Sometimes, even the best of us can find ourselves procrastinating and putting off work tasks. Well, Ducky Darling, here are some tips to help you break the cycle, get your work routine back on track and smash your goals, by Rosa Fairfield.
Be more chill vs be more organised
You may think the obvious solution to getting a task done is to really commit to it and to go all Type A. But, that really depends on what works for you.
Being more organised
This is the classic approach of writing a to-do list and structuring your day. This can help if you find yourself getting distracted often and struggle with organisation. Breaking a task down into manageable parts, and setting deadlines, can help the task become easier to complete.
Being more chill
This helps some people. If, in the moment you start planning your day, you get overwhelmed and end up doing nothing, this could be the solutuion. Start by having a vague notion of what you're working on in your head. Don't force anything, simplily allow yourself the freedom to do whatever you want with your day. You may find you get more work done and naturally start a task. It will feel less like a chore and more like a fun choice.
Ask yourself why?
This point leads on nicely from the last. To tackle a specific issue you're having, you need to understand why you're doing it. So, really try to be in tune with yourself and have an open mind. If you read articles on the internet, this one included, it's easy to get influenced. You start thinking: oh, that must be the reason why I'm doing something. The internet doesn't know you, though, so it really can't make the decision for you.
Turn a task into a game
If you're finding a task difficult to complete, because you're anxious about it or feel under too much pressure, this could work for you. It could even work if you're finding a task boring. But, yep, don't think of it in real life, this is work, terms. Play a little imaginary game with yourself, create a character who you can adopt and role play it. If you're trying to write a blog post, for instance, you could imagine the world is under threat by an evil super villain and you're a reporter. The post your writing is instrumental in stopping the villain from taking over the world.
This can help if you work in the creative industries too, to keep your imagination active.
Switch your mind to autopilot
When you get to a point where you've done a certain task a lot, it can help to let your mind relax and allow your instincts to take over. Sometimes, trying too hard can lead to you becoming stressed and making even more mistakes. Sports players often adopt a similar technique.
Allow yourself to have different options vs one option
Again, this all depends on what works best for you. If you find yourself struggling to concentrate on more than one thing at once, set yourself some distraction free time. This is time where you only have to think about that one thing. On the other hand, if you just can't work on a task when it's the only one available, try introducing more projects into your life. Having different options there can help because it gives you the power to choose what you're doing. If you're struggling on one thing, you can opt to do a different task and come back to that one when it feels right.
Sometimes procrastination can be good. If you never get any work done, at all, or rush through everything at the last minute, that might be negatively affecting your life. On the other hand, if you're having a bad mental health day, it can help you to work on a smaller, less-important task. This might relax you. Then, you can commit to higher priority tasks when you're feeling better.