Excessive procrastination is one of the most harmful things against creativity and productivity. It’s also very sly; you might not even really realize how much it affects your life.

Fighting to eliminate procrastination from your life doesn't mean it’s all work and no play. Relaxing is essential, but procrastination by definition means doing something superficial when you should be doing something worthwhile. Consciously avoiding procrastination will greatly help anyone that wants someday to reap the benefits of productive or creative work.

Here’s 5 great tips to get closer to that goal and successfully uproot procrastination from your life.

1. Gain Perspective.

When deciding on today’s tasks, productive activities don’t naturally appeal to us because their benefit for us is in the future. Try to see the big picture and realize that long-term benefits eventually override the short-term benefits. Even if something doesn't appeal to you today, tomorrow you’re glad you did it.

2. Make A Schedule.

And promise yourself to stick to it. It doesn't have to define all the activities for the day, because those are too confining for practical use. What I've found to be more useful, is kind of a “liquid schedule”. All you have to decide is how much time you will use for “activity X” per day and then find the time for that each day. For example, if you decide to spend 30 minutes per day for writing, it doesn't matter when you do it. What matters, is that each day you’ll spend 30 minutes writing. Print out a form with 30 boxes and check each box after you complete the daily activity.

3. Reward Yourself After Productive Work.

Sounds silly, but it works. It helps our brains to subconsciously associate productive work with good feeling, making it subconsciously more appealing activity for us.

4. Identify What You Do When Procrastinating And Cut It Out.

If the outlets for your procrastination are visible to you, they will be harder to resist simple because they’re there. You can see them. So what you need to do is not see them. Do you play Angry Birds? Hide your cell phone when studying. Sometimes this cannot be done, simply because procrastination and productive activities may exist on same platform. For example, when trying to write a thesis on computer, it’s kind of hard to hide the computer, if you find yourself constantly resisting to watch Ellen Degeneres Show on YouTube.

5. Do Things That You Love.

Sometimes procrastination might just be a concealed protesting by your subconscious to the things you’re currently doing. Finding work and creating a career that you love is the single most effective way to cut out needless procrastination, simply because you actually start to like doing the productive things. Only you know the difference whether procrastination is caused by dislike to your current future of life or normal laziness.



Using these tips to battle procrastination will greatly help your productivity and creativity and bring you more long-term happiness.

It is essential to remember that procrastination doesn't affect just some; it affects us all. I myself face the same temptations daily as anyone in this planet. Trying to deny the existence of procrastination or trying to strive to life with absolutely no procrastination isn't realistic. Not because we’re humans. But what’s important are the conscious efforts to reduce its effect on our lives; and so to achieve greater long-term happiness.

Remember, there’s a fine line between procrastination and restoring your energies; and that’s your conscience. You know it best when you should be doing something productive. The latter is essential, the former, not so much.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/HumanTouch-Consulting/118817674795419

I was procastinating on something while reading this. I guess i better get on it right away