How to Overcome or Stop Procrastinating | 2 Minutes Rule
Procrastination is one of the biggest enemy specially for students and working professionals. Let’s accept the fact that most of us procrastinate. The first step towards overcoming or stopping procrastination is to ACCEPT IT.
Procrastinating once in a while is not an issue, we all do it. It becomes a problem when we do it all the time and it becomes a habit. Do not let Procrastination become a habit for yourself, this is the worst thing you can do to yourself.
Understanding Procrastination
We have used the word “Procrastination” many a time even though the post has just started. For those who don’t know what it is, here is the definition,
“Procrastination is the act of postponing or delaying tasks specially the ones which have a deadline. For example, let’s say you have an important assignment to submit tomorrow at school and instead of completing it you’re scrolling through social media or watching TV”
There could be a variety of reasons for procrastination from fear of failure to stress to lack of clarity, etc. In order to overcome the procrastination, you must try to find out the reason behind it.
Following are some of the common reasons of Procrastination
- fear of failure
- lack of motivation
- feeling overwhelmed
- bad time management
- stress
Here are the Consequences of Procrastination
- missed deadline
- increased stress
- poor quality of work
- disappointment in yourself
The consequences are severe when the Procrastination becomes a habit. Never allow it to become a habit. Accept it first and then work towards overcoming or stopping it.
Time to Combat Procrastination
If you’re struggling to stop Procrastination then you are not alone. There are many similar people who are trying to do that. It’s easy to fall into the trap of procrastination and difficult to get out of it. But with correct mindset and effective strategies you can tackle the procrastination and improve your ability to get things done and achieve your goals.
Let’s explore practical tips, strategies, techniques to overcome or stop procrastination and take charge of your time and life.
Recognize the Procrastination
If you are postponing same tasks again and again by giving the same reason then it’s a sign of procrastination. You need to first recognize the behaviour and show interest to improve it.
Start Prioritizing your Tasks
Organize yourself and prioritize your tasks. Spend a few minutes to create a daily, weekly, or monthly work plan for yourself. You should be very clear on what you will do in a day, how much time to spend on each task, etc. If you are starting a day with no idea of what you will do then you will most likely end up procrastinate a lot. So always have a clarity and prioritize your tasks.
Have a realistic To-Do list
Your to-do list should be to the point, include work which is important. We often do this mistake of writing down so many things without setting any priority. Go through your to do list and remove anything that you do not need to do immediately. Refrain from doing any insufficient tasks which are not adding any value. Focus more on important and urgent tasks specially those which have a deadline.
Learn to Say No and Minimise Distractions
Learn to Say No to all those things which are not adding any value in your life. There are so many distractions which take us away from the main work, you need to minimise or remove all those distractions in order to have a productive day at school or work.
Distractions could be your phone, social media, etc.
Have a Daily Routine
Daily routine is one of the best thing you can do to yourself. But this generation consider daily routine as boring. The common reason why we procrastination is the lack of system and a daily routine brings a system in your life.
Set a daily routine for yourself depending on your lifestyle, work, etc.
2 Minute Rule to Stop Procrastination
There is a 2 Minute Rule and it says, When you start a new habit, it should take less than two minutes to do.”
What it means is that you scaled down any habit into it’s 2 minute version, let’s understand it by an example:
“Write a blog post” becomes → “Write one sentence.”
“Practice guitar for an hour” becomes → “Pick up the guitar.”
“Meditate for 15 minutes” becomes → “Sit down and take one deep breath.”
“Start eating healthier” becomes → “Add one vegetable to my plate.”
“Read the news every morning” becomes → “Open the news app.”
“Reply to all emails” becomes → “Answer one email.”
The whole purpose of scaling down is to make your habits as easy as possible for you to start. We often very overwhelmed with a new work that we end up not doing it. With the 2 Minute rule approach, you are more likely to at least start a work. This is one of the most powerful strategy that comes in handy when it comes to start doing the right thing.
A new habit or work should not feel like a challenge. Use a 2 minute rule to start doing things and let the momentum take over. You will eventually get better at it and starts enjoying it.
The 2 Minute Rule works because it build the habit of showing up and once you start to show up then you will eventually start doing it because the momentum will take over things. Try this strategy, implement it your life and let us know through the comment section how well does it work for you.
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