Tariah Iwoba
Today we are talking about 6 ways to beat procrastination. Procrastination “does so much” to your plans for something that is not productive. I’ve had moments when I said I would do something later and ended up not doing it at all. I bet you have too. And sometimes it can cost you a lot. So let’s talk about some ways you can beat procrastination. I have used them and they have worked.
1. Break Big Goals Into Smaller Goals
Breaking your goals into smaller sizes makes them more achievable because they look easy to get through. Let’s say you need to save a particular sum of money for summer, if you break it down into smaller amounts and start saving daily, it won’t only look easier to save, you’ll also achieve your goal by the set time.
2. Do It Immediately
If it’s something you can do in 5 or 10 minutes, just do it. Trust me, if you don’t do it immediately, chances are, you’ll forget. If you feel like calling someone, do it as the thought comes. If you feel like making a blog post, just do it.
3. Get A Motivation Buddy
This can be a friend, partner or family. Someone who motivates you to achieve your set goals or do something you plan to do. What this means is that, you’ll have to run your plans by this person because they can’t motivate you if they don’t know about your plans. Each time you slip into procrastination, they’ll be there to help you stand up.
4. Be Accountable
Your “Motivation Buddy” can also be your “accountability buddy”. That is, you are not only going to get Motivation from them, you’ll also let them know as the process is going. You’ll run your achievements by them. Be accountable.
Fun fact; this can also be your alarm clock on your phone, your calendar, your notepad, email and any other application where you write your goals and achievements as you go. You can also blog about your achievements, post it on your social media. Seeing your achievements is a Motivation in itself.
5. Time Yourself
Set a time frame for your goals. The example used earlier about saving money for summer can be applied here. When you set a deadline for your plans, there’s a sense of urgency. So there won’t be any need for saying you’ll do it later.
Same goes with reading a book or taking a course online. It’s easier to spread your 40 hours online course across 2 weeks and give it 3 hours of your time daily. It makes your goals not only easier but achievable.
6. Catch A Break
If you are onto something and you get tired, take a break, rest and continue after that. I’ve used this enough to know that sometimes we are more productive after that power nap, long walks, holiday, and all that. Because if you are stressed, you won’t be effective and efficient.
