Time management strategies are crucial for beating procrastination
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Time management is crucial for your work because we all have only 24 hours. But some of us can accomplish really more in these hours. Here the key is to find out what is urgent and most important for you. There is a correlation between time management and procrastination. Those who procrastinate, always waste their time on trivial things instead of the most important tasks.
I like to write about procrastination because I was the biggest procrastinator anyone could imagine. But with little changes in my way of working and thinking, I could change my way how I manage my time and productivity. Here I am not talking about procrastinating a little bit, but chronic procrastination.
Even now, I could easily go into the phase of putting things off but the best part is that I could figure it out easily that I am procrastinating. I could bring my mind back to work. It’s all about how your mind works.
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1. Realising your time wasters is the first point for time management strategies
There are so many time wasters in today’s world and most of the things which take up your time are those which are not that important. This step is crucial if you want to master time management skills. Time management and procrastination are correlated. You procrastinate when you don’t put right efforts at right place.
To free yourself from this habit, you should know your time wasters or how you waste your time.
2. Promodoro Technique to block time
This is an amazing tool to remind you how to work efficiently. According to Francesco Cirillo, the human mind can only concentrate on a given task for a short span of time. He figured out that after working for 25 minutes, your mind needs a break. A short break. After this short break, you are again energized to start your work on the task.
Take a 5-minute break after 25 minutes and take 10 minutes break after one hour. When you see some results for your most dreaded work after 25 minutes, you will feel motivated to do more. Gradually, you will be able to start working regularly even if you feel the task is not that easy.
3. Always start with 3 tasks for a day
If you feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of tasks you have to complete, it is better to start with 3 tasks a day. When you will be able to accomplish those 3 tasks, you will be motivated to do more. Earlier my task board was full of tasks. Out of which, I was able to do only a few. That made me overwhelmed, due to which I would not check it for many days. I was not able to accomplish much.
But now, I try to write 2 or 3 tasks and it has helped me tremendously. I am a very big daydreamer. I will stop my work and start dreaming about when I will have this or that then…….. But I never accomplished my daily goals. Believe me, when I came to know about my habit, I felt like I am the biggest procrastinator. Just thinking and no action. But things started changing as soon as I realized that I am procrastinating.
4. Get up and learn to be uncomfortable
Sometimes you just feel so comfortable doing easy tasks and waste all of your time on that. And you never have time to accomplish your most important tasks and deadlines. This is the peak of time mismanagement and procrastination. For success, you need to learn to be uncomfortable. It is so easy to sit in front of the TV and watch your favourite dramas.
At the same time, getting up and doing your difficult task is really difficult. But this is the key to become successful and accomplish your goals.
5. Set your goals and write on paper
Writing your goals on paper will remind you about the actions you need to take to move further. When you can see your goals, you can prioritise them according to their importance. You can also eliminate what is not important and put your energy into the tasks you need to do urgently.
Here is a goal planner you can use to set your goals. This planner helps you in planning professional goals, personal goals as well as spiritual goals.
6. Put a board in front of you and look at it many times a day
I have two of these and love my task boards in front of me. I use one o them to write about the daily non-work routine and the other one is used for writing work-related tasks. Writing everything on my boards saves me a lot of hassle. I do have my to-do list on paper too but sometimes I could not find my notebook too.
These are lifesavers because I get to remember everything. Otherwise, I forget everything and go into the same lazy mode.
7. Think about the consequences of not accomplishing a particular task
Most of the projects or tasks have deadlines but you tend to put it off. Now take a piece of paper and think about the consequences of not doing that task. You may lose some project, contract or job. If you are putting off going to doctor, you are jeopardising your health.
You can see the picture of consequences you will suffer by putting things off. Write your important tasks and write the consequences of not doing them in front of them. Now, this will give some boost to start working. Everybody loves good outcomes and hate bad outcomes.
8. Confront the fear of failure
Most of the times, the reason for wasting your time in non-productive activities is the fear of failure in a particular task. Due to fear, you tend to waste time either intentionally or you will start thinking of becoming a perfectionist first. If this is the case, confront the fear. You will not become perfectionist by procrastination but rather by working on that particular thing.
Confronting what you dread doing also gives you confidence in your own self. You will be more inclined to see your own capabilities and start working according to them.
9. Take action now
Starting any task is the most daunting task in itself. When you are not comfortable about anything, you try to put that work off for as long as you can. You waste your time in all those things that are not important. But if you can trick yourself in taking action and starting the task, you will be able to go further from there.
Instead of going on thinking about your tasks, it is important to take action. Even a small step taken now will add up at the end.
10. Make your projects public
Tell your family and friends about what you want to do. Even if you forget about your tasks, your friends will definitely make you remember your goals. If I tell my mother what I want to do, whenever I will call her, her first question would be to ask me about that particular thing. Sometimes that annoys me but it is a good thing because I become obliged to accomplish that particular task.
I know she would ask me the next time also.
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11. Time management strategies also work by visualising end result
If you feel like some particular task is getting tough for you, you can start visualising its completion. It should not be just daydreaming but it should be along with the action taken to accomplish that particular task. When you can see the end result, your mind automatically prompts you to work towards your dream
12. Reward yourself on small accomplishments
As you have started after breaking your project into smaller chunks, you will complete smaller tasks on the way. And whenever you accomplish something, reward yourself. This will give you the motivation to accomplish more. Rewards have a very good effect. Small rewards increase autonomous motivation.
Key Points
- Realise your time wasters
- Use Promodore technique to block time
- Always start with 3 tasks a day
- Get up and learn to be uncomfortable
- Write down your goals on paper
- Put a task board in front of you and look at it many times
- Think about the consequences if you will not accomplish a particular task
- Confront the fear of failure
- Take action now
- Make your project public
- Visualise your success
- Reward yourself on small accomplishments
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These are my favourite points I personally implement on myself. How do you manage your time and stay away from procrastination? Please tell me in comments.
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I love this list!!!! I can be such a procrastinator. I especially think your point about recognizing your time wasters is so true. It helps you identify where you’re actually spending your time. Such a great list!
Thanks Carina for stopping by and reading. We have so many time wasters nowadays around us. They distract us and we waste lot of time.
I can relate to your comment about telling your mom about your goals because my mom does the same thing! I, too, get annoyed, but this annoyance is a great motivating factor because I don’t want to give her the exact same answer the next time she asks me the question.
Thank you Kate for stopping by and commenting.Glad that you can relate to my story. I think all mothers are same. They want their kids to do great. So if we have something in us to do, mothers will remind us again and again.