How to Overcome Procrastination - 3
3 Tools and Techniques I use
I want to share 3 tools I use for managing time and overcoming procrastination.
1. 5 –second rule – You can look up Mel Robbins’ 5-second rule on YouTube and her book. What it essentially is that when you have to do something very difficult. Just count till 5 and get to work. It’s like standing by the side of the pool feeling afraid to jump in, then you just count 5-4-3-2-1, and just jump in. I use it all the time to make myself do difficult things that I have been procrastinating on doing.
2. GTD – Over the years I have tried many time management tools and nothing really worked for me. I admire people who can schedule every single minute of their day on a calendar. As a perfectionist, that makes me very anxious as I have a tendency to make the day extremely intense. If I would miss doing even one thing on that calendar, I would feel like the day has been a failure. David Allen’s Getting Things Done (GTD) is the only time management system that really works for me. It is also based on the concept of energy management and there are powerful tools for keeping track of everything I need to do. I have refined it somewhat to match my needs. You can read the book but its very hard to implement it by reading the book alone. I strongly recommend attending a workshop and learning from one of their coaches how to implement it properly.
3. Pomodoro Technique – This is another excellent technique for overcoming procrastination and doing difficult things. You set the timer for 25 minutes and just do the work you need to do. You are not allowed to use the phone, meaninglessly browse the internet, check email, etc. during these 25 minutes. At the end of 25 minutes, you take a 5 minute break, then repeat the cycle 4 times. At the end of 4 pomodoros of 25 minutes, you take a long break. During the breaks (short and long) it is advisable to stretch, take a short walk, drink water, etc. than remaining glued to your desk or checking notifications on the phone. There are many websites that can help you with tracking your pomodoros for free. Just look up free pomodoro technique website or something along those lines.
These tools and techniques really work for me. I hope this helps!
Credit: Ankita Singh
