5 ways to beat procrastination today

We put things off all the time and it doesn’t really  matter if it’s an important task or not.  Procrastination is simply a habit, and an alarmingly easy one to develop and there’s much already written about the psychology of it which won’t be repeated here. Instead assuming that the idea of putting things off is frustrating, annoying and causes feelings of guilt then  here are 5 ways to just get moving on something that needs to get done. These can be tried,  individually or as a set of steps:

Why do it?

To feel better about putting something off we often think of other less important things we ‘need’  to do instead.  So, try clearing everything else, from your mind and think exclusively and intensely for a few minutes about why you need to do it.  Concentrate on what you will get out of starting and finally completing the task. If you need to, write down a quick list which you only need to do for while as you get used to this exercise.

Break it down

See a job as too big and you will think of every reason to put off doing it. It’s human nature and takes discipline to take on something big. Break it down into small chunks and it is much more manageable and your confidence will grow as you realise that each part can be done.

Spend 5 minutes

Whether it’s  mowing the lawn, writing a report or going to the gym make up your mind to spend 5 minutes to just get started. So get your gym gear together and walk to the front door. Just observe how you feel when you have started. If it feels OK then go forward and get in the car or walk to the gym. Momentum is the name of the game, get started and then realise that it wasn’t so bad after all.

Tell a friend

If there is a goal or task you have been planning to do then tell someone. Give them details and a time when you think you will have it done. You will give yourself an added incentive to follow through knowing that someone you respect knows you are going to do something by a certain time or date.

Drop it
If you just can’t get started on something then a  great way to free yourself from the nagging guilt of putting the task off is to ask yourself what would you lose by dropping it from your list of things to do.

Again a do a brief list and be really honest. If the list is vague or has very little that inspires you then be disciplined enough to consciously shelve the idea or even drop it.  If it is important enough to you then It will, of course, re-emerge in your mind again with maybe stronger reasons for you to get started.

The aim of these steps are to help you to move away from the wasteful feelings of guilt and frustration which will take away your energy and enthusiasm in other areas of your life. Make sure you are clear about why you do or don’t need to something and then take immediate action.

5 ways to beat the Sunday night blues

It’s so familiar; the weekend starts with a feeling of relief and optimism and continues into Saturday night.  Sunday morning starts in a peaceful haze, we go get a paper have a lazy breakfast then…. There is a faint feeling of discomfort in the pit of our stomach.  Yes the weekend is nearly over; it’s Sunday and tomorrow is hell-day!

This can cause huge anxiety and millions around the world experience this every week of their lives. It’s a cycle that leaves many feeling hopeless, worried, frightened and depressed. The power that this fear causes takes away from any positive benefits gained in the previous two days of the weekend and essentially leaves us feeling far from refreshed on Monday.

So how can we change this feeling? Here are five suggestions:
1. Monday will arrive
The first thing is to realise that failing something disastrous happening, Monday will arrive, get used to it, every Sunday you feel crap yet it always leads to Monday and on it goes. So accept the thing we cannot change and understand the thoughts you are thinking.  For example, be specific, what is it that is causing worry about Monday, commuting? Your boss?  workmates? workload?  Your lack of experience?  The way to make Sunday night feel better  is to think differently about Monday. The problem won’t just disappear but you will feel more in control if you control what you do and how you think.
If you know why you are not feeling good about something you have a better chance of dealing with it.  So if it’s the workload you have left behind, one way to approach the situation is to accept that the work is there and that you will have to go in to face it whether you worry or not.  The next thing is to plan how you will reduce the load, it’s not helpful to think of how to eliminate it as this may just seem too much to handle.  A small achievable plan of how to reduce the load in small chunks  might include speaking with a contact or workmate for more information or guidance,  making a phone call to move something on or asking your boss for some training or support. These maybe enough to change the way you think about the task at hand.
2. Don’t waste your minutes
Your weekend is important because it’s time you have to yourself so use all of it for yourself. Rest, watch T.V. go for walks, read the paper, meet friends whatever it is that is part of your life then you should not cut it short because of something that you would rather not be doing in the future.  Try going to the cinema on a Sunday afternoon and follow that up with a night at a cool restaurant, perhaps things that you would never normally do on a Sunday.  So instead of switching off at 6pm, use your time well and you can still be in bed by a sensible time to start the week in good form instead of in a state of dread.  Change your behaviour by doing something different and watch your mood change. Keeping busy with things that stop you from worrying about the next day will give you a sense that you have more control over your life. Your minutes are valuable so use them to have some fun and do something for yourself.
3. Get straight to it
Try avoiding  a slow start to the week, instead try get some energy moving and go in quickly and with purpose. Grab a coffee and start work by jotting a list of a few items you have to do in the first two hours. Keep it realistic and fairly low stress and then just go. It’s still possible to do this and yet converse with workmates about the great film you went to watch last night.  Change your approach and your mood will shift, you will feel a little more in control.
4. Plan a mid-week weekend
Monday comes and all we can live for is Friday night. Hard as it might sound, why not plan a mini weekend into your week.  Wednesday night for example might be the time you go for dinner with friends, or take the kids out bowling. You may make it your theatre night or take up a class to inspire you to change your lifestyle. The point is not to think too hard about it but to decide  that Wednesday nights  are going to be about more than continuing to tick off your minutes towards the next weekend. You will have something nice to look forward to, and the week will feel less like your boss owns it.
5. Review the week and plan ahead
Friday afternoons should have something like a 10 minute slot where you can have a quick look back over what went well over the week, and what presented problems. Before you leave, make a note of the biggest piece of work, or worrying task for Monday and also note a couple of points of how you plan solve them. You will come in to the list on Monday but will break them down into further shorter lists of tasks. How do you eat an elephant?
It’s not easy to shift the way we think but normally if we change our behaviour and just do something different we can discover something new and exciting in what we always thought was a boring or hopeless situation. Things don’t change overnight but you have the choice of whether to sit still and lament your rut or make a small change and see what else might happen.