Breaking the Cycle of Procrastination: Tips to Get Started
Ever found yourself scrolling through social media or binge-watching your favorite show instead of doing the important project? You are not alone. Procrastination is a common phenomenon that happens to be extremely prevalent among working women. Why do we procrastinate on doing the very things we know matter? What if I told you that breaking this cycle was not only possible but necessary for you to achieve your goals? At Iron Lady, we empower women to take control and turn their lives around. In this text, let’s look at why people procrastinate and find actions that can propel you onto the road to success.
Understanding Procrastination
Procrastination usually stems from a thousand and one underlying causes: fear of failure, perfectionism, and low motivation can all contribute to this state. Understanding that procrastination goes beyond management of your time; it is a complex presentation of emotional response.
Fear of Failure
This paralysing mentality leaves you on your deathbed. All of us have apprehensions regarding the outcome of our work, so we never initiate. The more it lingers, the tenser we get.
Perfectionism
Setting impossibly high criteria makes it a Herculean challenge for a project to be initiated. When perfection becomes the aim, it paralyses you.
Lack of Motivation
On many occasions, tasks just tend to be dull and uncreative hence one can easily shrink them. Once the passion or purpose is lost for a task, it may become impossible to muster up the energy to get started.
Overwhelmed
Feeling overwhelmed with the size of the task leads to procrastination. When the project before one appears too big or complex, it becomes easy to give it all up altogether.
How to Beat Procrastination
Now that we’ve explored some of the most obvious reasons people procrastinate, let’s turn to practical strategies that will help you get started and overcome procrastination.
1. The Two-minute Rule: Start Now
If a task seems monumental in your mind, agree to work on it for two minutes. Usually, once you start, the resistance melts away enough so that you can make actual progress.
Iron Lady Tip
Utilise a timer that will help motivate and keep you on track. You can use it for two minutes, and then after the time has passed, decide whether to continue or take a break. The likelihood is, you’ll be motivated to continue working.
2. Be Prepared of an Environment Free from Distractions
This is one area where your external environment would impact how much you are focused. Identify the distractions that frequently pull you away from work and minimise them.
Iron Lady Tip: Curate Your Space
Reserve a space for productivity. Clean it and declutter it. Turn off notifications on your devices. Utilise Apps that block distracting websites during work sessions.
3. Accountability Partners: The Community Connection
Occasionally, the act of putting your goals in black and white and communicating them to others is enough motivation to get started. It becomes very much harder to procrastinate when you know that someone is waiting to hear that you get something done.
Iron Lady Tip: Join an Accountability Group
Find an accountability group, either in-person or online. Sharing regular check-in’s with like-minded, supportive individuals will keep you accountable, guiding you along the way towards achieving what you’ve set out for yourself.
Your Journey to Success Start Now
Procrastination seems like an incurable cycle, but the right strategies can watch you when you need to take control of your time and productivity. Remember, progress happens in small steps, and all efforts count.
Are you ready to kick procrastination in the butt and start on your journey toward making your goals a reality? Because here at Iron Lady, we teach you strategies and skills that can help you thrive. So join our Leadership Essentials Program today and take that bold step toward your future. Let’s break this cycle together.
