05 Apr 2020

Agh, you’ve made a left turn to Procrastination Station. We’ve all been there. I mean come on, falling down a black hole of videos titled things like ‘Turkish Man Meowing At An Egg For Ten Minutes’ or ‘This Man Flew To Japan To Sing ABBA In A Big Cold River’ is so addictive.

But here are the directions to Productive Avenue!

 

1. Don’t make 'if it’s not the due date, it ain't the do date' your motto

Do you know what happened when I followed this motto spiritually, mentally and physically? I frazzled myself. I frazzled myself real bad. 

Make it a habit to get things done a few days before they're due to ease some tension. A lot of the time, we procrastinate when we’re overwhelmed and don’t know where to start.

If you’ve left everything to the last minute, you’ll panic and just start playing The Sims. Or at least, that's what I would do...

So how do we do that? We…

2. Get organised

It's time to make a schedule of things that need to be done, what your priorities are and how big or small the tasks are.

Make to do lists every day and with satisfaction, cross everything off when you've managed to complete it. 

Not only should you organise your tasks, but organise your desk and room as well. Clean desk = clean mind.

3. Get rid of your distractions and set a timer

With every ‘ding’ from a friend sending you yet another coronavirus meme, your attention span decreases. Chuck your phone on airplane mode and get grinding!

A great way to get stuff done is to set a timer for 60 minutes. In those 60 minutes, you need to get as much done as possible because you know that when the timer goes off, you can call your mates, have a quick jam on your guitar and even play with your dogs. Then, set another timer!

You're not a machine so don't kick yourself for losing attention and motivation. Balance work and play.

4. Tell people your goals 

Have people hold you accountable for doing what needs to be done. Who knows, they may help motivate you as well.

The disappointment of procrastinating won’t just hit yourself, it’ll hit them. Don’t let your dog down, man.

5. Have a morning routine and stick to it

If you start your morning productively, you're more inspired to keep that momentum going throughout the day. For example, when I wake up, I like to do a 20-minute exercise, shower, eat brekkie, read 20 or so pages of my book and then get into the grind!

Find a morning routine that works for you and make it a habit.

Now you're back at Productive Avenue where magical things get done!