How To Get Things Done When You Really Don’t Want To

~ centerforwomenswellness ~ Leave a comment

Here are some scientifically proven ways to get things done even when you really don’t want to:

1. Ask yourself “why you procrastinate“

Sounds stupid? Not if you remain non judgmental and naturally curious throughout the process. What is it about this task that makes it so difficult to accomplish? Perhaps it requires you to face your fears, maybe the stakes are too high and you are afraid to fail, or maybe it’s really boring. Whatever it is, understanding your blocks and motivations is the first step towards working through them.

2. Tell yourself that you will only do one small thing from your (long) list

Stop thinking about how you are going to get to the top of the mountain and start thinking about your first step. It is easy to get overwhelmed when you think about the end result. Instead, just take a tiny step; make one phone-call, send one email, write one paragraph… you get the idea. Don’t forget that accomplishing a small goal feels much better than having done nothing at all.

3. Reward yourself

Few people really enjoy paying their bills, calling their bank or writing grad school applications. Whatever it is you hate doing, there is probably a good reason. Think about how you would convince someone to do something they dislike. You would probably promise them something in return. Why not do the same with yourself? There is nothing wrong with having a little self-negotiation session. Tell yourself “if you do x, I’ll give you y”. Make sure to honor your commitment – so if you worked hard, play hard.

4. Be a productive procrastinator

This one is difficult because it requires us to change our habits, but if you train yourself to think this way, you will get way more things done! Do you procrastinate by surfing mindless websites? Instead, read something that would expand your knowledge, clean your apartment, or go for a run. Productive procrastination will make you feel better about your accomplishments than five hours of guilt-ridden, mindless TV.

5. Praise yourself for trying instead of scolding yourself for failing

In our society, we idealize success, but tend to forget that it rarely happens overnight, and that successful people failed multiple times on their way to the “top”. The truth is, we often dread doing things because we are afraid of rejection. We are scared that people are not going to “like” us or our work, we are afraid that if we try hard and still fail that means that something is fundamentally wrong with us. We find it hard to separate between our ego and our actions. Do not fear failure, you have all the needed strength and wisdom within you to learn from your mistakes and get back on your feet stronger and wiser than ever. Instead of not trying, be proud of yourself for not succumbing to your fears, regardless of the outcome!

So go ahead, start something small, be kind to yourself, and don’t be scared to fail!

Wishing you fun, productive procrastination and lots of rewards for hard work!