How to Avoid Stopping at the Procrastination Station!
By Anna @BubbleJobs
Have you ever found yourself sat at your desk avoiding that pile of paperwork as long as your arm despite the pressing 5pm deadline? Of course you have. As humans, we’re a lazy species. Agreed some more than others but I won’t slander any slackers at least not on the company blog…(see look at me going off on a tangent rant already?!). My point is, we are all guilty of procrastination at one point or another.
I’m sat here now in Bubble HQ, sipping my second brew in less than half an hour, wondering what I‘m going to have for my tea tonight.
The term “Procrastination” actually comes from the Latin word procrastinat which translates as “deferred till the morning”. There you go…fun fact Thursday. Anyway, I figured a blog on how to combat time wasting could be highly useful to our lovely Bubble job seekers since looking for employment can be a long mundane process. Additionally for our prospective clients and recruiters that might be reading this, it might be a helpful point of call when you’re getting bored looking at stuffy, boring job boards (before you’ve stumbled across ours that is…!).
I think the two major types of procrastinators come under the categories of ‘Dreamer’ and ‘Perfectionist’. I’d class myself as a bit of both. So…my top five tips are dedicated to those of you who spend too long getting every detail perfect as well as those easily absorbed in thoughts daydreaming of anything apart from the task in hand.
So without much ado, here’s my best advice on how to avoid stopping at the procrastination station!
1. LISTS
At the start of the day, I always like to make a to-do list. I rank my tasks in order of priority and try to set time limits to avoid spending too long on one activity. It’s hard to discipline yourself initially so a useful way to evaluate your productivity is to use a journal to monitor your time use and continually strive to improve efficiency.
2. SORT OUT YOUR WORKSPACE
Make sure that your desk is conducive to good work. If you can’t focus with music on, turn it off. Invest in a good desk chair to stay comfortable throughout the day but avoid those squishy pillows that send you into slumber…zzzzz…
3. READ QUOTES
This one will particularly appeal to the dreamers out there. Sometimes a motivational message is all you need to feel inspired. If you have a favourite quote set it as your desktop wallpaper, it may just be all you need to spur you on to work harder. If you don’t have a quote in mind you could always follow our Motivational Board on Pinterest….? However this is not an excuse to spend the next three hours pinning and I will not be held responsible if you do… you have been warned!
4. TELL OTHERS ABOUT YOUR GOALS
If you tell friends, family and colleagues about your projects, the likelihood is that you will be continually asked how you are getting on with your goals. That way you’re kept more accountable to your plans.
5. REWARD YOURSELF
When you finish a task it’s important to reward yourself. Give yourself a 10 minute Facebook break, update your ‘livin’ for the weekend’ status if you’re one of them, go for a quick walk, get some fresh air and indulge in that bar of chocolate. Little rewards throughout the day can make it easier to accomplish a big goal.
Before I finish, I want to ask for your help…do you procrastinate a lot? What are your best tips for getting stuff done that I haven’t covered in today’s blog? Please feel free to leave a comment below or get in touch via Twitter if that’s more your thing….
About the Author
Anna Geary Anna Geary is the Social Media Manager for Bubble Jobs. As a natural chatterbox, Anna is responsible for all things social, engaging and growing the Bubble community everyday. You can follow her on Twitter here or add her to your circles on Google + here.
