So, you want to be more productive and beat procrastination? The first thing you need to do is to switch off your phone. That’s it. That’s the whole post.
The end.
Well, since that is next to impossible—especially when we need them for work, we must look at our phones differently. Think of it as a productivity tool and not as a distraction or a gadget that will keep you entertained for hours at end. If we look at it as something that helps us get things done, it becomes easier just to use it for work.
Aside from that, here are some practical tips to beat procrastination.
Beat Procrastination With a Better To-Do List
Does your to-do list look like this?
1. Email Dave
2. Work on client ABC’s marketing report
3. Prepare proposal
There are different reasons why this to-do list might not serve its purpose. Number one, it’s too vague. For example, email Dave Who about what? If your memory is as short as your temper, you’ll waste precious minutes trying to think of why you need to email Dave, and if it’s Dave from IT or Dave from Finance.
Same with items two and three. Instead of feeling overwhelmed by broad tasks that seem impossible to complete in a single day, try breaking them down into specific actions. For instance, make it “Work on client ABC’s Executive Summary and Social Media Data” and “Prepare Email Marketing report for XYZ client’s proposal.” With this, you already have clear, actionable tasks without feeling swamped.
Prioritize
Building on the previous point about writing a better to-do list, don’t set yourself up for failure by preparing a list with 25 items. Realistically, you wouldn’t be able to go through that list in one day and you’ll feel demotivated even before you even start. Instead, prioritize your tasks and if it's something that isn’t due until next week, don’t include it in today’s list.
Don’t Multitask
According to Earl Miller, a Professor of Neuroscience at MIT, humans can’t multitask. What we think of as multitasking is task switching, is really just us shifting our focus from one task to another. In the end, we end up making more mistakes or we fail to finish any of these tasks because of constant interruption.
Take Breaks
It might be ironic to think that by taking breaks, we become more productive. But it’s necessary to prevent burnout, reduce decision fatigue, and help us concentrate better. To make sure our breaks are helping with our productivity and not the other way around, consider taking better breaks. According to this post from the Harvard Business Review, taking micro-breaks or shorter breaks in the morning to eat snacks or do something physical and longer breaks in the late afternoon, when we are more prone to fatigue, can be more effective for recharging and maintaining focus.
In the end, procrastinating only delays your success, especially if your to-do list is full of tasks, you absolutely MUST do. You’re just delaying the inevitable and robbing yourself of the satisfaction of striking a task from your list. So, stop waiting and start doing!
