Overcoming the habit of procrastination and getting things done

Ah, procrastination! We have all been guilty of it at some point in our lives. Some have been able to escape the vicious cycle while others are… going to get to it later! This article will aim to arm you with knowledge and motivation for beating procrastination with some useful tips.

Hopefully, you are not procrastinating reading this right now though!

Picture this: You have had a good night's sleep. You ate breakfast after ages and your mind has cleared all the clutter from the previous day. You are about to embark on a journey to accomplish all your daily goals when suddenly, your brain just hits the snooze button and distracts you with tiny, trivial, and harmless little things. How bad can it actually be? Well, you realise that tiny deviation in your plans was hours ago and now you have just wasted your day away.

The reason why this happens in our minds is that our brains are wired to seek instant enjoyment and fulfilment. We are very susceptible to distractions such as social media, cute pet videos, photo albums from the past; anything that gives us immediate satisfaction. Our brain essentially nudges us to seek out instant gratification and then keeps us stuck there, continuing to feel that familiar satisfying feeling for long periods of time. 

There are countless ways to start your rehabilitation journey towards being proactive and here are some of our best recommendations:

Divide and conquer

Working on large goals or projects seems very daunting at first, but they become effortless when you gradually break them down into smaller tasks. Make a to-do list of all your tasks. This will help you focus on one task at a time which, in return, will get you to accomplish it much faster. It is important to take some time to celebrate after completing your tasks so you do not get the feeling of being burned out. Remember, Rome was not built in a day, but it was certainly built one task at a time. 

The Pomodoro technique

Pomodoro is a well-known time management hack created by Francesco Cirillo, a developer and entrepreneur in the late 1980s. The process goes something like this: You start working on a task and focus really hard on it for 25 minutes precisely. After that, you take a five-minute break, maybe get a coffee, do some stretches or go for a walk. After the brief break, you continue working for another 25 minutes, after which, you take another five-minute break. Every four intervals or four pomodoros, you increase the duration of your breaks by 5 more minutes each time.

Support Circle 

This one involves working together with a close friend or anyone you trust enough not to block you after a few days of this exercise. Essentially, you and your friend share your goals for the day or the week and check in with each other to see how they are progressing. Cheer each other on throughout the goal period and you basically have a built-in support system to keep you motivated. You can even think of it as a bit of friendly competition and set challenges amongst

yourselves to keep the momentum going.