Ways to avoid procrastination

To procrastinate is to put off doing something, especially out of habitual carelessness or laziness. We hurry up in the last minute to deliver a half-baked task. Procrastination can negatively impact both work life and personal life. Here are some simple tips to prevent these problems.

First, understand that you are not compelled to do things. Recollect all the situations in life when you do not procrastinate. Reading your favorite novel, watching the scam report on the television and playing tennis in the weekend are some examples. You never miss these activities because you want to do them. Your mind is not under the impression that you are compelled to do them. So, replace your compulsion of "have-to" with willingness of "want-to". Do not compel yourself to do a task; just build the interest to do the task.

Never get troubled by the magnitude of the task. The bigger it is, there are more chances for a task to get postponed. You plan to finish a task even before you begin it. If you do not know how to complete the task, the pressure mounts. Hence, break the task into pieces and start with a small piece instead of trying to finish the entire thing. Focus on what you can do immediately. By doing so a good number of times, you will reach the final piece of the task and finish it with ease. Remember the fact that you tend to get perfect through practice. Likewise, stress gets associated with the task and you will start avoiding the task if you do not practice it with concentration. It is always better to complete a job than to delay it for want of perfection in the first instance. As a writer, you can begin with a rough draft. You can always revise it later to attain the desired state of perfection.

Avoid the habit of sacrificing pleasure for work. To undertake a project, you need not forego pleasure. People tend to work long hours with no time for fun. It might become demoralizing sometimes. To avoid these problems, you must mix fun with your work and begin enjoying your work. Ensure that all your leisure activities are well placed in your routine. Exceptional performers tend to take vacation quite often and work shorter hours than others. You will be more focused and attentive if you have a limited work time. Program your brain in such a way that it should pine for work.

Reward yourself for your achievements. Divide your task into sub-tasks that can be completed in a short frame of time. Choose a reward for yourself after completing each sub-task. Most often, you will work for more than the specified time limit and sub-task. The presence of a reward lures you into working more effectively. You attention is drifted from the difficulty of completion of the work to finishing the task for the reward. Enjoy your rewards and repeat the same exercise until you reach your destination. Procrastination is the result of stress or pain associated with a task. Reduce pain and associate pleasure with the task to move forward with a positive attitude.