision. Planning is important. If you plan, you don’t have to think about what to do. This only creates procrastination.?

12. A?break?is an integral part of productivity. It would be best if you had a distraction to get attracted. But the problem is if we are working on a laptop for a project, we must rest our eyes also from strain. We generally tend to involve in social media or something strenuous for our eyes and brain. Instead, we can stretch, do nothing and let our awareness wander and if something pops up in our mind, write it down on paper.

Pomodoro technique: breaking work into focused intervals, called "Pomodoros".?

·??????Start by choosing a task you need to complete and focus on.

·??????Set a timer: Set a timer for 25 minutes, the duration of one Pomodoro. This is your focused work interval.

·??????Work on the task: During the 25-minute interval, work on the job without any distractions. Turn off your phone, close your email, and minimise distractions.

·??????Take a break: Take a five-minute break once the timer goes off. This break will help you recharge and prepare for the next Pomodoro. Get up, stretch, or do something enjoyable.

·??????Repeat the process: Repeat steps 1-4 four times. After the fourth Pomodoro, take a more extended break of 15-30 minutes.

·??????Record your progress: Keep track of the tasks you complete and the Pomodoros you spend on each task. This will help you monitor your progress and make adjustments as needed.

·??????The duration may be extended up to 50 -55 minutes with practice. The break time will also be more accordingly.

13. No to something means yes to something essential for you too.??This “no” is towards some tasks or jobs not aligned with your goals so that you can say “yes” to what is crucial. You need to set up your boundaries. You can’t please everybody. It is more convenient to please yourself. Learn to say no.

14. In his book, “Getting Things Done”, David Allen explained a beautiful algorithm to make life easier and stress-free. Take notes when something pops into your head.?Capture?all the tasks.?Clarify?their importance and your participation.?Organise?the tasks into categories, prioritise them, and schedule time to complete them.?Reflect?and review periodically so that the tasks will not make you messy.?Engage?fully towards the tasks. By clarifying your goals and breaking down larger tasks into smaller, more manageable ones, you can feel more in control of your workload and increase your productivity.

15. Community and a coach/ guide?will be the game changer. If like-minded productive people surround you, you will be like them.?

Conclusions:?

·??????If we can manage ourselves well, time will be managed automatically

·??????Use the “5-second rule” before any inner voice shows something else.

·??????Prioritise your tasks as Eisenhower matrix to select appropriate measures.

·??????Capture, clarify, organise, reflect and engage as mentioned previously.

·??????Highlight the big one, the “eat that frog” concept.

·??????Time blocks.

·??????Pomodoro techniques and breaks.

·??????Learn to say no to unimportant tasks and stop people pleasing.

·??????Set clear goals and create a plan to achieve them.

·??????Break down large tasks into smaller, more manageable ones.

·??????Eliminate distractions and minimise interruptions.

·??????Use visualisation and affirmations to stay motivated.

“You get to decide where your time goes. You can either spend it moving forward, or you can spend it putting out fires. You decide. And if you don’t decide, others will decide for you.”-Tony Morgan.

#timemanagement?#pomodoro?#Eisenhower?#5secondrule?#priorities?#procrastination?#productivity?#eatthatfrog#gettingthingsdone?#breaks?#timeblocking