The Ontario Broker - Volume 22, Issue 2 - 32

LIFESTYLE
6 TIPS TO QUIT
PROCRASTINATING
this is effective for you, you can work up to tackling larger items
using the pomodoro technique-working in cycles of 25 minutes
then giving yourself a five-minute break. Though regular fiveminute
breaks might get you some weird looks if what you're
trying to accomplish is running a marathon.
REWARD YOURSELF
Even though we can recognize that procrastinating is
detrimental to us, the reality is that part of why we do it is
because it's rewarding in the short term. It feels better to not do
something than to do it. To change the math on that equation,
set a reward for doing the task that'll make not doing it relatively
less appealing. Writing that terribly uncomfortable email doesn't
seem so bad when afterwards you allow yourself to eat a whole
pint of Cherry Garcia.
lmost everyone is guilty of procrastinating
sometimes, but for some segment of people
procrastination can be a real problem, preventing
them from achieving their full potential. For them, it
might not seem like there's another way to do things. If this is
you, there's good news-you can take steps to make progress
and stop procrastinating today (not tomorrow).
SET CONCRETE GOALS
Goals that are too broad or unclear don't provide a good place
to start. Giving yourself actionable goals makes it easier to get
going. Instead of something vague like stay active, be specific
and set a goal to walk 10,000 steps a day. You can then start
working toward your goal, track your progress, know when
you've achieved success and fit into those pre-pandemic pants
again.
START SMALL
When you haven't done anything to further your goals, just
starting can feel like a task unto itself. Ask yourself what the
smallest first action you could take is and then do it. Once
you take the first step, you feel the reward of moving forward,
and will tackle the next little step. Before you know it you'll be
further along than you expected and it'll be easier to maintain
your momentum. In a way, this is how literally everything ever
has been accomplished, from painting the Sistine Chapel ceiling
to inventing the fidget spinner.
SET A TIMER
If you know what you need to do, but you're still putting it off,
set a timer for 10 minutes. Until the timer goes off, don't allow
yourself to do anything other than work on the task at hand. If
A
MINIMIZE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS
If you find you're more likely to procrastinate in a messy or
noisy environment, you can clean up, put on headphones or go
somewhere else before you even try to get started. Better yet,
plan ahead to have contingencies for factors that have derailed
you in the past. For many people today this could mean leaving
your phone in another room or maybe just throwing it in the
garbage.
CONSIDER THE CAUSE
To conquer procrastination for good, you'll have to look inside
yourself to figure out why you procrastinate. Most often it's
not laziness but a result of anxiety, a fear of failure, or other
psychological cause that keeps us at a standstill. Addressing
the root of the issue takes a lot of work and that can be a little
daunting, so it's okay to focus on your task at hand and leave
that part for another day.
32
THE ONTARIO BROKER
The Ontario Broker - Volume 22, Issue 2

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Ontario Broker - Volume 22, Issue 2
