Here are some great ways to overcome procrastination, because face it, we are all guilty of doing it, more often than we’d like to admit.

Procrastination may not be just about turning in your school project at the last minute. It may also be about putting off important life decisions like whether or not you should ask your boss for that raise he promised last month, or whether you or not you should join a gym, leave your boyfriend or even have a baby. 

If you don’t start learning ways to overcome procrastination, you’ll have to deal with procrastination your whole life which may have a negative effect on your relationships, career, and even your personal health.

The thought process behind procrastination is that we believe there ís always tomorrow, so why not just steer clear of the stress and anxiety and just put it off until later.

This is the first thing you need to tackle when it comes to ways to overcome procrastination. It won’t be easy, but try to figure out what the stress factor is behind your procrastination. It could be fear of failure, fear of confrontation, or even the fear of not being perfect.

Just remember that you are your own worst critic.

You will tend to judge your own flaws and imperfections way too harshly. Yet studies show that when you forgive yourself for putting things off or not getting things done as perfectly as you would’ve liked, it can actually help fend off procrastination. Just remember to set yourself realistic goals before you give yourself a hard time.

Sometimes we tend to bite off more than we can chew, then we go off the deep end because the end result wasn’t anywhere what we had envisioned.

How To Overcome Procrastination

Follow these tips  and ways to overcome procrastination for once and for all.

Turn Burdensome Tasks Into Habits

We all have enough willpower to get about 3 or 4 tasks done each day.

Habits use other parts of our brain rather than the prefrontal cortex which is associated with rational thinking. So, when you train yourself to do something out of habit, rather than look at it as a mundane task, you think about it less which means you’re using less willpower and you won’t fall into the procrastination rut.

Things like brushing your teeth or making your bed have all become daily habits which you automatically perform without even considering putting them off. Why not turn healthy eating, daily exercise, or turning in reports ahead of time into daily habits as well?

After that, it becomes easier, but you still have to keep yourself motivated and inspired. Procrastination is all about taking that dreaded first step. So why not ease into it with the knowledge that after a certain amount of time, or once I’ve finished X, I can watch videos on YouTube or go get a cup of coffee.

Make it pleasant for yourself because the reward is the part that the brain assimilates to gauge your enjoyment level. If you’re happy, then your brain slowly turns this task into a habit which you look forward to, instead of something you dread on a daily basis.

Remove Distractions

Checking your email every 5 minutes isn’t doing you any good. So, once you’ve committed to doing the job, limit distractions by turning off email and FaceBook.

There are actually apps that help you stay on track, but some will say that’s completely missing the point. I use BeFocused.

The important thing is that you set up a certain time for checking emails or your social media, and once you’ve started your task, you avoid the urge to take a sneak peak.

Another serious distraction is multi-tasking. Even though it may seem that you’re being productive, the truth is it’s a complete waste of time and energy.

Think about it, it takes your brain about 20 minutes to completely focus on one task and give it 100%, and then you bring in another task which means you decrease your focus level by half, bring in a third task and the focus drops even lower. So even though you’re working more, your end results will be below average.

Break Work Tasks Into Chunks

Instead of cleaning out the entire garage, do the right side first, take a break, then do the left side, take a break, then finish off the rest.

At work, big tasks may seem daunting when you look at them as a whole. The answer? Break it down into smaller tasks. Make an outline of the entire project, and then divide it up into smaller tasks.

Working in 30-minute increments also helps break down tasks into smaller chunks which are manageable and not so intimidating.

After the 30 minutes, take a break and assess your work. Seeing how much you’ve accomplished will give you that boost of confidence you need to keep at it.

Work During Your Peak Hours

We all have certain times during the day when we’re most alert. Some of us are morning people, some are night owls, and some have more energy during the afternoon hours. Find out what your peak hours are and tackle your most difficult tasks then. You’ll be more productive then, with your brain working at its maximum capacity.

Procrastination is different than being lazy because when you procrastinate, you delay doing something for a more pleasurable task. So why not turn that mundane task you’re dreading into something more fun and enjoyable, and kill off the urge to procrastinate?

“The critical ingredient is getting off your butt and doing something. It’s as simple as that. A lot of people have ideas, but there are few who decide to do something about them now. Not tomorrow. Not next week. But today. The true entrepreneur is a doer, not a dreamer.”

Robert Browning

Please comment below if these ways to overcome procrastination and be more productive have helped you in any way or if you have anything left to add.