At some point in our lives, we procrastinate. Some more than others. Procrastination is like a ghost, it sits there echoing in the back of your mind,
"Oh you can do this tomorrow."
"One more episode."
"I'll have plenty of time to do this the night before."
The assignments and tasks are a haunting to you. Procrastination is a nasty habit, and can deviate you from your goals. I still struggle with procrastination from time to time myself, but here are a few tips to help overcome procrastination, become better at productivity and put an end to the late Sunday night cram sessions.
Change The Mindset
This is the most important tip. In order to see results, you have to change your mindset. Once you start changing the way you think, you'll start changing how you go about doing things. You have to constantly remind yourself, do it now, not later. Putting tasks off creates a negative way of thinking, you dwell and focus too much on the task that needs to be done and then soon over time, you develop a hatred for it. It's a negative cycle to subject yourself to. The best thing to do is don't think about it, just do it! Don't put so much thought into it.
Set An Alarm
Nobody likes alarms, but honestly, setting an alarm and getting up early has helped me so much with being productive and getting things done. Think about it this way, if you get everything done early in the morning, then you have the rest of the day to yourself. I've noticed great results with myself since I've started going to bed at a decent hour, and getting up early the next morning. Not only does getting enough sleep help with productivity, it helps your body feel awake, making it easier to motivate yourself throughout the day.
Plan Ahead
What I do is plan each day in advance. I plan all of my goals, tasks, and projects that need to be accomplished by the end of the day. I have a specific journal that I use. I usually complete the most important tasks first and then move down the list. Don't take too much on your plate by trying to leap into planning a whole week, or more than you can take on. Just focus on taking your first step, whatever that may be!
Make A List
This kind of goes along with the planning ahead. What helps planning is making a list. I use Reminders on my Iphone to help plan and remind of appointments, counselor visits, events, and meetings with my school or the Odyssey team.
Buy A Planner
You don't have to buy one, but it sure does help a lot! A planner helps me mostly with school, tests, school events, midterms and finals. Everyone is different, but buying a planner has helped me organize my life better, and become a little bit more productive each day.
