5 Self-Improvement Ideas to Fight Procrastination

With these self-improvement ideas, you’ll be able to overcome procrastination like a pro!

Procrastination, known colloquially as “the devil’s right-hand man,” has a nasty habit of showing up when you have the longest to-do list in world history. Personally, when he comes knocking on my door, I suddenly feel like I have more on my plate than Mindy Kaling. (Sidebar: it feels like she drops a new TV show, movie, or memoir every 24 hours; if I don’t consume it immediately, and without breaks, I simply die! Speaking of procrastination, Mindy Kaling fuels mine.)

Though procrastination is rude and untimely, at least he doesn’t discriminate! Procrastination comes for us all, but fortunately, we have some simple self-improvement ideas you can use to send procrastination back to the hole from which he crawled.

Try out these simple tips to show procrastination who’s boss and become the next Mindy Kaling, because selfishly, I want to live in world where two of her exist.

1. Write That Ish Down

Block out time for the express purpose of working on the task you’ve been postponing. Put it in your calendar to make it feel permanent. When the day arrives, set your phone down and work consistently for the time you’ve allotted. Set a timer so you don’t feel the need to check the clock. Before you know it, you’ll be done! You’ll feel so great after, and don’t even get me started on how satisfying it feels to cross out the completed tasks on your planner.

2. Get Chunky With It

Feel like a task is just way too much to handle? Chunk it up! Break that overwhelming monster of an assignment down into smaller steps that you can work through in sections — after all, they say the best way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time! You’ll be done with the whole project in a flash. If you do this consistently, you’re going to gain a deeper understanding of what you can really handle, which is probably more than you think.

3. Treat Yourself

Hard work deserves to be rewarded! Plan yourself a treat ahead of time, so you can look forward to it while you’re grinding away. Use this reward as a small incentive to motivate you to crush your goals! Personally, I would suggest some gourmet ice cream, but to each their own.

4. Move Your Booty

Going for a walk seems to be my solution to just about everything these days. Mad at your roommate for leaving the dishes in the sink? Becoming overwhelmed at the thought of global warming? Losing complete faith in your politicians and democracy? Nothing a walk can’t fix! Turns out, walks are also great for boosting productivity. In fact, scientists at Stanford found that “any form of walking could increase creative thinking by about 60%.” Do yourself a favor the next time you feel unmotivated and go for a 15-minute walk. Then, let the benefits propel you through the tasks you’ve been putting off!

5. Crank Up the Tunes

If you’re working on a repetitive task, you may find yourself zoning out or losing interest. The solution to this issue for a lot of people is music! Apparently, listening to music can actually help boost efficiency. It’s important that you don’t listen to anything distracting, but some gorgeous classical or instrumental music could be the perfect addition to your workspace.

6. An Extra Tip, as a Treat — Go Easy on Yourself!

It’s been a tough year and a half. You’re trying your best, and your best is enough. If some tasks take you a little longer than normal, that’s okay! Hopefully, these tips will help when you want to be productive. And when you don’t want to be, relax and rest easy knowing that you’re doing your best.

Try out these self-improvement ideas and let us know which one got you out of procrastination station by tagging @mobilestylesapp on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter!