Always Procrastinating? Try these five things.
Procrastinating does not always mean you’re lazy, it may be you putting off the things you see as “not too urgent” till the last minute. And most times, this is unhealthy, especially if you have a busy schedule the next day or a deadline.
Do you wait until the last minute to do something? You are not alone, and you can stop it. Getting your work ready beforehand makes you prepared and more relaxed about it.
In most cases, procrastination is unavoidable as there are more urgent things to do, but in cases of mere laziness, here are some tips to help you get to work.
1. Try setting an alarm.
If you have to do a job by 12 noon, try setting the alarm at 11:00, 11:20, 11:40, 12:00, 12:05, etc. For most people, it works as a constant reminder that there’s something urgent to do.
2. Clear your schedule ahead of time.
If what you have to do is extremely important, do the “little” things first, so they don’t take up too much of your time later on. For example, if you have to assist in community cleaning, try taking out the trash, doing the dishes and running home errands ahead of time.
3. Place your priorities properly.
Always remember that some things can wait. Do not misplace priorities. Use your time wisely and choose the most important and urgent tasks to do.
4. Write them down!
Some people genuinely forget what they have to do. Owning a journal comes in handy when there are a lot of things to be done. Setting an alarm for each of these activities makes it doubly effective. Write down your activities for the day and mark the ones you’ve done. There’s a sense of accomplishment that comes with marking off every thing on one’s to-do list.
5. Get some help.
Trying to do everything at once may result in mental and physical breakdown. Also, a lot of work may not be done and will keep being put off until you assign them to someone else. Learn to delegate jobs to capable people. At the end of the day, the jobs would have been done and you’ll be happy you didn’t put them off.