5 Actionable Tips How to Overcome Procrastination During Working Days

Procrastination is a poison for any career.No matter if you are an employee or the employer, the inability to meet deadlines is always going to reflect into bad results.

And even if you manage to get things done at the last minute, it leaves you with the certainty that you could have done much better if you hadn’t rushed things away.But, if you are a procrastinator, you probably know all this. And you probably are procrastinating the decision to end your procrastination.

So, to make thing easier for you here is a list of actionable things that you can do, so to overcome your procrastination over your working days.With just five simple tasks that you will have to complete each day of the week, you will see things taking a different turn in your life.

So let’s stop talking and bring the action in.

# MONDAY

First day of the week, possible your less productive day. You aren’t alone here, as you know. Many people do have a problem with getting things done on Monday, usually caused by the breaking on their routine caused by the two days off that they have before.

So don’t fight against it. Get your things done to the best that you can, respecting yours (and everybody’s else) Monday’s rhythm. Then go ahead and get your first anti-procrastination task done:

TASK 1: Set your SMART Goals

There is a reason why people don’t get things done. And it is a very simple one. They just don’t know why they have to do it. They don’t see the real urgency and the importance of what they are doing.

That is to say that you won’t end your procrastination if you don’t have a reason to leave your comfort zone. It can be a promotion, reviews of companies or more pressure matter, such as a recent bad evaluation from your boss. But it got to be something that strong enough to make you move.

So take 15 minutes of your time to reflect and choose one single goal that you want to achieve. It isn’t supposed to be something big, but just one step of your journey. If your pressure matter is related to finances, your goal can be as simple as tracking your company’s budget correctly, so you can finally understand in how much trouble you are.Use the SMART technique to set your goal: it has to be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-related.

# TUESDAY

Next step is going back to your goal for 15 minutes again and trying to developed it a bit further, getting task number two done:

TASK 2: Set your action plan

OK, so you know what you want to accomplish but how are you going to get it done?Use your 15 minutes wisely so to decide each step you will need to take so to achieve your goal. Give them a name, an order (if the steps are dependable), and realistic deadlines. Think about any resources you might need to get them done.

If the steps look too big, break them into smaller steps.And make sure that you pick one step (just one) to get done by Friday.

# WEDNESDAY

Now that you know what you are going to do, it is time for you to decide how you are going to do it. Not in a way to tell you how to do your job, because you probably already know it. But how to make sure that you will do your job.

A good way to keep you on track is by finding something that will keep you on your toes, something that you will be on your case as your mother used to be – yes, it was annoying, but it still worked, right? So here is who you are going to get something similar back to your life:

TASK 3: Download an anti-procrastination app

You are probably aware of the urgency created by notifications coming up to your phone. You feel like to must read them and take action, right? And it is on this principle that the anti-procrastination apps rely. They will be sending you reminders about deadlines, so you can’t just ignore them, for instance.

They will also send you some motivational quotes, don’t worry. Depending on the app, there are several extras for you, and they will help you to discover your emotional intelligence . So your task for Tuesday is to check these apps below, pick your favourite, and set it up so it can help you to achieve your goal.

• Yelling Mom
• Finish
• Beat Procrastination
• Avoid Procrastination

# THURSDAY

It is Thursday and you probably already are seeing the signs of procrastination coming back to you. It’s OK. Old habits die hard, and it is completely normal if you start to feel like you can’t pull this off or that it is too much of a hassle.

But, this is a self-sabotage mechanism, and you need to stop it now before it takes over your brain. And the best way to do it is by doing task number three:

TASK 4: Plan a reward

At this stage, you need some extra motivation and nothing better than a reward to do the trick. So let’s do it.

Spare 15 minutes again so to figure out something that you can promise to give to yourself in case you get done what you promised.

It can be a gift, a trip, a night out, it doesn’t matter. But it has to be something that you really enjoy and wish, and that you consider as fun.

Just try not to choose something that will get you into a new problem: if you are on a diet , food can’t be chosen as a reward, for instance.

# Friday

The week is nearly over, and it is time to have a look at you have accomplished so far. So, with no more talking, go straight to task number five:

TASK 5: Evaluate and Plan for the next week

At this stage, you should be more aware of what you have chosen as a goal and have noticed what you can actually accomplish. You have tested your app, and might or might not be happy with it.

Plus, you got yourself a goal with Friday as deadline. How did it go? Is it done?

In other words, take your 15 minutes this Friday so to evaluate what you have done so far. Check if you have set some unrealistic expectations. If you have, no worries, just adjust it for the next week. If you haven’t, and still couldn’t manage it, just start over again next week. Beating yourself up won’t help.

But, if you have managed to achieve your goal, don’t forget to get the reward you promised!

The bottom lineProcrastination is a habit hard to overcome, but you still can do it. Others have managed it and so can you. It is just a matter of bringing the battle to your daily life and making sure that you keep yourself on track.

Go ahead making adjustments to this plan along the way. Eventually, you will see how your life will become much less stressful, which will motivate you not ever to go back putting things off again.