Let me guess. You should be doing something else rather than reading this article. But instead, you decided to procrastinate by reading this, an article about how to hack procrastination. You deserve a cookie, my friend.
Fortunately, procrastination is not some disease, rather than an unhealthy habit. It’s just a mindset that can be changed, however, here the Top 15 Productivity Hacks For Procrastinators that you should definitely consider to get you out of your filthy habit, you animal.
Try (10+2)*5:
This is not a complicated Mathematical formula you need to solve, trust me, I would not do that to you. The (10+2)*5 simply means 10 minutes of work + 2 minutes break multiplied by 5, completing 1 hour. It is so important to stick to the time limits and not skipping any work or break schedules. The point of this is to create a packed routine of work and break. The result of this is you will eventually totally forget about your scheduled breaks, getting more work done.
Use Red And Blue:
Clean off the space in front of you, and anything that could possibly distract you. According to a Science Daily study about which colors improve brain performance, red was found out to increase attention to details while blue enhances creativity. Surrounding your work or play space with these colors not only will benefit your brain, but it is quite pleasing to the eye.
Create A Break Agenda:
Make a list of all the things you would like to do on your break, be it surfing through Facebook, checking your emails, snack time, taking selfies or even harvesting your crops on Farmville. Like the (10+2)*5 hack, squeeze these in between work time, but the difference is you schedule these activities for ONLY 20 minutes. You’re finishing tasks while sidetracking to do the things you enjoy.
Set A Timetable:
Like any other habits procrastination is a tough thing to break down and get rid of. Replace this habit with another habit. When you’re assigned a task, set a timetable for each step. Let’s say you have a big research task, here’s a sample timetable:
9:00 – 9:10 am – Set Up All You Need For The Day
9:10 – 10:00 am – Internet Research
10:00 – 10:45 am – Browse Files
10:45 – 11:00 am – Break Time
11:00 – 12:00 pm – Outline Research
Deadlines are the best hack for getting tasks done. Setting a specific time or date to finish a task creates time pressure even if the deadline has passed.
Take It Outside:
Do yourself a favor and don’t ruin the comfy-cozy vibe of your home. If you need to work on a stressful task or project, do it at a library or coffee shop. You’ll never finish it if you’re at home. Your cozy sofa and toasty bed will lure you into napping yourself into doom that you can not possibly come back from.
Become Productively Lazy:
Instead of finding all kinds of ways to unproductively put off tasks, use your nasty habit to look for shortcuts and new ways to finish the tasks at hand. Staple multiple pages together at once or master the always daunting task of staying focused while cleaning, I know, it’s a hard one. A strong drive combined with laziness sometimes bring out the productive and enhance the creative side of you, that you never knew you had!
Assign A ‘Task Officer’:
It could be your friend, your supervisor, or your significant other; anyone who has the unforgiving guts to shame you when you procrastinate. You could go the extra mile by finishing up unfinished tasks or times you logged onto your Facebook or watch those funny cat videos on YouTube. Let’s see how five or so bucks changes every time you procrastinate.
A Gadget-Free Desk:
Yes, it can sound terrifying, but it just might need to be done. There’s a study floating around that states, average users check on their phones 150 times per day and having your phone just an inch away, ignites the habit. Removing mobile devices and gadgets allow you to focus on work without the constant interruption of your mother-in-law updating her Facebook. It eliminates the very distracting ambiance and the urge to unlock your phone just because it’s there.
Prepping For The Night:
Before hitting the hay, prepare everything you’ll need the next day. This will probably take you 15-20 minutes tops, saving you more time for coffee in the morning. Biking in the morning? Pack up your gym clothes, shoes, socks etc. or even better, create a checklist so you don’t miss anything. You can also prep your food into containers and just grab one before leaving.
10-Minute Workout In The Morning:
Exercising is proven to increase productivity and stimulate release of endorphins or “Happy Hormones”. Take a brisk walk and get warmed up for the day.
Set-Up Mini Tasks:
If you’re given a daunting task, break it down into even smaller tasks. Create a checklist and start with the easy ones, then work your way up. Accomplishing something, no matter how tiny, still gives you that sense of fulfillment and will help you see it through until the end.
Create An Inspirational Board:
Even having the smallest vision in your mind or on a board can help you pull through any hard task. By putting pictures up on a board or certain quotes you love, you will be reminded of what your final goal is, and hopefully you will keep moving forward to reach your goal and do a little happy dance at the end.
Redecorate Your Room:
Redecorating your room can motivate you to maintain that ‘new’ look until you get used to it and then stop. So come up with new, creative looks, maybe make it a monthly or even weekly habit, depending on how energized you are feeling, to keep your mind in a fresh state of peace.
Ready Your Snacks:
You know that trip to the pantry? It’s just seconds away, but it took you several minutes just to get your fruity snacks from the kitchen. Before starting a task, prepare your snacks to avoid zoning out and losing yourself on the way to the pantry.
Schedule Your Chores:
Write down your chores in a weekly matter with matching day and time when you should be getting these tasks done. You can simply just stick the list somewhere visibly annoying like mirrors, doors, TV. The trick is listing as many chores as you can for the week, including unfinished chores from the following week. No one likes seeing a huge list of unfinished chores first thing in the morning, so hopefully this will motivate you to get things done.
Source: lifehack.org