Summer is Here, and So is Procrastination
According to Psychology Today, approximately 20% of the population are habitual procrastinators. As an entrepreneur or business owner, it's easy to use the summer as an excuse to procrastinate.
To combat this, here are some tips to follow:
Eliminate Distractions
Today, people are often distracted by their phones, social media, and news. Attention spans are shorter, and life is noisier. Disable social media notifications, find a quiet spot, and identify what distracts you. Letting distractions happen makes procrastination easier.
Remove Temptations
To boost productivity, remove the temptation to lounge in the backyard. Opt for a coworking space that offers a different environment, ideal for avoiding the many distractions of working from home.
Plan Wisely
Plan the most intimidating but non-essential tasks for the beginning of the day, and reserve the more interesting but essential tasks for later. You'll get through the first ones to reach the latter and complete them on time. This is called positive procrastination, an effective method to help you avoid procrastination.
Adopt the One-Minute Rule
Start something for just one minute. One minute is enough to take action. Launch yourself, regardless of your mindset; start before you're ready. Many people think too much and act too little. Set your timer and act now.
Ask Yourself Questions and Be Honest
Most of the time, we know what's holding us back. If you don't know where you are, you won't reach your goals. Here are some questions to help you be honest with yourself and better understand the situation:
- Where are you setting unrealistic expectations?
- How are you putting pressure on yourself?
- What are you telling yourself?
- What's the reason behind what you want or need to do?
- What are the consequences or rewards of this task?
- What's holding you back?
Take the time to answer these questions.
Reward Yourself
Imagine you want to start an important task and decide to dedicate an hour to it; at the end of that hour, offer yourself a pleasant reward. This positively reinforces short-term task accomplishment. Plan these rewards in advance. Acting and rewarding yourself reinforces your confidence. Start small, track your progress, and your rewards. The more you reward yourself, the more motivated you'll be. Confidence and success breed even more confidence and success.
Forgive Yourself
Accept that it's happened; many of us procrastinate sometimes. No need to blame yourself. The best way to progress and achieve optimal performance is to accept the situation. Recognize it, forgive yourself, and move forward. Eliminate excessive thinking and take the necessary steps to move forward.