How to Stop Procrastinating – 6 Practical Tips

Procrastination is something that’s a part of many people’s lives and in this article, we’re going to discuss some tips that can help you to learn how to stop procrastinating and get things done.

We all do it from time to time. Some tasks are boring, others take too much time to complete, but for some people, overcoming procrastination is a persistent problem that they struggle to deal with. It’s normal to procrastinate from time to time but when it starts to become an unavoidable part of your life, you need to start making some changes and learn how to overcome procrastination.

So, on that note, if you’ve been struggling to stop procrastination and you want to eliminate it, here are some tips.

You may also get benefit from these tips for starting the day out feeling inspired.

How to Stop Procrastinating

Tip #1 – Create a Realistic “To Do List”

Start by writing a list of everything that you need to do. Understand that if you’re backed up, you’re probably not going to get through the list in one day.

Each night, take a few minutes to create a separate to-do list of the tasks that you plan to complete the next again day. It’s important that this list is realistic so that you don’t overwhelm yourself and fall back into the pit of procrastination.

If you’re struggling, try assigning yourself a short list and slowly increasing it until you’re completing an appropriate number of tasks each day. A to-do list is a terrific way to gain some momentum to stop procrastination and start studying or working.

Tip #2 – Don’t Over Exaggerate

Some things can take hours to get done. You might have to file your taxes, study for an upcoming test, or even simply tidy up around the house.

But, as tedious as a task might be, don’t blow it out of proportion. This will put you in a bad mindset and will add to the procrastination. Instead, break big tasks into smaller and more manageable tasks. Not only does this make them easier to get through but it will remove the daunting idea of the task being more tedious than it actually is. Perceiving them as smaller will make it less overwhelming and make it easier to beat procrastination.

Tip #3 – Remove Distractions

You might not realize that they’re there, but most of us are surrounded by distractions. Your iPhone, pets, or even fidget spinners. Remove any distractions from your working environment so that you have an easier time focusing.

Hide your iPhone, put your pets in another room, and get rid of anything that’s stealing your attention.

Tip #4 – Turn Off Your Electronics

Obviously if you work on a computer or you have to make phone calls then you probably shouldn’t turn off your electronics. However, if you’re filling out paperwork and you don’t need any electronics, turn them off until you’re finished with your work.

Tip #5 – Forget Yesterday, Focus on Today

One of the worst habits to get into is focusing on yesterday’s procrastination. Even if you did very little work yesterday, forget about it. We can’t change the past so there’s no use worrying about it – focus on what you’re going to do today.

The future does not equal the past. Forget it and get moving.

If you truly want to know how to overcome procrastination and laziness, focus on right now, the task at hand.

Tip #6 – Take One Task at a Time

Following on from what we said in Tip #2, after you’ve got a list of things that you need to do and you’re ready to get to work, don’t stare at the list and get stressed. Instead, only look at the first task you’ve written down – disregard the others for now.

Focus all of your attention on getting this single task done to the best of your abilities and when you’ve finished, cross it off and move onto the next task. It can be overwhelming to see a lengthy to-do list but if you take it one task at a time, you’ll find yourself getting through it at a steadier pace.

To Conclude

Procrastination can be stressful to deal with and it’ll take some time for you to change your lifestyle and how you approach these boring or lengthy tasks, but it’s worth it. After taking some of these tips into consideration and persistently avoiding procrastinating, you’ll feel a lot better about yourself. We hope these tips on how to stop procrastinating have helped you. What are you waiting for? Stop reading this and get to work!

Need some more motivation? Read about these tips on how to make learning fun!