How to procrastinate better, and make it work for you.

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Go beyond autopilot

First, ask yourself, what are your autopilot procrastinating tendencies?

Most of us will pick up our favourite appendage – our phones. We’ll doom-scroll, shop, post stories, randomly click, whatever.

But here’s the deal. I still do those; I do enjoy them. But I do those within controlled time pockets so I get that devilishly pleasurable sense of gratification.

Then ask yourself, what are the contained time boundaries within which you’ll do those.

It could be in the five minutes you have between things. When you set alarms. When you’re in a short ten-minute cab-ride.

Procrastinate thoughtfully

Next, we’ll set up three lists.

The first list is Joy. What brings you joy or pleasure, or what makes your heart sing. Look for the simple things, like hugging your dog.

Second, is Order. What in your life could be more orderly? Does your house look neat, but the cupboards like a tornado has just torn through them? Or, what does your digital real estate – your computer folders, your archives on Google Drive or iCloud, your phone’s photo albums – look like. Otherwise, is there anything in your life that needs more cleanliness. Start small.

Third, we have Mastery. These are the things you’d love to start, or continue. They give you a sense of accomplishment. From a skill to a talent, from the things you might do someday to something you can already do.

Remind yourself

Keep this list as visible as possible. Maybe even as your phone’s home screen so you always see it and have zero excuses not to do them.

Reward yourself

That dopamine flooding into the spaces between your brain cells is what gives us that ‘ooh this feels sooo darned good’ feeling, that will make you want to do it over and over again. So, establish a rewards list that you can consult, so you’ll keep procrastinating better."

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Reflection:

What are your thoughts on these tips?

#Procrastination #Motivation #MentalHealth