Making the Most of Your Time: Tips to Beat Procrastination (Part 2)

We've got more tips on making the most of your time. If you missed the first round, make sure you check them out here.

Prioritize Your Task List

Making a list will help you calm down when you’re feeling overwhelmed, and one of the best things you can do is cross off tasks once you’ve completed them. It gives you a sense of accomplishment and does wonders for your poor overworked psyche. You might think that you never get anything done, but by writing it down and indicating completed tasks, you’ll be able to see how much work you’re actually doing. This will build your confidence and empower you to keep working, even when you’re feeling overwhelmed.

Predict Results

Motivate yourself to complete tasks by projecting the benefits of accomplishing your work and the consequences of putting it off. Try making lists of each to get yourself thinking about the wide variety of reasons you have to get your work done. Whether you respond to positive or negative motivation, this exercise will give you something to work with.

Get Excited

If you’re motivated to get your work done because it excites you or gives you a sense of fulfillment, it will be easier to get things done as efficiently as possible. When you want to do something, you do it quickly and you pay attention to the details. This saves you time on two levels: the time taken to accomplish the task and the time required to revise your work.

Get Going

Do you find yourself going back to revise after completing only a small amount of work? Stop backtracking and focus on finishing your work. It can be helpful to revise as you go as long as you do it efficiently, but if you find yourself using revision as a procrastination crutch, don’t allow yourself to look back. Work until you’ve completed the task and then revisit any problem areas you noticed along the way.

As long as you’re able to catch yourself in the act of procrastination, you can correct your behavior – or rely on your accountability partner to help you identify it. With strategies to avoid and reverse procrastination, you’ll be prepared to make the most of your time as well as your money.

Maria Rainier is a freelance writer and blog junkie. She is currently a resident blogger at First in Education and performs research surrounding online schools. In her spare time, she enjoys square-foot gardening, swimming, and avoiding her laptop.

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