Think of the big picture. It can be easy to get lost in the day-to-day tasks of life and not realize what you’re working toward. Take some time out of each day to remind yourself how the task at hand is contributing to larger goals for your life. These can be financial, fitness, or education goals that will help your career and personal life. Make a list of reasons why you want to accomplish tasks before you.
Whether it’s exercise, school, or work, make sure you have objective, achievable goals along the way. Write them out and check them off when you accomplish them.
Try replacing the negative thoughts in your head with positive ones. [4] X Expert Source Michelle Shahbazyan, MS, MALife Coach Expert Interview. 22 April 2020. For instance, you might tell yourself repeatedly that you are a person of action. Visualize yourself as a hardworking person finishing all the necessary tasks at hand. Do this every day for 30 days until it becomes a habit. Make time for relaxation. There is a tendency to always associate inactivity with laziness. This produces guilt and can perpetuate more laziness. Rather than beat yourself up, allow yourself time to relax with no guilt. [5] X Research source
If you’re trying to get in better shape, find a gym buddy or an exercise class. It will feel like you are letting others down if you skip and you are more likely to keep at it. If it is a school goal, find a friend in the class that can help you study and stay on track with achieving grades you want.
Sitting down to do something important and then deciding to get coffee or a snack. Filling up your day with low priority tasks. Re-reading memos or e-mails many times before deciding what to do with them.
Make sure you actually account for how long tasks will take you. This reduces the chance you will procrastinate because you are working along a tangible schedule. Also, realize that things may come up that alter your schedule. This is okay. All you need to do is add this to the schedule and adjust your day. Set boundaries. People who are prone to procrastination should avoid blending life/work boundaries. Assuming you will end each work day at 5:30 P. M. forces you to be productive within a certain timespan.
Try media fasting for a week. Not all the information that we consume everyday from all kind of media is useful. Unless it’s required for you to consume certain information for your work, stop everything else for a week. No TV, no newspaper, no social websites, no leisure Internet surfing, no watching videos on the Internet. You might want to create your own rule for this tip.
This will be hard at first, but it will help you to build a good habit. The tendency to put things off until later can snowball procrastination and laziness.
This can take practice to make it a habit. Try placing your alarm clock out of arm’s reach. This will insure that you need to actually physically get out of bed before hitting the snooze.
Everyone needs different amounts of sleep to function their best but shoot for at least six or seven hours. Put away all electronics and screens when you’re winding down for bed. Try to get as comfortable as possible and block out any possible distractions that will keep your mind moving.
Don’t skip breakfast. Breakfast has physiological benefits, but also mental and mood improving effects. Eating a healthy breakfast will help your energy level stay up, your brain function peak, and even improves memory and concentration. [13] X Research source
