We are all guilty of procrastination. It’s all too easy to convince ourselves that we’re simply taking a little break and then not returning to the activity at hand, and instead we waste time doing anything else. Even if the other work is beneficial (for example, cooking supper, cleaning the house, administering CBD for dogs, and so on), if it interferes with what you should be doing, it is procrastination. However, the good news is that there are methods to avoid this. Read on to find out what some of them are so you can procrastinate less. In the end, you’ll be much more productive and have an easier life.

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Recognize When You Are Procrastinating

Recognizing when you are procrastinating is definitely a good way to help you put a stop to it. Putting off a job because something more essential has come up, or because you have an appointment, or for any other legitimate reason is not procrastinating. Putting off a job to avoid doing it is. You’re procrastinating if you fill your day with small tasks that are much lower priority than the one you’re avoiding, or if one item is left on your to-do list and has been there for a long time even though it’s actually very important, or if you keep returning to a task only to abandon it again, or even if you tell yourself you need to be in the right mood or for inspiration to strike.

When you understand that these distractions aren’t real and that you’re only putting off the inevitable, you’ll be able to refocus and go back to work on the job at hand.

Think About What’s Causing Your Procrastination

There are several reasons why you could be procrastinating instead of getting on with the vital task at hand. When you figure out why this is occurring, it’s a lot simpler to move on and be much more productive. You could be concerned about what will happen after you finish your assignment, for example; maybe you’re worried that the next step will be more complex. Or perhaps you’re bored with what you’re doing and can’t see why it’s crucial. However, even if this is the case, it’s much better to do the tedious jobs first and get them out of the way so that you can spend the remainder of your day with more exciting activities.

A lack of organization can also cause procrastination; having a timetable and a to-do list can help you hugely. Feeling overwhelmed also contributes to procrastination, but breaking the activity into more manageable portions can allow you to do it more quickly and with fewer distractions.

Have A Plan In Place

Once you’ve identified your procrastination and why you’re doing it, you’ll need anti-procrastination techniques in place. Procrastination is a habit, and the only way to break a habit is to stop doing it. To begin, don’t be concerned about all the times you were distracted in the past – that’s done, and you must now concentrate on the present and the future.

Next, concentrate on just sitting down and doing the activity (not necessarily finishing it) rather than avoiding it; set a deadline for yourself if this helps. Finally, promise yourself a reward when you’re finished. It could be a piece of cake or a stroll around the block, or anything that makes you happy and ready to tackle the next job.