New Year, New Me: 5 Ways to Break Your Procrastination Habit and Be More Productive in 2018

“I can't think about that right now. If I do, I'll go crazy. I'll think about that tomorrow.” -  Margaret Mitchell, Gone with the Wind

Novel quote above seems to be perfect to describe how people with procrastination will react when they are asked to do something or get things done. Procrastinators tend to avoid and delay to work on something they do not really like, and prefer to focus on other things which are easier and more convenient to be done.

Among of the most common reasons why people are often unknowingly lapsed into procrastination circle are because of boredom from the dull routines, lack of motivation, or adjustment after having break. People can even be lazy in getting things done because they feel that the job is not their true passion. When it is done once or twice in a while, maybe procrastinators can still catch up with what they missed. But when this has become a habit done continuously, what will happen are that deadlines are not met, goals are not fulfilled, and even important meetings are missed.

As the New Year 2018 is approaching, it is time to break your procrastination habit and shift into action-mode to be more productive. Below, we share 5 ways to eliminate this bad habit:

1. Discover the root
A problem cannot be solved unless the roots are found first. That being said, you need to discover the reasons why such procrastination habit blooms. Look into yourself and ask why you keep procrastinating in finishing certain things. You need to evaluate any possible causes for this laziness.

2. Start the day the right way
The way one starts his day will be very influential on how he will live out the rest of the day. Therefore, it is very important to use the early minutes at the workplace with something that can foster motivation and set good mood. To get in the right mood to work, do not directly logging into the computer upon their coming to the cubicle.

Block out any distractions that lead to procrastination that might come early in the morning, such as checking social media or watching Youtube videos. Instead, you can do mini-exercise such as stretching and simple yoga movement for the first 10 minutes upon your arrival at the office.  This will not only help you focus on work, but also makes you relaxed and get ready to face the challenge.

3. Set attainable targets
There are times when people start procrastinating because they want to escape from certain circumstance, such as too tight deadlines or piling paperwork. Therefore, it is highly recommended not to let yourself sank in too much workload. The trick is to break down the tasks into smaller parts that are easier to solve. You should make a smart to-do list created based on the priorities so that they can manage their time more wisely.

4. Reward yourself
The lack of appreciation for what they have done is often becoming the reason behind procrastination. To ensure this does not happen, you might need to reward yourself for once in a while. For example, if you successfully finish your report in a day, you can treat yourself dinner in your favourite restaurant or buy something nice for yourself.
 

5. Remind consequence
Old habit dies hard. Sometimes, change is difficult to make because procrastination has already become a habit. If this happens, you need to remind yourself the consequences and any costs that might come from procrastination. For example, remind how the whole team is affected when you are late collecting work report, or how procrastination could be bad values for you on the next performance appraisal.

Next read: Work-Life Balance: Should You Keep Personal and Professional Life Separate?