Procrastination is a major problem in our culture. It’s not just an issue for students or young professionals; it also affects everyone, including older adults who may have grown up with parents who struggled with procrastination themselves.
Procrastinating isn’t necessarily bad per se—it can be useful at times when you need to take care of yourself first and foremost (e.g., getting enough sleep). But there are signs that you may be procrastinating too much:
You put off tasks even through they seem urgent
You begin to avoid taking action on tasks that should have been done earlier
You avoid doing things because they make you feel uncomfortable
We often put off doing things we don't like or have time to do because we're afraid of how they'll make us feel. But there's no reason to let procrastination hold you back! Here are some tips on how to stop wasting your life on unimportant tasks and start accomplishing your goals:
Procrastination is a major problem, but it doesn't have to be. The good news is that you can break free from procrastination by making a plan and taking action today!
Set small, achievable goals and start now.
If you want to change your life and start getting more done, it's important to set small, achievable goals.
Make sure the goal is achievable in the time frame that you have available. If your goal is too big or vague, then it will be impossible for you to reach it.
Break down the task into manageable chunks so that it doesn't overwhelm yourself when working on them all at once (or worse yet—never get started). For example: if your goal was "Write an article about how I am going through a major life change," then break this down into smaller chunks such as writing one paragraph about what happened today or taking one photo of my friends and family this week (instead of having no idea what else needs doing). This way there are always tangible steps towards achieving our larger goal!
Break big goals down into smaller tasks.
If you want to get more done, break big goals down into smaller tasks. This will make it easier for you to achieve them and keep your focus on the task at hand.
For example: if your goal is to lose 20 pounds by summertime, then maybe start by looking at some of the smaller goals that could help with that goal like:
Make dinner at home every night (instead of ordering out)
Go for a run every day (3 miles)
Manage your time and distractions.
Turn off notifications on your phone, computer, TV and any other devices that are distracting you from the task at hand.
For example, if someone posts something on Facebook or Twitter that you’re interested in seeing later (e.g., a new song), don’t let it keep popping up as an update notification every few seconds when there aren’t any updates available yet!
You can also turn off alerts for email messages so only relevant ones come through at a given time period—you won’t miss anything if they land in your inbox too early or late compared with what's happening around them otherwise.
*** Turn off social media altogether if possible; this includes both Facebook and Twitter accounts because even though they may seem like great places to share information about what's happening around town right now -- which could be useful information -- they're really just another form of distraction that isn't doing anything good for our brains.***
You can break free from procrastination by making a plan and taking action today.
Now that you understand the dangers of procrastination, it's time to take action.
Set a goal: Your first step is to set a goal for yourself. This can be anything from "I want my house to be clean" or "I want my car fixed today," but it should be something big enough that will motivate you to take action now. If your goal isn't realistic and does not inspire confidence, then don't let it distract from bigger goals like finishing your dissertation or starting a business!
Break down big projects into smaller tasks: Once you have identified what your larger project is going to be (whether it's cleaning up the house or starting an analytics company), break down each task into smaller steps so they seem more manageable—and make sure they're achievable within the given timeframe! You might want start by tackling one room at once; however if this takes too long then move on until next week when everything else has been completed (but remember: don't wait until tomorrow).
Conclusion
Procrastination can be an endless cycle. But the good news is that it doesn’t have to be!
Procrastination can be broken by setting goals and taking action today—and by figuring out how to manage your time, distractions, and emotions so that you don’t procrastinate anymore.
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