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How to Beat Procrastination
Procrastination is the habit of putting off responsibilities until the very last minute. People have different reasons for procrastinating, but the end result is almost entirely the same; work is completed late and of a much lower quality than it would be if completed on time. Some people will claim that they work better under pressure and that procrastination is just part of their genius. This is all well and good if the procrastinator is writing an epic novel or trying to build a ship in a bottle, but when others depend on work being done on time and as requested, it seems unfair to rely on the excuse that genius prevented the work from being done. If it's a boss in a corporate setting who expects work to be done at a certain time and in a certain way, failing to meet expectations could result in professional stagnation, inability to promote, and feelings of "always being looked over" for special assignments. If it's a client in a contract setting, failure to have work completed as requested could result in being unable to collect payment for work done or, worse, losing the client to the competition forever.
Fortunately, like other bad habits, procrastination is a habit that can be broken. It might take a little time and a little patience, but there is no quick fix for habits that have been a part of who we are for who knows how long.
If there's one thing you shouldn't put off, it's reading this guide on improving productivity by eliminating the beast of procrastination from your life. The advice offered is simple to follow and requires minimal effort to implement, even for the the habitual procrastinator.
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How to Beat Procrastination
First, Still the Mind
One of the main reasons people procrastinate is because they feel like they have too much on their plate, or too many responsibilities to manage at once. Even if the person was able to sit down and get started on one of their tasks, he might feel an inability to focus or concentrate because of the nagging feeling that he is neglecting other responsibilities. This kind of response is often brought on by an overactive brain; a brain that tries too hard to work and worry about several things at once.
Relaxation techniques like meditation and deep breathing have been reported by practitioners to be very successful at helping the brain stay cool, calm, and collected, even in the face of seemingly endless tasks.
A few minutes of meditation may not make the workload seem any lighter, but it can keep the person more motivated to finish their tasks by relieving them of the mental and emotional worries they were experiencing.
The type of meditation or breathing technique used doesn't even matter. Any relaxation technique that helps the person calm down and feel more comfortable with the tasks in front of them is a good relaxation technique. One of the most popular techniques is to sit comfortably in a chair, back straight, palms down on the thighs, feet planted flat on the floor, and eyes closed. From this position, which can be accomplished in any office chair, the person will imagine being in front of the ocean, on a beach, watching the water move in and out from shore. Once they have this image in their mind, they will begin to focus closely on their breaths, evenly spacing and drawing out breaths so that each inhale and exhale is the same length. After focussing on their breathing for even just a couple of minutes, and after spending a few minutes in an imagination vacation, the person will notice that they seem less stressed and probably less "on edge" about their daily tasks.
When a feeling of calm is reached, the person can begin chipping away at their tasks one by one. If at any time the feeling of stress begins to creep back, the person can try repeating this phrase, an ancient proverb, as they work:
"The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."
This means that, no matter how daunting and long a list of chores might be, there is no way to ever accomplish them without first taking them on one by one.
Second, Energize the Body
There are no two ways about it; many procrastinators just feel lazy. They probably can't explain why, but unless a deadline is looming overhead, they would rather rest and relax than get down to work. This kind of attitude can often be attributed to a lack of energy in the person. Sometimes, a cup of coffee or energy drink is enough to get a person through their responsibilities, but these are only short term solutions, and it's just not healthy to rely on sugary drinks to get through work.
To give the body more energy to make it through the day and to face the tasks it has to face, a healthy diet should be incorporated into every person's daily routine. This isn't the same as going on a diet, but a strategy for long term health and energy by introducing healthier foods into every meal.
The best source of long lasting energy are raw fruits and vegetables. Unlike processed foods, which are full of empty calories and artificial preservatives, raw fruits and vegetables provide healthy doses of vitamins and minerals that can energize better than any sugary energy drink. However, many people don't' even get their full daily recommended servings of fruits and vegetables, much less enough to give them all day energy. This might be because they don't like the taste of raw fruits and vegetables or because they like the tastes of other foods too much. So, instead of trying to replace entire meals with buckets of fruits and vegetables, people looking for more energy throughout the day should infuse raw fruits and vegetables into each of their regular meals. For example, eating a bowl of fruit before a bowl of cereal will give the person energy throughout the morning and will even make them feel more full and less likely to reach for a mid-morning snack. At lunch and dinner, salads before meals have the same benefits; they make the person feel full longer and gives them real energy that they'll feel almost immediately.
Juicing is another way to make sure the body gets all of the fruits and vegetables it needs to stay energized. Juicing is a preferred method of getting fruits and vegetables because it's simple and blends flavors of fruits and vegetables together into tolerable and tasty concoctions that are easy to drink.
By eating a bowl of fruit or salad before each meal, and by drinking home made fruit and/or vegetable juices throughout the day, people may soon notice that they have enough energy throughout the day to avoid sugary coffee and energy drinks. Not only will they feel more energized and have more motivation to face the tasks they've been putting off, they'll probably even end up shedding a few pounds in the process.
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