How to stop postponing for later: we struggle with procrastination
Procrastination, or procrastination, is a habitto postpone important matters and work. And it seems that in recent years it has become a social problem. More and more people complain that they can not pull themselves together. According to some sources, in the US this figure is 20-25%.
No wonder, because there are so many entertainmentand pleasures. Who wants to work when you have social networks, websites with useful and not very useful information, YouTube with billions of videos. Do I have to sit down for work right now, or is it better to go to lunch, and then work out? Or lunch, take out the trash, take a walk with the dog, call a friend, view the news feed on Facebook, and then sit down to work? The dilemma is not easy.
If you have firmly decided to become better and more productive, then you probably will be interested in the recommendations from the book "Psychology of bad habits."
Imagination will help
Take a deep breath and imagine thatstuck to the chair. Yes, yes, you did not misinterpret. For five minutes you can not get up because you are stuck to the chair seat. You can start a timer. During this time, do not get distracted, but start working. During the "glued period", only do your job. If you work on a computer - no internet. Interview with colleagues, too, is not worth it.
Then take a break and work again fiveminutes. Do not start with 10 or 15 minutes - it's dangerous: the habit of procrastinating insidious and just will not give up. Continue this cycle until you complete everything you need. Or until it is exhausted. Try today, tomorrow and the day after tomorrow. Gradually you will be drawn in, and the working periods will not be so short. The main thing is that it will become easier for you to get down to business.
Reward for work
Promise yourself: "If I finish the report today, I'll order pizza in the evening." If not, there will be cottage cheese for dinner. " Experiment with rewards. In the event that it bears fruit, boldly raise the stakes. Allow yourself to buy a new gadget or arrange a long weekend.
The "red tape" themselves never reward themselvesfor diligence. An evening with friends, sweets or going to the movies is a joy for normal people who can celebrate the completion of work. With those who are accustomed to procrastinate, this does not happen - business and leisure are mixed with each other, so it's unclear where the result is. So why should I praise myself?
Over time, the pleasure of reward will be associated with a well-done job. Thus, the work itself will become more pleasant.
You can not work
It sounds strange, but it's true. If the last advice so far is impossible for you, still train.
When you sit "sticking to a chair", beconcentrated. It can become torture: you will quickly notice how easily distracted. But you have to try, if you want to develop will power and achieve positive changes.
Disorder is evil
Order makes the mind clear. When there are a lot of extraneous things on the table or in the workspace, it is very difficult to concentrate. Each item reminds of another important matter and distracts from the main thing.
Scroll just 15 minutes to get out on the table. Believe me, this time will suffice with interest. Fold in the box all the papers and notes, put the books down, if you do not want to read them, get a stand for office supplies.
The same goes for mental disorder. When in the head a whirlwind of plans and tasks, important and not so, with time-depleted deadlines, it is difficult to be productive. A simple list of cases will help you prioritize. Look into it every time there is a temptation to get distracted.
Down with the temptation
You know yourself perfectly well: if the Internet connection is active, pulls to look at seals and chat with friends. And even if it's not about you, then working email and skype are also serious distractions.
To quickly do the work, you need to eliminatekey interference. Close for a couple of hours the mail program (and better and at all turn off the Internet), put the phone on silent mode and put it on the furthest shelf. If there is no Internet, use a special software: set permissions - which sites you can go to, and which ones will be blocked. Examples of such programs are RescueTime, Motivate Clock, CrocoTime, ManicTime. A free version is usually enough to control your performance.
Lovers postpone for later often do not understandone thing: other people do not fall into ecstasy at the sight of a long list of cases. They also like to rest. The trick is that first comes the work, and then the motivation. That's why we advise you to just start - and it will all work out!
