Why do people procrastinate in the first place? It’s because we don’t want to do something that is either boring or difficult. We convince ourselves that there are loads of other things that we should be doing instead. The downside of procrastination, other than losing loads of time, is that you also tend to waste loads of energy. Our brains know that we’re supposed to be doing something and that we’re not doing it, so you have this guilt that keeps churning in the back of our minds.
So, how do you avoid procrastination in the first place? Well, there are three tips that I have for you. Tip number one: avoid having big tasks and instead break things down into bite-sized chunks. For example, instead of worrying about doing this big presentation for a new client, you just concentrate on creating a content outline, for example. Then, that is something that you can just get on with and you can achieve that in a sensible period of time.
Next, make sure that you put yourself in the right environment. If you are trying to do deep work in an open-plan office, for example, where there are loads of distractions around you, then you are going to slip into procrastination potentially because you will find those distractions and then they’ll take you away from your work.
And finally, eat your frogs for breakfast. If you know you have some things on your to-do list that you are actively avoiding or you don’t really want to do, those are your frogs. Brian Tracy, who this concept comes from, says you should eat those frogs for breakfast. Take the biggest, baddest frog on your to-do list and eat it up for breakfast. Do it first. That way, you have the rest of the day to get on with all of the other stuff, and you don’t have any guilt or anything that you are actively trying to avoid.
The final thing I will leave you with is that you have to raise your levels of awareness around when you start to slip into procrastination mode. Catch yourself, reset, and lean into the work that you’re supposed to be doing. That way, you will be more productive and probably be happier at the end of the day.
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