5 Steps to Tackle Procrastination

To become a good leader requires you to cultivate yourself first, since your subordinates will look up to you as their role model. If you expect them to work efficiently, it is crucial that you overcome your own procrastination. Here are five scientific-based steps that you might find helpful when you find yourself procrastinating on a task:

𝟭. 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆.
Ask yourself: “Is the task important to you?”. If the answer is yes, you have to be determinate to work on it immediately. If it feels daunting and you do not know where to start, creating a list of tasks is a good stepping stone.

𝟮. 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀.
Oftentimes, we get overwhelmed by setting unrealistic targets (For example: Finish 10 tasks in 1 hour), and end up not being able to finish them. Hence, it is important to understand our limit and create a list with a reasonable amount of tasks that can be done within a timeframe.

𝟯. 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗹𝘆.
Choose an easy task to “warm up” will help create a momentum, which carries you through other difficult tasks. For example: If you are procrastinated to do a big report, start with collecting all resources that you might need into a folder first.
* Small tip: Pick a song that normally gets you excited to listen to while doing the first task. This is a quick boost for your brain to get into working mode 

𝟰. 𝗣𝗼𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗼𝗿𝗼 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗾𝘂𝗲.
Science has discovered that our brain naturally goes through cycles with peaks and valleys, therefore, it is important to balance between focused time with relaxation. In general, this Pomodoro technique requires you to put away all distractions and working in concentrated chunks of time (25 minutes work), followed by short periods of rest (5 minutes) after each chunk. After three to four chunks, take a long rest for 20 to 30 minutes. This technique allows you to harness the optimal performance of the brain and body under time pressure.

𝟱. 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗳𝘂𝗻!
Another way to motivate yourself to complete a task is to create a reward that you will give yourself once it’s been completed. What can you treat yourself to once you’ve finished this task? Research shows the human brain responds to reward stimulus and this can be a good way to create the habit of getting things done.
Source: Forbes

𝗢𝗽𝘂𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗲
CRICOS 03878K | RTO 45644
————————
 Phone: (+61) 261 018 650
 Email: enquiry.act@opc.edu.au
 Website: https://opc.edu.au
 Canberra campus: Mezzanine Level, 15 Moore Street, Canberra ACT 2601
 Melbourne campus: Suite 802, Level 8, 474 Flinders St, Melbourne VIC 3000