How Can I Stop Procrastinating?

Everyone procrastinates sometimes, but if you find that procrastination is a constant problem for you, it’s time to make a few changes in your life. Below are several tactics you can use to help yourself stop your procrastination habit. 

 

Divide Up The Task

 

Often, when you procrastinate, you may feel you are facing a massive task which you don’t believe you will be able to finish. Put a stop to this thinking by breaking up the task into more manageable pieces. For example, if you were supposed to clean your basement, resolve to clean one of the four corners each day instead of trying to tackle it all at once. This tactic can help make any task more manageable and feel less overwhelming. 

 

Make A Deadline

 

Now is not the time to tell yourself you will do something “later.” Instead, set a strict timeline for yourself, with sections of your goal having deadlines. This way, you known when you will be completing something. It may also help to have a small reward for yourself along the way. An example of this would be a student needing to write a four-page paper. And for each page the student completes, they would reward themselves with fifteen minutes of phone time. 

 

Stop Your Common Distractions

 

Usually, when someone procrastinates, it’s for the same reasons each time. Like when you were going to clean the kitchen, but then you just had to watch a new TV show instead. Put a stop to this by eliminating common distractions or procrastination tactics for yourself. If the TV is a distraction for you, maybe it’s time to work in another room. 

 

Spend Time With Motivated People

 

There is nothing quite like hanging out with someone motivated to boost your motivation. Find a friend or colleague whose motivation you admire, and resolve to spend more time with them. Or get a buddy in on your plans and decide to help keep each other motivated regularly. Either way, it’s much easier to stop procrastinating when you’ve got others around you accomplishing remarkable things!

 

Overall, discontinuing your procrastination habit can be extremely difficult, but it can be done just by changing some minor things in your life. Start by dividing up the task, making deadlines, and getting rid of your most common distractions. Then surround yourself with other positive people, and you will soon find you procrastinate tasks less than ever before!