Procrastination is a hard habit to shake, and it happens to everyone.
So here are 8 tips to help you beat procrastination and make productivity a habit in your life:
Morning Routine
A good morning routine is going to set you up for the day ahead – mentally, physically and emotionally.
A great morning routine might look something like this:
Wake Up Early
You will get a lot more done throughout the day if you wake up early (making sure you get a reasonable amount of sleep the night before so you don’t burn out or feel groggy).
Exercise
When I wake up early and exercise that is when I feel the most energetic throughout the day and in a good headspace as exercising also releases endorphins. Even just doing 15-30 minutes of a cardio based workout, power yoga or Pilates is also beneficial!
Meditate
Meditation gives you time to recognize your thoughts coming through. This is quite powerful because you can notice the thoughts you are repeating that may not serve you and you can choose to replace them with positive ones.
It’s also about recognizing the thought and returning back to quieting the mind which is also powerful because it allows for thoughts or ideas to come through that you may have never thought of before and sets you up for the day feeling relaxed, calm but also energized. Try just 5 minutes a day and if you have time work your way up to 20 or 30.
To-Do Lists
Write a to-do list the night before or in the morning of what you need to complete for that day. You can start off with a list of everything you need to get done, but narrow it down to only the few most important things you need to get done for that day and that you know won’t make you overwhelmed. If you get all of them done before you thought you would then great, you can choose another thing to complete from the list.
Knowing You Will Feel Accomplished Afterwards
Let’s face it, we all feel accomplished and like we have had a productive day when we complete everything on our to-do lists for the day - which feels pretty good and will keep you motivated!
Remember Why You Are Doing It
I know there are certain unavoidable tasks like checking your emails etc, but say you run a blog, are working on a business or you started a goal at the beginning of the year that you want to stick to – The key is to remember your reasons for starting it. Maybe you will inspire or bring value to others and yourself? Remembering your “why” will keep you motivated.
Just DO IT!
Some people may have to get to the point where they have procrastinated for so long that they come to a realization that nothing is actually happening for them, to give them the push they need to START NOW.
But.. I’m here to tell you NOT to wait for that realization and just DO IT! (Nike was onto something there), because the reality is nothing will happen from sitting around watching other people’s lives on YouTube, or Netflix and chillin’. Don’t get me wrong, some videos on YouTube and other platforms can be inspiring and informative – watch them, but don’t spend hours a day watching pointless content and watching someone else's life while you could spend that time working on you and your goals.
Also, if you are waiting for something to be ‘perfect’ before you start, then you will never start. ‘Perfect’ doesn’t exist, you are always learning, growing, changing and progressing so start now.
Do it NOW
This is a little different to the previous point. This is about if you have around four important jobs to do and you think of something that you also need to complete that takes 5 minutes or so then do it now! Otherwise those little to-do’s will keep piling up on top of the more important, longer to-do’s, so doing it immediately will stop you feeling overwhelmed.
Routine
We are creatures of habit. We get stuck in ‘routines’. So make sure you create a routine every day that is productive and beneficial for you and moves you further toward your goals every day.
Do Something Different
Doing something different or exciting will stimulate your mind and energy and may expand your mind resulting in new thoughts or ideas. You may also be more likely to continue that energy flow rather than stagnate back into your procrastinating ways!