Master Your Day: Proven Strategies to stop procrastination
How many times have you tried to stop procrastination? Does this sound familiar. You start your morning off on the right track. somewhere along the way you are distracted and before you know it the day is over. I know this feeling all to well. I read all the books and knew what I had to do, the only problem was that I did not implement the right strategies. Unlocking peak productivity involves mastering your daily routine. Here are some of my favourite strategies that i do daily that gets thing done and will stop procrastination dead.
Eat that frog and prioritise with the ABC method
One of the first productivity books I read was Eat that frog by Brian Tracy. The main premise of the book is eating your frog every morning. This is your most important task and it is your sole purpose of the day. Without this complete you have failed. If the task is to big then break it down into manageable chunks.
Write out a list of everything you need to get done that day. Now find your most important task and label it A. Go down your list alphabetically.
Example
A) Write sales page
B) Write blog post
C) Respond to email
D) Workout
E) Go shopping
Time Blocking for Focus
Implement time blocking to allocate specific time periods for different tasks. Designate focused work intervals and include breaks for rejuvenation. Most people know what there most productive time of the day is. Mine is the morning, so I block out 3 hours of non negotiable time. This is where I get my deep work done, usually my frog. Pick a time that you can do everyday. By doing time blocking you will be able to get quality work done. Save all your smaller tasks for after.
Morning routine
Your day is won in the morning. Waking up and lounging around until something pops up is stupid. Having a set routine can be the difference between failure and success. Many of the worlds leading entrepreneurs and high achievers have a set morning routine. This helps stop procrastination and before most people have gotten out of bed.
This begins with a set wake up time. Make sure that is something you can stick to, waking up at 5 am is great but if you cant do it everyday then it is not sustainable. Once your body has become accustomed to that wake up time you will feel energised and ready for the morning. For more routines that improve your life click here.
Digital Detox
Go on a digital detox. Throughout the day we are faced with to much digital distraction. Television, YouTube, iPhone, video games. They are designed to steal our attention and time. Raise your standards. Create a self enforced ban on anything that wastes your day. This will allow you to be more productive and get what you need done. Once you haven’t completed your goals for the day then go nuts.
Batching Tasks
In the long run it makes sense. Jumping from task to task, each one causing your mind to change tempo as it ebbs and flows from the levels of concentration it needs for each of them. Scheduling your activities in chunks will give your brain some breathing room so it can concentrate on one thing at a time. Giving you better results and taking less time.
Batching works best with mundane activities such as emails, planning etc. when you develop the habit further then you can batch more focus based tasks. If productivity is what you lack then click here.
Delegate
This can be a very hard one for people to do. We humans love to micro manage everything in our lives. If you want something done do it yourself is the wrong attitude to have when it comes to being productive. I would always lean into automation but for some tasks it is impossible. This is where delegating becomes a great option. Working out what your hourly rate is will give you a better idea of what you can delegate. If your hourly rate is $20 and you can get your laundry done for $10, then it is a no brainer to delegate. You can always ask love ones to help with certain tasks. It is aa bit cheeky but it is a option.
Habit stacking
It sounds a lot like batching but is ain’t. Coupling activities is when you combine the tasks you want done into one. I find it works best when you combine exercise with learning, something a lot of people already do without realising. Listening to podcasts while doing cardio, listening to audio books while weight training, brainstorming ideas in between sets of shadow boxing. This kills 2 birds with one stone as the learning material you choose is what you would have consumed anyway. I first become aware of this technique through the amazing book ATOMIC HABITS by James Clear.
You can become very creative with this, hear are some ideas
skipping rounds and juggling
walking and writing through voice notes
watching television and stretching
treadmill desk
By implementing these actionable steps, you can take significant strides towards mastering your day and to stop procrastination. Remember that productivity is a journey, and finding the right combination of strategies that suit your unique needs is key. Consistency and adaptability will pave the way for sustained success in mastering each day to its fullest potential.
