Overcoming Procrastination: Practical Steps to Beat Doing Nothing

Let’s be honest, everyone is guilty of procrastinating now and then. We all have those tasks that we dread doing because we know they will take up a lot of time and won’t be fun, and all too often we end up pushing them to the side until the very last minute. Procrastination doesn’t make the task disappear, and in many ways, it can make it worse. If it’s something unavoidable, you’ll have to complete it at the last minute, causing unnecessary stress. Rushing through a task also means you risk making mistakes or overlooking important details.

If this sounds familiar and you’re getting tired of falling into the cycle of procrastination, it may be time to take action. Let’s look at some practical steps that will beat doing nothing and help you finally overcome procrastinating. Trust us when we say that it will change your life for the better—just imagine the weight that will lift off your shoulders!

Start Using a Schedule Or Planner

A great place to start on your quest to eliminate procrastination is by using a schedule or planner—whether a traditional paper one or an app. Apps tend to be a bit more user-friendly and come with all kinds of fabulous productivity and scheduling tools.

Once you’ve picked your planner tool, it’s time to start filling it. Record all tasks, errands, meetings, and projects, no matter how small they may seem. Writing things down allows you to get a sense of how much you need to accomplish and within what time frame.

Ensure you cross things off as they are completed and add tasks as they come up. If you’re using an app, you can also set reminders to notify you of upcoming deadlines.

Reward Yourself for Accomplishing Tasks

A rewards-based system can be a powerful tool to implement into your routine. What this means is that you reward yourself for accomplishing tasks. When you get something done, you can treat yourself with something you enjoy. That reward could be a favorite snack, some television time, or even some online gambling. If you partake in the latter, keep in mind that many players prefer the slot RTP to be over 96.5% to increase their odds of winning—this will truly maximize your reward.

To incentivize you further, the rewards could be bigger to coincide with larger tasks. The bigger the task, the bigger the reward. Once the reward-based system becomes a habit, you’ll find yourself seeking out things to do just so you can get a reward.

Don’t Start a New Task Before Completing the Current One

Here’s a tip straight from expert planners: finish your current task or project before starting a new one. It is problematic to have a handful of incomplete projects in the air. You may have put all kinds of work and time into those projects, but it will feel like you’ve accomplished nothing since they aren’t complete.

A good rule to follow is to start a task and see it through to completion before starting the next one. This may take some prioritizing so you can focus on the most important one first, but at least you’ll feel like you’re getting things done.

Perfectionism Can Hold You Back

For some who procrastinate, it’s not starting the task or project that they are dragging their feet on; rather, it’s wrapping it up due to perfectionism. The desire to make things “perfect” before finishing the task can hinder rather than help you. It’s normal to want to do a good job, but aiming for “perfect” isn’t always attainable.

Rather than strive for perfection, ask yourself if you gave it your all. If you put in maximum effort and care or if you feel your output is good enough, then it’s time to wrap things up and go easy on yourself.

Know When to Ask for Help

Society puts so much pressure on people to be able to multitask, be highly productive, and always be their best selves. The fact is that sometimes a task is too much, too difficult, too confusing, or outside your comfort zone. If that’s the case, it’s time to ask for help. Knowing when to ask for help will help you avoid unnecessary stress and procrastination.

Stop Making Excuses

You’ve likely heard of the famous saying “easier said than done,” and this tip speaks to it. To stop procrastinating, you need to stop making excuses. There will always be reasons you can’t start—or finish—a project. Life happens, things come up, and it’s very easy to find an excuse. But if you’re always finding excuses, nothing ever gets accomplished.

It’s time for a little tough love, and to put an end to all excuses. The moment you start to make an excuse, you need to immediately put a stop to it. This is probably the hardest tip to follow, but over time, it too will become a habit.

Here are some of the ways you can stop making excuses for yourself:

• Look at these tasks not as burdensome or unpleasant but rather as opportunities.
• Start taking responsibility for your actions; don’t shift responsibility.
• Set a realistic goal and timeline for the task.
• Don’t overthink the task and make it harder than it needs to be.

Wipe the Slate Clean and Stop Procrastinating

All of these tips and advice can help you take control of your life and stop procrastinating, which can otherwise lead to negative effects. The satisfaction of completing tasks and accomplishing milestones will be addictive and will encourage you to keep going with your efforts.