No one said that managing a workload and (somewhat) balancing everything in life is easy. The temptation to put tasks off to a later time when you claim you’ll be better suited to get the job done is hard to overcome. You wait for that perfect moment for inspiration to strike, but often it just never comes.
Over the years of managing a relatively busy schedule and learning more about the type of person I am, I have picked up several helpful habits that keep me motivated whenever I feel like waiting until the next hour to get started. Here are five useful tips for beating procrastination from an over-scheduler, herself.
- Buy a planner (and use it!)
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From bullet journals to structured planners, there are so many options to choose from that are guaranteed to help you organize your tasks and manage your time. It’s important to choose a planner that will best suit your needs and the type of person you are. If you are someone who lacks structure and feels the need to be creative in the way you design your schedule, a bullet journal may be best. If you prefer everything being set out for you and all you have to do is fill in the blanks, then pre-structured planners are the way to go!
Although it’s easy to discredit its powers, buying a planner is the most important first step in taking hold of how you spend your time. Daily or weekly planners are useful for visualizing all of your tasks in one comprehensive space, allowing you to prioritize the more important tasks first.
The most important thing when using a planner is to avoid over-scheduling. No matter how tempting it may be to write down all the tasks you need to get done in one morning, it may not be the most practical, and this will only leave you feeling more overwhelmed than before. Instead, start small and build your way up to complete more tasks in a day! This way, you’ll not only feel accomplished when you cross items off your list, but you will also feel more motivated to tackle that list as soon as you can.
- Use a pomodoro timer
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If you’ve never heard of the Pomodoro technique, I would seriously give it a try. This method consists of choosing only one task to focus on, working on that task for 25 minutes, and then taking a short 5-10 minute break. This is considered one Pomodoro. After completing four Pomodoros, take a long break for 20-30 minutes and then repeat as needed until the task is complete.
There are apps that you can download on your phone, websites and even a browser extension that make timing the intervals much easier. I especially like this method as it perfectly balances short concentration time with time for mental clarity so you won’t feel too pressured to get your tasks done.
- use content blockers on browsers
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This one is for those who procrastinate by getting distracted. If you’ve ever found yourself going down an internet rabbit hole after making one simple Google search, this is for you. Content blockers are browser extensions that block any website you choose.
For example, if you often find yourself distracted by Instagram, you can set a block on the Instagram webpage so that it will restrict your access whenever you attempt to go on the site. Since you will then feel too guilty to override your content block, you will immediately refocus on your task at hand!
- get rid of your phone
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This is arguably my all-time favourite technique. Out of everything in life, I find that I am most distracted by my phone, no matter the situation. One second I’m picking up my phone to check the weather, and the next, I’m scrolling through Twitter laughing at the latest memes. Your phone is lethal to your productivity and you need to get rid of it!
Getting rid of your phone can mean placing it a few metres away from your work area, keeping it in a different room, or quite literally, throwing it and leaving it wherever it lands. No matter the method of choice, I strongly suggest getting rid of your phone somehow.
- Reward yourself
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With anything that you do, you must recognize your growth and reward yourself. When planning your day, set aside a portion of downtime when you can do whatever it is that you enjoy. For example, do two hours of studying and then 30 minutes of watching your favourite show. This way, you won’t feel the need to be distracted when working as you would have already set aside time to do something for yourself!
In my days as an over-scheduler, I have learned that life is ultimately all about balance and learning what works best for you. Once you are able to strike that happy medium between prioritizing what you need to do and what you enjoy, you will no longer feel the need to put things off until you can’t any longer.