How often have you found a lot of other, simpler activities, not related to the main one, before you needed to submit an important project, take an exam, talk with your parents or go to the dentist (when the tooth was already aching)? Each list of such cases and situations is very different and can contain quite a lot of points. And even if you have only one item on this list, it still interferes with normal life. What to do? To deal with this unpleasant phenomenon.
Procrastination
We begin with the definition of “procrastination”, a concept in psychology, denoting constant postponing of unpleasant thoughts and deeds until later.
The list of such acts and thoughts is unique and can be very impressive. There are a few tips that will help to fight procrastination and do not require any complicated operations. The main thing is not to delay work “for some later moment”.
1. Do the unpleasant thing in the morning
Of course, not immediately after waking up. When it comes to work, let there be at least one small unpleasant task as the first item in your ToDoList. For example, call a plumber or call a not very pleasant client. It is a good rule to follow: if you do at least one little unpleasant task, your list will be one item shorter.
2. If you find it hard to do any kind of work several times a week, do it every day
As strange as it may sound, this rule works. For example, you need to write articles to a blog. Of course, you can sit down and write the desired number in a few days. But, first, you don’t always have the right material available, and secondly, it will be very difficult to sit down and force yourself to write for the second time in a few days (given the fact that you do not like it, but you still need to do it). If you start to work on it a little each day, you will gradually get used to it. And it will not be so difficult to take up this work. Gradually, it will become your habit, and with time you may even like it.
3. Find a company for the “unpleasant deeds”
Studies show that we are much more likely to do many of the things in a company with someone else rather than alone.
4. Make preparations for work an essential method
Collecting the necessary instruments gives you the ability to mentally prepare for the bad thing. For example, printing a letter or collecting the necessary information before speaking with a client. You do not have to do it today, you can postpone it. But it is quite possible that by simply preparing in advance, you will want to quickly finish this case and you will do everything on the same day.
5. Keep a list
This advice can be followed quite often in dealing with work that is not done. And it works. As a rule, lists are made up to do some long-term work, but they are also effective for one-day work. Just write on the paper what you have to do by the end of the day.
6. The most unpleasant thing comes first
Make sure that you perform one of the main unpleasant things first, instead of performing “little-trouble tasks” trying to postpone the most unpleasant one (and it happens quite often).
7. Learn to derive pleasure from completing unpleasant tasks
If you finally make yourself do something that has already been delayed for a month, enjoy the result. Admit the fact that you have done a great job and finally found the strength to complete a very unpleasant task. Even if you were a little sick in the process and had an unpleasant aftertaste in the end. You did it. Well done!
