Beat the Procrastination Monster!
Author: Helga Akao
We all experience those days where we power through tasks with laser focus, accomplishing anything thrown our way. It’s a feeling of peak productivity – overflowing with inspiration, motivation, and pure drive. Unfortunately, these aren’t everyday occurrences. The reality is, most days we operate at less than 100%. But that’s okay! The good news is, even with reduced capacity, you can still achieve significant progress. Here’s how to ensure you consistently get things done, even if it’s not always at full throttle.
Have a clear picture of what you want
Every task leads to a desired outcome and every outcome is important for the achievement of a goal. It is important to have a clear goal in mind. I call it a Why. This means you will know why you are doing something. Just thinking about it is enough to give you a renewed doze of motivation. According to the Journal of Applied Psychology, the more specific your goals are the more motivated you become, which increases your chances of achieving your goals.
Having clear goals also help towards defining priorities. This way, you never take on unnecessary tasks but only those that are important and necessary. This guarantees that you will not be overwhelmed when you approach tasks and hence be in a position to give a hundred percent.
Prioritize getting involved in things that you are passionate about
This is almost always guaranteed to work. Doing what you love means that you will enjoy the tasks you take on and look forward to them. It is only on rare occasions that people who love their jobs report not being motivated anymore. Usually, the remedy for this is to either fix what’s affecting their work (it may not be the task itself) or encourage them to remember why they love what they do. Sometimes, it may not be any of this. In which case, the whole situation becomes a major sign from the universe to change course.
Create a place for serious tasks
If you are in a loud or laissez faire environment there’s really no way you can expect to get things done. Distractions will simply be too many. If you want to get things done, it is important to create a place for it. This is why offices exist. But if you can’t go to the office (going to the office might demotivate because it can feel like a task in itself), find a place that enables you to work quietly and think clearly. You can stock it up with whatever else puts you in the right mood to work, like coffee. Having a personal place where you complete tasks, also works as a powerful motivator because whenever you are there you will automatically consider working on tasks. It will also become a place that your mind connects with action, efficiency and success.
Harness the power of discipline
There will be days when you try everything and still get nothing. You wake up early, take coffee, find a quiet place, recall all the Whys and still nothing. Days like that, I recommend discipline. Discipline is a code of behavior, a practice you adhere to as a matter of necessity. Whether you like it or not. You know that you need food so you eat. You know that you need a job so you turn up for work. You know that if you don’t exercise you will get out of shape, so you exercise. Applying the same Must Do mindset to selected tasks will help you to always get stuff done even when you are not up for it. First you start off struggling with a task and before you know it, you are really rolling and then before you know it, it’s done.
If you follow these four rules, you will always find motivation. Staying motivated isn’t about maintaining an unrealistic high all the time. It’s about understanding what fuels your drive and creating a system that works for you. By setting clear goals, prioritizing your passions, and crafting a dedicated workspace, you’ll be well on your way to consistent productivity. And remember, even when the first three don’t work, discipline can be the ultimate motivator that keeps you on the path to success.
About the Author
Helga Akao is a writer with a Medium blog. Her topics cover different areas from self-improvement to short stories. Her conversational and sometimes humorous writing style makes her writing very relatable, inspirational and engaging. We especially love her article on How to Stay Motivated. It contains very practical and logical steps that anyone can use to stay focused.
We encourage you to check out her other articles like Coming Home belonging to the Aspen series. It is a series about a naughty and mischievous dog called Aspen.
Find this article and other works on her Medium Blog here: https://medium.com/@helgaakao
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