Procrastination: the action of delaying or postponing something that you have to do. In this case, we’re talking about work, and most people are guilty of this at some point during the working day. It’s so easy to get distracted online or spend a little too long chatting at the watercooler. Procrastination can be a profitability killer for business owners and a career killer for employees.
So, how do you tackle procrastination head on and stop wasting time? Well, there are a number of ways to solve this issue.
Start Earlier
If you know you have a problem with putting things off, the best thing you can do is to start a little earlier. So, rather than coming into work at nine, arrange to arrive at eight. That way, you’ll have a full hour where you can put things off as much as you like or, better yet, get ahead, so you have time to spare later on in the day. This is a great way to manage your time more effectively, and all you really lose is an extra hour in bed that you can easily do without.
Get Rid Of Distractions
Is your desk filled with distractions? Do you have toys, amusing mugs, perhaps even a portable gaming device? All these are going to make it far easier to procrastinate because you’ll have other options that you can choose from rather than focusing on work. Now, a completely empty desk can look a little dismal and dull, but one that is filled with lots of things will make it impossible to truly focus on your work. Aim to have just one thing on your desk that you can toy with or fidget around with when you aren’t working. That way, you’ll still have something that you can use to relieve stress, but that won’t distract you all day.
Use Planning Tech
It is possible to use software to plan out your day and make sure that you stay on track. There are two possibilities to consider here. One is a timeline software. With a project timeline, you’ll always know where you should be at any given point and make sure that you do stay on track. That way, you can avoid falling too far behind due to pushing off your work. It also gives you set goals for the day that you need to aim for and make sure that you meet.
The other tool that you can consider using is a web plugin. With a web plugin, you will be able to monitor and track the time you spend on websites that could be considered a distraction. You’ll be able to track how much time you have wasted at any given point, and this will encourage you to get your act together.
Positive Visualization
Last but not least, you can try positive visualization. Through positive visualization, you can imagine what will happen and how you’ll feel after the work you need to complete at any given point is finished. This will drive you to actually reach this point and make what you imagine real. Positive visualization can be a very powerful driving force.
We suppose the message here then is:
