You’ve set your goals. You’ve planned it out. You’ve written at least one to-do list.
And then? Nothing. What’s stopping you from moving forward?
Procrastination gets the best of everyone once in a while. It’s that feeling of seeing exactly what you want and how to get it but being stuck. It’s pretty much the worst. So, we’ve compiled a list of 4 tips to overcome procrastination forever (or at least for now). #WeKnowItsHard #ButWeGotYou
Stop Waiting for Perfect
Psychologists see perfectionists as people who view life as “an endless report card on accomplishments,” which is pretty much destined to lead to disappointment and unhappiness. We don’t advocate losing sight of the details, but remember that perfect doesn’t really exist, and sometimes, you’re better off striving for success as you get the job done.
Treat Yo Self
Call it a treat, or call it “reward bundling,” like this expert does. Either way, it’s a strategy that helps to motivate you to do something not-so-fun by knowing that you’ll do something you like after. “Reward bundling” is simply pairing an activity you don’t want to do with something that you do enjoy: drinking coffee while responding to a work email, listening to your new playlist while making those study notes…you get the idea.
Just Do It
These three words aren’t just the tagline for a really popular athletic brand. They’re also the most straightforward tip we have to avoid procrastination: stop putting off what you don’t want to do and get on the other side of it. Psychologist Timothy Pychyl says that Mark Twain put it best with this quote: “If your job is to eat a frog, eat it first thing in the morning, and if your job is to eat two frogs, eat the big one first.”
Because Science
You might think that avoiding a project or task is a behavioral thing, and while it might be, it’s also scientific — neuropsychology research reveals that the root cause of procrastination is based on any one of the nine aspects of executive brain functions (impulsivity, self-monitoring, planning, activity shifting, task initiation, task monitoring, emotional control, working memory, orderliness) getting off track. TLDR: what keeps you from moving forward has less to do with your emotions and more to do with the science of your brain. Keep it sharp, and you might find yourself taking on tasks more easily.
