Four tips against procrastination
The beginning is always the hardest. Everyone who faces a difficult task knows that. Once we've got started, everything gets easier. And sometimes we ask ourselves afterwards why we put off this little thing for so long.
There is therefore a simple trick to beat our inner bastard: make the beginning as easy as possible!
Start with a mini-task to get your foot in the door. Don't set yourself the task of clearing out the attic. Just plan to spend 15 minutes sorting through old books or magazines and throwing a few things in the waste paper. Or just fill in the first page of your tax return by entering your personal details.
Once you've taken the first step, you'll get a little energy boost that will help you get on with the task - the same day or the next.
Tip 1: Appreciate the small steps
One of the most common sentences I hear from people who often procrastinate is: « It's not worth it! Pupils say: "The bus is coming in an hour - it's not worth starting to study», and students are convinced: «If I don't have a whole afternoon to write my Bachelor's thesis, I won't be able to get into the writing process anyway».
That's not true. Working on a thesis for short periods of time is extremely effective. A student who learnt and repeated French vocabulary four times for ten minutes over the course of a week was better prepared for the vocabulary test than her colleague who spent an hour on it once. And the student who has taken 20 minutes beforehand to think about the next few paragraphs of his seminar paper and has recorded his thoughts in the form of a few notes will find it much easier to get started writing afterwards than his colleague who stares at a blank page.
Tip 2: Be happy about progress
The more unpleasant a task is, the more likely we are to put it off. However, it is oftennot the work itself that causes our negative feelings, but our thoughts about it. People who frequently procrastinate tend to devalue themselves for their work. They berate themselves because they «haven't done what they set out to do again», because «everything they write is rubbish», or because they are too slow and «everyone else is much faster anyway».
The more we learn to be happy about our work and the small progress we make, the easier it is for us to get started the next time. A student who has written half a page for her bachelor's thesis might berate herself for having only managed half a page again. But she could also think: «Great, half a page further. If I keep writing at this pace, I'll finish the whole thesis in 80 days!» Which thought is more likely to ensure that she continues writing the next day?
If you want to overcome procrastination, you should give yourself a pat on the back just for facing your inner enemy for a short time. Have you ventured into the attic and tidied up a few things instead of giving in straight away? Enjoy it and be proud of it - and you'll feel more confident the next time you try again.
Tip 3: Make yourself beautiful
When we postpone a task, we often think about how tedious and difficult it will be to face it or how insecure and stupid we will feel. Instead, we can ask ourselves: How can I make it as easy and enjoyable as possible?
I couldn't warm to physics as a pupil, but I have fond memories of the study sessions my best friend and I used to have on our free afternoons before the exam. It was fun when you understood something and could explain it to the other person or get help if you had a mental block. You couldn't pinch yourself because you didn't want to let the other person down.
If I get stuck on an article, I take a notebook and go for a walk in the woods instead of staring at my laptop. A playlist of motivational songs helps me tidy up. How could you make a difficult task easier?
Tip 4: Ask why
After all, we often put off tasks because we doubt whether they make sense. However, in order to achieve a goal that is important to us, we often have to solve tasks that we find useless or unnecessary: The apprentice wants to pass the final exam, but doesn't see why he should learn French. A final thesis has to be written for an important professional development programme, which takes a lot of energy, but which «nobody will read anyway».
If we can't avoid the task, we should seriously ask ourselves the «why» question and take the time to do so. Perhaps we take a piece of paper and write down as many reasons as possible why we want to tackle this task. Each reason makes it a little easier for us to get involved. The new video in our «Adi & Jess» learning series shows what this exercise can look like in practice.
Image: Pexels.com
