5 Simple Hacks to Turn Procrastination into Productivity
Procrastination is often the enemy of productivity. To turn procrastination into productivity, you must look inside yourself and figure out where the resistance is coming from.
No matter how you choose to get yourself out of the procrastination cycle, always remember you have full control over your actions.
Before you start, think about why you’re procrastinating. Are you worried? Do you psych yourself out before you even start? Are you letting negativity get in the way? Are you stuck in planning all the steps but not doing them?
Here are some strategies to help you turn procrastination into productivity:
- Avoid judging yourself too harshly. We can be our own worst critic, right? Instead of wasting time thinking about what you think of yourself or what others think of you, just create. The judgment never has to enter the work environment. You’ll be surprised at how much better you will be able to work when you are not afraid of what others will think.
- Envision the positive feelings you will have when you finish what you start. Will you feel relief, joy, or pride? These feelings are all more conducive to being productive than feeling guilt, and the other negative emotions that procrastination tends to bring.
- Devise a plan and the action steps. Sometimes we get stuck because we haven’t envisioned where the next step will take us. Start imagining what you want to have happen and start turning your ideas into action.
- Choose to be creative. This is a choice you can make for yourself. Instead of always finding the “safest way” to do something, push yourself to your limits instead. Sometimes the only way to grow is to pretend we are without limits. When we are asked to work within a limit, our creativity can falter.
- Pretend you’re guiding someone else into action. Imagine yourself training someone else to get something done. You might be surprised to find you treat yourself more kindly than you otherwise would have.
Look inside yourself and understand where your procrastination is stemming from. Trust and tell yourself that you can be productive while recovering from a bout of procrastination.
