Three Tips for Time Management When You’re a Natural Procrastinator

 

If you’ve clicked on this article, chances are you have an urgent task to complete but your lack of motivation is causing you to put it off. Procrastinators tend to wait until the last possible minute before beginning, and then it causes unnecessary stress and panic.

 

So, if you want to know how to motivate yourself and manage your time better without having to focus intensely on a task, read on!

 

Tip #1: Set Out a Loose Schedule

Having a loose schedule in place allows you to plan whilst still keeping time free for any unexpected events or just needing time to chill out. An academic diary is perfect for this task if you prefer to handwrite things or type them into your phone via notes or the calendar works just as well.

 

Tip #2 Don’t Expect too Much of Yourself

It is easy to say to yourself “oh, I can do that in an hour”, and then find that the task takes longer than anticipated. Set aside time to complete small sections of a task rather than doing the full thing if possible.

 

For example, if you have a deadline coming up for an assignment, set aside an hour each day from a week before the due date and do a little each time.

 

Tip #3: The Pomodoro Technique

The Pomodoro technique is something designed to help you focus for a set period of time without getting distracted. The idea is to pick a task, work for 25 minutes, and then take a 5-minute break.

 

This keeps you from getting bored of the work whilst motivating you to get on with the job. After four rounds of this cycle (25 x 4), you can have a longer 30-minute break. There are apps that help you keep track of the time and notify you when you’ve successfully completed a cycle.

 

Hopefully, these tips will help you finally complete that task you’ve been putting off. Let us know in the comments if you found them useful!