We have all fallen deep into the realm of procrastination, sucked into the void of social media or realising it's a Thursday and the new Riverdale episode is out... I don't know about you but I do need a weekly dose of Jughead Jones. Nonetheless, hours seem to slip past us but the task set in front of you stares deep into the pit where the guilt lies. After watching Tim Urban's Ted Talk - it really clarified what procrastination is, by using simple animations.
Changing your MINDSET
I hope you enjoyed procrastinating while watching that video... First of all, procrastination is usually something done to avoid a task we don't particularly feel like doing at the time. But if you change your mindset to the thought of when the task is done - chances are you won't have to do it again. 'Do something that will benefit your future self' is something I like to remind myself every now and again.
Another angle could be 'YOLO'. To save the hassle of pulling out your ancient urban dictionary, it means 'You Only Live Once'. To expand, every second you waste you won't get back. Unfortunately, you won't get back the time from reading this... but do continue to read - I'll get to the point soon, I promise. I'm not saying that you should work 24/7, (fun fact - we sleep for 1/3 of our entire lives! Presuming you get the minimum of 8 hours sleep per night) but what I am saying is that you have ONE LIFE. Whatever your task is, be it a piece of homework or writing 500 words more for that assignment - look at the bigger picture. You're doing it for a reason. What is your 'WHY'?
After reading 'Start With Why' by Simon Sinek, it made me realise how important it is to have a 'WHY'. I go into more details on my other blog post - 'How to stay motivated?'.
Once your mindset has shifted to the realisation that 'YOLO' is truer than you think, and you have established your reason 'WHY', you are ready to go with these practical ways of hindering procrastination.
'Success Lists' are your best friend.
Heck, I'm gonna make this a list - see that bullet point - it is the window to organisation. In all seriousness, you probably have heard, 'make lists'. However, nothing makes you feel worse when that list is exhaustive and you have only crossed off less than half of it. My advice is to make a 'success list'. A list whereby you priorities what is most important. To make your day as productive as possible, do the least amount of things that will give you the maximum outcome - this is where success lies.
Ask yourself this -
What can I do now, that will lift the most weight off my shoulders?
This simple question will allow you to learn how to prioritise. Stop wasting your time filling your list with unimportant things - let's face it, are you trying to make the list look more daunting than it already is?!
Another tip when it comes to 'success lists', make them when you come home, straight after school/work, before you slip into your cosy PJs. Alternatively, if you plan to do work the next day, write your success list the night before and bang it on your desk ready for the morning you wake up. This is called setting your intentions for the day to come.
Apps
1. Forest
In an era of millennials trapped by the binding contact of a mobile device, it has been ingrained since that first day you got your Blackberry to be in sync with your 'baby'. To break that, I recommend apps like 'Forest', it's almost addictive - not the point, but the idea is you set a timer on the app, and it stops you from going on any other app on your phone. In the mean time, the app plants a virtual tree for your virtual forest. If you go on another app during this time, you tree dies. It's a matter of life or death really... The fun thing is you collect coins, once you have collected enough coins - the company will actually plant a tree in REAL LIFE. *mindblown. To think all the hours of productive work you do is saving the planet.
You are a true HERO.
I'm sure there are many other apps like this, but this is one I love because you can add friends to it and set a study room up. I wish 'Forest' were sponsoring me.
Before I forget to mention - there is also the Pomodoro technique you can try out with this app - simply set it for 25 minutes and do solid work for that time, then set it for a 5 minute break. Do something completely different with this time, and then repeat. Studies have shown that taking regular breaks while studying is essential to better memory.
2. Study with Me Videos
This one isn't quite an app but I've been finding these so useful. I have been loving 'study with me' videos on Youtube. I would literally play these on my phone to stop me from constantly checking my empty notification box... This meant that I can smash whatever time I had with some serious work load. I've been loving 'Unjaded Jades' ones recently. Highly recommend her as she is my study GURU!
Get yourself a study buddy
Although this tip could potentially spiral down an Alice in Wonderland Rabbit hole of procrastination. Make sure you choose someone that won't distract you from your own work. I personally go on a little study session, most Sundays at a café with my Mum's Partner - Jay. With him doing his Postgraduate Masters we can get a good 3 hours under our belt of productive work, with regular breaks, of course. Not only do you have someone to mind your stuff when you voyage to the loo after drinking too much coffee but also it's almost like they are watching over you to make sure you get the work done!
Group Study
Smaller groups are best - no more than 3, otherwise it'll be a mothers meeting and next minute, you guys are talking about what outfit to wear to the next party or arguing about last night's football match. If it's a group task, for example discussing a topic together, ensure you set your intentions before you start your session. Think of it as learning outcomes - this will make sure that you stay on track.
To conclude, these are just a few tips that have helped me in the past. I hope at least one of them helps you. If not, then, I hope you don't find this post as a form of procrastination, but steps towards being more productive with your time.
Good luck my friends.
You've got this.
Simone.
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