The world we live in is full of external forces that can put a hold on everything you do. On top of the outside factors, you may also be slowing down or fully stopping the process of chasing your goals. Whether procrastination, worry, or overthinking is blocking your path, you’re capable of overcoming those obstacles. You choose how to let external and internal influences keep you from doing what it takes to make your dreams tangible.
Putting an end to procrastination.
Procrastination is an extremely common obstacle, which means there are plenty of people who have experienced it and tried to combat it. Because so many others have faced and defeated the power of procrastination, there are several methods to solve your “do it tomorrow” mentality.
Make a checklist.
Occasionally, all you need to nudge your productivity in the right direction is a little visualization. Create a checklist to organize and prioritize all your tasks. When you complete a task, take it off the list. This simple step will help you to see how much you’ve accomplished and give you the momentum to continue finishing projects from your list. If you’d like to have a more in-depth checklist, here are some great methods for creating lists that work for you!
Simplify your projects.
Complicated tasks are overwhelming, especially if you have a lot of them. Cut yourself a break by cutting those tasks into manageable chunks. You’ll be more likely to do them if they seem easier to complete and less time-consuming. If you need to call a bunch of clients, take the calls one at a time. Focusing on one call at a time, instead of all of them at once, will improve your genuine interest in the call and your customer service.
Determine your deadline.
Most of your responsibilities probably have deadlines, and if they don’t, assign one to them. If you can break a big task into multiple deadlines, it’s better than having one deadline for the whole project. Otherwise, you open yourself up to procrastination and will likely cram a lot of work into one time period instead of spreading it out evenly. Waiting till the last minute to work usually sacrifices the quality of that work.
There are plenty of other ways to minimize procrastination. Check out these methods if you don’t think the solutions listed above will be enough to squash your procrastination.
Getting over overthinking.
If you’re tired of getting in your own way, work on reducing your overthinking. The biggest part of overthinking is related to expectations. Not only do you constantly consider the expectations you have for yourself and your work, but also other people’s expectations. Here are our tips to help you start doing what you want to rather than just thinking about doing it:
- Stop expecting yourself to be perfect. You will second guess everything if you’re expecting it to be perfect.
- Go with your gut on minor decisions. For small decisions, don’t waste your time thinking about every outcome. Trust your instincts and make a choice.
- Get into a routine. If you can create a routine with structure for your daily choices (what to wear, eat, watch, etc.), you’ll save energy for bigger decisions.
- Shrink project timeline. When you have a project that’s supposed to take 3 weeks, do it in one week. Here are some tips on working faster.
Although it may take a bit of practice and repetition, you’ll get past overthinking in no time!
Whisk away your worries.
Since worry can be eliminated in many of the same ways that overthinking can, we’ll make this brief. Worries are hard to escape from and sometimes they appear out of thin air. To minimize your worries stop thinking in “what-if” terms. Nothing crushes worry like reality. When you examine your worries closely, they are often self-created and made up. You’re creating worst case scenarios in your head and ignoring the fact that they’re unlikely.
Actions you can take to eliminate worries are:
- Make a list of all your worries. Find and address the ones within your control, ignore the rest.
- Be okay with not knowing what’s coming next!
- Talk about them with someone. Often just getting something off your chest helps alleviate your worries.
Don’t let your worries prevent you from moving forward. You have the power to push them away and carry on.
Keep Moving, Doing, and Going!
You’re capable of amazing things (as long as you don’t let anything stand in your way). Too often, we know what we need to do and how to do it, but we struggle to get up and start doing it. Use these tips to get out of your seat and start working toward your dreams!
If you want a little help maintaining your productivity by creating routines for your mornings and evenings, check out our blog.
