1 4 H A B I T S T O B E AT P R O C R A S T I N AT I O N

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P R O C R A S T I N AT I O N A F F E C T S E V E R Y O N E A N D I S S O M E T H I N G W E W O U L D L I K E C O N T R O L O V E R .

1 4 H A B I T S T O B E AT P R O C R A S T I N AT I O N

1. DO THE WORST THING FIRSTFirst thing in the morning is when we have most mental energy to tackle difficult tasks. Tackle the worst thing first and make the rest of the day easier.

2. LEARN TO PRIORITISEUse a priority matrix to work out if the task should even be on your to-do list, and how much energy to devote to it. Urgent doesn’t always mean important.

3. SCHEDULE TIME REALISTICALLYMisjudging how long something will actually take is a major problem for procrastinators. Keep time-sheets or set a timer to see where the time goes.

4. WHY ARE YOU AVOIDING IT?Sometimes facing the reason for your avoidance head on is the only way to deal with it. What is so horrible about this task? Why are you so afraid of it?

5. ACCOUNTABILITYTell someone what you’re doing and get them to nag you about it. Sometimes the expectations of others can keep us on track.

6. TWO-MINUTE RULEThis usually applies to email, but if any task in going to take less than two minutes, it is quicker to just do it than it is to keep writing it on your to-do list.

7. REWARDSYou can use chocolate or Facebook, but whatever it is, a carrot works better than a stick. Make sure you only reward yourself when your task is complete.

8. CHUNK YOUR TASKSBreaking a mammoth task down into chunks gives you more manageable tasks. It is easier then to decide when and how you will complete them.

9. USE APPS AND TOOLSOne of our favourites is the Pomodoro Technique. Do three sessions, 20-minutes each with a five minute break between. When you get to the end of the third session, take a longer break.

10. THINK OF THE CONSEQUENCESTry and project forward and think of the worst that might happen if you don’t do this task night now. A higher bill might be just the motivation you need to pay this one on time.

11. SEVEN-MINUTE SESSIONSSet a timer and only ‘allow’ seven minutes to do as many annoying tasks as possible. It’s amazing how liberating it is to know you can only spend a short amount of time.

12. WORK WITH YOUR MOODSPay attention to the types of tasks you complete more easily depending on your location or the time of day.

13. BATCH TASKSDespite what you might think, multitasking is counterproductive. Switching back and forth between different task types slows you down.

14. ALTERNATE TASKSIt is a good idea to alternate between meaningful tasks and meaningless tasks. After writing an essay, you might wash dishes for example.

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