Do you often tell yourself, "I'll just do it later?" Do you put things off until the last minute? Is 'crunch time' in your vocabulary? If you answered yes to these questions, you are guilty of procrastination! And it's nothing to be ashamed of because almost everyone does it. Here are 5 tips to help you climb out of your procrastination slump.
1. Social media
Get all and every social media site out of the way. It can be really tempting to check the latest posts on Instagram or scroll through Facebook watching funny videos and mouthwatering recipes. So, check all of your social media, reply to any text/snapchat, and put your phone on 'do not disturb'.
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2. One huge task can be scary
Break your work into little pieces. Looking at one big thing you have to do can be intimidating and scare you off. Break it down into steps. Ask yourself, "what steps can I take to reach the completion of this one task." Finishing little things that don't take much time can make you feel accomplished and driven to complete more.
3. Change your environment
A lot of times, that ability to study or get stuff done has to do with your environment. Figure out which environment is best for you when getting stuff done. Personally, I like to be alone and in a quiet space where I cannot easily get distracted, but everybody is different. If you find you are easily getting distracted or the space your studying in just isn't working, switch it up!
4. Set deadlines
This is a huge one for me! If you are like me, the type of person who absolutely cannot miss a deadline, this could be very useful to you. Setting your own deadline can help you really push yourself to complete the task at hand.
5. Reward yourself
A feeling of accomplishment should also come with a reward. Bargain with yourself. My favorite thing to do is tell myself, "If I get one of my tasks complete, I get to take a 5-10 minute break to check social media and redirect my focus." Or you could tell yourself, 'If I finish everything that needs to be done, I can have a fun night out with my friends." Looking forward to the reward gives you a drive to get the task done.
Procrastination is hard, and it's something almost everyone struggles with, but taking the right steps, setting goals, and rewarding yourself, can make it disappear quickly. It takes 21 days to create a habit, but it takes the same amount of time to break one.
