Procrastination is a serious problem that affects more than one out of five workers. When left unchecked, it can make you less engaged, lower your productivity and potentially get you fired. So it’s definitely something you’ll want to overcome. With that said, here are five ways to eliminate procrastination in the workplace.
Ditch Major Distractions
One of the main reasons for procrastination is getting caught up with distractions. After all, it’s hard to give your best when you’re attention is focused on something else outside of work. A recent study found that some of the biggest culprits were smartphones, wasting time on the Internet, gossiping with co-workers and email.
Therefore, these are all issues to be aware of, and you may want to take action to avoid getting sucked into these time drainers. For example, you might leave your smartphone in your vehicle and only check it during breaks.
Give Yourself Deadlines
Having a definitive deadline to complete a project is a great way to encourage discipline and self-control. It’s like having a paper due in high school or college where it has to be done by a certain date — no questions asked. So even if your boss doesn’t give you a specific deadline, it’s a good idea to give yourself one to avoid procrastination.
Hold Yourself Accountable
It’s also important to give yourself some sense of accountability for getting it done on time. One of the easiest ways to do this is to simply tell a co-worker or manager that you’ll have a project done by a specific date. Having increased responsibility like this should provide added incentive.
Break Goals Down into Manageable Tasks
A common reason why employees put off projects is because they feel overwhelmed. For instance, it may involve a ton of difficult tasks, and they just don’t know where to get started. A good solution to this problem is breaking big tasks down into smaller, more manageable tasks. When you approach it like this, a project is much less intimidating, and you can gradually chip away at it until you’re done.
Give Yourself Rewards for Staying on Track
Finally, you can create an added incentive by rewarding yourself for completing various tasks. Some examples could be eating at your favorite restaurant or relaxing and watching your favorite TV show.
Procrastination is a problem that a lot of people struggle with. But it’s certainly something that can be overcome. Following these five tips should help you become more motivated and driven to help you operate at your best.
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