Did you know that procrastination could be a by-product of perfectionism?
It’s true!
Perfectionism can induce anxiety and make one postpone tasks, even the simplest ones. Let us help you with a few tips to overcome perfectionism:
- Allow yourself to make mistakes.
- Focus on the positives.
- Set achievable goals.
- Try not to procrastinate.
The above tips require continuous practice and self-awareness. In this blog, we have tried to help you with some of the best tips that life coaching mentors and successful people swear by.
Tips on how to overcome procrastination and increase your productivity
1. Stop feeling guilty about your past procrastination habits
Do you often say, “I really should be learning this new course, but….”? Everything that comes after the ‘but’ is a lame attempt at justifying your procrastination. In our journey on understanding what is procrastination, it is very important to address the past procrastination guilt.So, what should you be doing? First, embrace the guilt and hold yourself accountable. Then, avoid hiding behind meaningless excuses and get work done.
Here are a few hacks to help you achieve that:
- Acknowledge that you are putting off things that you shouldn’t
- Ask yourself ‘why’ till you reach the root cause of the delay. It could be as simple as misplacing a book containing information on how to fix the washing machine. Identifying the cause could help you avoid months of guilt and piling up of tasks.
- Make a fool proof plan of action.
2. Evaluate your priorities meticulously
What does procrastination mean for you? If it is about not being able to figure out how to manage your tasks smartly, it could either be because you pushed back the tasks for too long or cause you to start procrastinating now. And when we finally get to work that task that, we face a new obstacle; time. Of course, time is always of the essence. But it doesn’t mean you spend all of it on tasks that don’t matter. For example, if a deadline for a particular deliverable is approaching, you must prioritise the work related to it before jumping onto newer projects.
Here’s a simple journal you can make to stay organised. Create three columns and divide your work accordingly.
- Delete: All tasks that are irrelevant or slow you down should be put under this category. Deleting these chores will help you declutter your workspace and get things done faster.
- Defer: Work that doesn’t need your immediate attention can be deferred. You can return to them once the urgent ones are cleared off your desk.
- Do it: Get on them immediately! Give most of your time to finish these tasks, as these will have the highest priority. They will mostly be either important projects or have stricter timelines.
3. Break down your goals into smaller, achievable targets
Goals that are too ambitious or ambiguous can be overwhelming to work toward, and hence we put them off for a later date. Therefore, restructuring your plans into defined targets can help you work more efficiently. To understand this concept better, let us compare a goal and how to create targets to achieve it.
Goal: ‘I want to get fit by the end of this year.’
Achievable targets:
Step 1: Join a health club or a gym.
Step 2: Plan a workout schedule accommodating your other daily tasks.
Step 3: Figure out a healthy diet plan that suits you best.
Step 4: Be regular with your exercise and check on what you eat.
4. Reward yourself for every action you take
Have you wondered what the opposite of procrastination is? Simply put, it’s being proactive. And celebrating small milestones in your attempt at leading a proactive life can help you stay motivated and in turn procrastinate less.
You can;
- Treat yourself to takeaway food once a week after eating healthy and exercising daily.
- Reward yourself with some shoes or gadgets after achieving your monthly budget target.
- Give yourself a 5-minute break every time you work for 30-45 mins.
We all have the same amount of time in a day. However, the reason why some people can achieve more is simply by keeping their procrastination in check. Understanding what causes procrastination for you can help you stay focused and realise your true potential!
FAQs
Q1) What are the four types of procrastinators?
Ans) There are four main types of procrastinators:
- The performer
- The self-deprecator
- The overbooked
- The novelty seeker
Q2) How do I stop being a perfectionist?
Ans) Here are a few tips for you to overcome perfectionism:
- Do not procrastinate
- Try and focus on the positives
- Give yourself the room to make mistakes
- Set reasonable goals
- Be open to criticism
Q3) How to break out of the perfectionism-procrastination loop?
Ans) Here are the tips to help you break out of the perfectionism-procrastination loop and get more productive:
- Keep a check on what your procrastination is costing you
- Set realistic and achievable goals
- Shift your approach to completing tasks
- Modify your goals, checkpoints for more accountability
- Don’t put too much pressure on yourself
