You know you should work, but you don’t want to. Millions of distractions vie for your time and attention, some more deserving than others. How do you silence the voice of procrastination?
Here are four strategies for getting you back to work, even if you’d rather be doing something else.
List out the rewards
Nora Roberts, a prolific author, writes in Key of Knowledge, “There’s no reward without work, no victory without effort, no battle won without risk.” The inverse is also true. Why work if you don’t get paid? Why put forth effort if you don’t have a goal? Your job probably has some fundamental worth. The majority of Nora Roberts’ 200 published novels fall under the thriller or romance categories. Thousands of people read her books to escape reality, relax, or amuse themselves.
How does your job benefit the world? How does it benefit you personally? Do you consider how you will support your child’s college tuition while composing a paper at work? With a little consideration, you will most likely discover that your employment offers value to your life in a variety of ways.
You may undertake your job because of “the desire to control [your] financial destiny, the need for autonomy, or perhaps the belief that [your] service or product will potentially enhance the current marketplace.” Why stop there? The same website allows you to design your own prizes for a job well done. You’ll be more driven to work harder if you know something nice will come out of it.
Make it enjoyable
Do you prefer doing things alone or with friends? If you prefer alone, why not arrive at work early on your first day back? The office will be quiet, and you will have time to organize yourself before your day begins. Make a list of what you want to accomplish and tidy up your desk. Then you can either work in silence or listen to music till your coworkers arrive.
Invite your coworkers to join you if you’re a social butterfly. You can collaborate in a common location or use a brainstorming session to stretch your collective ideas. However, be honest about if your pals will interfere with your productivity.
If you believe they will, plan a group lunch or an after-work drink.
Fit Yourself In
The lowest level in a video game is usually the easiest. As you progress, you acquire experience and the difficulties rise. You can’t always expect to start up where you left off when you return from a break. Examine your to-do list instead. Are there any crucial chores that you can complete fast or easily? Clearing these activities can relieve stress and allow you to focus on the challenging stuff. Furthermore, marking even small, uncomplicated jobs as “complete” can give you a sense of success.
Do all of your assignments appear to be similarly daunting? Discover why. Are you scared of failing? Do you have a sense of inadequacy? Do you possess all of the knowledge required for success? MindBodyGreen recommends confronting the root of your resistance and “leaning in” like a surfer: “It’s like surfing a big wave: once you’re in it, you have only two options: lean in, make the drop, and do your best to surf the wave, or wipe out.” You could lose either way, but “Let’s do this!” feels more empowering than “Oh no!”
Make It Possible
You may become stressed if you focus on everything you have to complete. Instead, divide major work into smaller pieces. You can divide your time into segments. Set a timer and commit to working for fifteen minutes, for example. When the alarm goes off, shift your focus to something less time-consuming, such as answering an email or filing documents. Restart the timer after a few minutes and repeat the process. You’ll be shocked at how much you can get done in fifteen-minute increments.
Not all projects lend themselves to time chunking. Try the step-by-step procedure instead. Consider whether you must accomplish the task’s steps in the correct order.
Is it more efficient to move the pieces around and then compile everything at the end? For a writing endeavor, for example, you may want to print off a copy before proofreading. Some authors believe that they detect more errors on paper than on a computer screen.
Regardless of how you plan your tasks, don’t forget to add occasional breaks from heavy effort. Using this strategy, you’ll be on the last step before you realize it.
Every task provides its own set of problems, so doing some research on how to overcome a slump in your specific profession may be beneficial. For example, authors can study how to overcome writer’s block and include some of the techniques learnt into their to-do list.
Do you have a job right now? If you were reading this article as a form of procrastination, it’s time to put it down and go back to work. It won’t seem so bad if you think of a reward and a way to make the process enjoyable, break chores down into tiny portions, and begin slowly. You’ve got this!
Need more tips on how to be successful at your workplace? Visit Academic Hive and you could book a session with our Consultants.
