There are many ways to beat procrastination, but the easiest way to get things done is to make a to-do list that works with your natural tendencies. Don’t know where to start? Here are 5 ideas to consider.
Cut the to-do list down
For starters, figure out what to eliminate or automate. If you’re the kind of procrastinator who can’t seem to complete your to-do list, because there are simply too many items, you might want to figure out what you can eliminate. For those time-consuming tasks that are necessary (but don’t bring you a lot of returns), you might want to see if there are solutions and systems in place that will do it for you.
Be specific
Next, make sure that your tasks are broken down into specific parts. Sometimes it seems daunting to start a project because of its scale, which is why it’s important to break tasks down into small chunks. There are instances when the answer is to take a break and come back to it. But when you have deadlines to meet and that’s not an option, you can try moving to another part of those tasks.
A project at a time
Another effective way of tackling procrastination is to ditch the day-specific to-do list. Instead, create a list with tasks that are only related to one singular project. This will help you use scraps of time effectively.
One each day
Sometimes, the best way of tackling procrastination is to focus on one important task for the day. By putting one important task on your calendar, you might find that you attend to the other tasks that aren’t on your list. However, you will probably enjoy them more because you won’t see it as an obligation, but an added bonus. You can also do them at a leisurely pace, easing the pressure of finishing something by a certain time.
Low-energy lists
The last idea you should consider doing is creating a procrastination “low-energy” list. You won’t always have the energy required to tackle big tasks, which is why you should keep a list of things you need to do that are relatively quick and painless to do. That way, you can get them out of the way while saving your energy for more important tasks.
