4 Strategies to Stop Procrastinating

If we pay attention to what Kamal Ravikant once said: “The things I carry are my thoughts. That’s it. They are the only weight. My thoughts determine whether I am free and light or burdened”, we realize that we must change the way we think and the way we focus on a situation to stop postponing tasks. These 4 strategies to stop procrastinating can be of great help to you. 

We tend to postpone doing tedious tasks, the ones we don’t like, or the ones that stress us out because we don’t feel capable of doing them right. This is called procrastination and it’s something we’ve all experienced at least once in our lives.

But what procrastination actually represents is self-sabotage, given that apart from putting off the inevitable, it makes us feel bad about ourselves and gets in the way of enjoying other things we like doing. That’s why it’s convenient to change the way we think and act. Here are some strategies to help you stop procrastinating.

How to stop procrastinating

Change a feeling of obligation for a feeling of pleasure

It’s normal to think that work is something mandatory and that we could be doing something much more fun instead. Thinking this way is a kind of psychological torture. It leads us to associate work with an unpleasant feeling that we want to get rid of.

The result is that we end up putting off more and more tasks because we don’t feel prepared for them and consider them burdens. All this causes anxiety, frustration, and low self-esteem.

So why not ignore the negative the same way we ignore the positive? Why not pay attention to the good things about our responsibilities? We don’t tend to do this because it’s not easy, especially if we’re used to seeing only the bad side of things.

However, we should actually focus on discovering the things we enjoy most about our work, recognizing their importance, and learning new ways of doing tasks, ways we enjoy more.

Set goals in a smart way

Fear of failure, personal doubts, and low self-esteem are psychological factors that foster procrastination. If we accomplish some goals, we’ll boost our self-confidence and we’ll feel more capable of facing difficult tasks.

Therefore, an effective way to stop procrastinating is to set a small goal that doesn’t require too much effort. For example, instead of losing 20 pounds, start by slowly changing the way you eat. You can start eating more fruits and less fried foods.

Find a place where you feel good

The place where we do the tasks that are so difficult to us plays a fundamental role. The better you feel in your environment, the less you’ll procrastinate. Try to design or modify your workplace to favor peace, inspiration, and focus. Add some plants, colors that you like, comfortable furniture, and maybe even some paintings. Also, eliminate the things you don’t need. Keep your space clean and well-lit. Any little thing that you can do to feel better will help you a lot.

If you feel comfortable, you’ll be more motivated to do things. And, of course, you should also eliminate distractions that affect your focus. Things such as the Internet, noise, your phone, and social networks will distract you from your goal. Leave them as rewards for when you’re finished doing what you have to do.

Take care of your body

Sleeping enough hours, exercising, and eating a healthy diet are some of the keys to staying healthy. Developing good habits will make you feel more energetic and less vulnerable to stress and will help you have a more solid emotional balance.

Changing the way you think is possible with these 4 strategies to stop procrastinating. You’ll feel better and more successful after trying them out. You can do it!