fabiochiu/medium-articles huggingface dataset:
I Will Surely Do It Tomorrow & other ways How Procrastination Sounds Like.
By: Hersh Kathuria
Tags: Mental Health, Productivity, Procrastination, Fitness

We know procrastination well, what we don’t necessarily know is how to spot it. Finding how procrastination sounds like in our every daily talk is the key cause you can’t solve problems you can’t spot.

A lot of us want to do loose weight, or learn a new skill or write a story — to start something new and become good at it. That’s good- what’s not good is resistance, the inertia, we feel to get started. The moment we set out to do something new, our mind starts looking for ways to avoid unnecessary work by telling us reasons that accept that yeah you should do it but you see these practical things (excuses) have to be addressed first.

Mind chatter goes like this — Hey you want to do this. Sure. Lets do it tomorrow. Simple well intended yes, right? No, not at all. It’s Procrastination in an innocent disguise, asking you to move things just a little and avoiding action. If you accept such logic / chatter it grows stronger and makes sure that in the name of perfection (or any other excuse) it will keep you off course for a while.

Mental Resistance Training Image — www.stylecraze.com

Mental Fitness (just like Physical Fitness) Develops with Resistance Training. You develop your body by pulling weights and pushing resistance, you develop your mind by doing it anyways — walking right thru the mental resistance every time & finishing the task.

Its tough earlier on but gets easier over time just like working out at Gym.

What we don’t put off makes us stronger !!
Fear of Letting Go
By: Mante Senne
Tags: Diet, Lifestyle, Time Management, Procrastination, Purpose

Why am I holding onto this?

I was talking to my housemate yesterday evening. We were in the kitchen, and I saw him cooking chicken. Now, I am on a lacto-vegetarian diet, and I uttered without thinking “Aww, meat again.” Then he confronted me to stop complaining. It is my own choice. And that I am punishing myself. He said it is unhealthy for the body to go without meat. Saying that it has all kinds of protein you cannot find in vegetables.

“You are not a rodent.”

No, I am not a rodent. The purpose of the lacto-vegetarian is to see if it helps reduce swelling and pain in my hands. I read a scientific study that links a lacto-vegetarian diet with reduced signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. So, I thought why not give it a try for three months.

Even though I partially agreed that I was somehow suffering. I completely agreed with him that I could do less cooking.

“You are avoiding stuff. You are not hungry, and yet you are cooking instead of dealing with your issues”

I could cook less. And the thought of having more peace of mind seems compelling. Currently I’m reacting and trying to regulate my emotions by running away: distracting myself with preparing meals instead of having to think about making a choice.

Currently I’m spending like 10 hours per week on preparing meals. I’m not entirely sure though, because I’ve never logged the duration of my cooking sessions. I think 5 hours a week is plenty of time to spend on preparing healthy meals.

“Do I really need this?”

The other day I’ve written about needs, desires, and values. If I ask myself how long can I go without preparing meals, the answer would be around 40,000 days. Then can I go without cooking half of those days? I would save about 20,000 hours in my life time. That is an equivalent of time needed to reach fluency in about 10 languages. Wouldn’t I rather choose personal growth instead of holding onto this spiral of emotion regulation through preparing meals.

“If I were to go ahead with this, how would it look like?”

I can eat bread, cucumber, peanut butter or other nuts. Time is a scarce resource. The older you get, the less you have. Be conscious about how you spend your time. There is no point in trying to annex one extra year to your life if it costs you three years.

“Do not merely log your actions, review them to attain a greater sense of purpose”

This avoidance behavior of cooking I’ve seen in other people as well. It is a craving and giving in to that craving instead of dealing with the issues that cause you stress. Making “life changing” choices is stressful.

“How does this holding onto serve me?”

Whether it are financial assets you are holding onto or behaviors you are holding onto. When it is harmful it is better to be removed from your portfolio, lifestyle, or diet. When it is beneficial, ask yourself:

“Do I really need this right now? How much is enough?”

So, be aware (log) and contemplate your needs, desires, and values (review).
I FOUND A CURE FOR ONE OF MY SICKNESSES — PROCRASTINATION
By: Chuka Chiezie
Tags: Transformation, Continuous Improvement, HR, Human Resources, Procrastination

Hmmm, I could procrastinate for Africa. The moment I am aware the dateline for that activity is tomorrow, the do it later spirits creeps in and I end up rushing to finish the activity or a few times abandoning it. I have often wondered during my reflective moment how my bad habit of procrastination has caused me so many great opportunities.

At the beginning of the year, I tagged the Year 2021 as my year of transformation and procrastination was one of the sins I was determined to repent from.

A few days ago, when I started studying how to deal with this habit, I stumbled on one of the famous questions that made Steve Jobs super productive “WHAT WOULD I DO IF THIS WAS THE LAST DAY OF MY LIFE?”. I read that Steve hardly missed an opportunity as long as he still had time within the day to finish what he needed to finish.

It has been only 3 days since I started applying that question in my life and I have sincerely done more in 3 days than I have done in 3 weeks.

I have turned in deliverables

I have made peace with many I offended

I have submitted proposals that I had left hanging for months etc.

Perhaps, it is your turn to act by asking, WHAT YOU WOULD DO IF TODAY IS THE LAST DAY OF YOUR LIFE?

Shalom
My little scary secret.
Tags: Success, Monkey Mind, Failure, Productivity, Procrastination

I will let you in on a little secret. I am a failure, I don’t live to my full potential, and I don’t mind that at all.

Get (Some) Things Done!

For years I have tried to be as efficient as possible, do everything on time, avoid procrastination, and meet deadlines. But no matter how hard I tried, how many tips and tricks I read about time management and how many podcasts I listened to on productivity, I would not complete “some” projects.

Am I good enough?

I have been frustrated with myself for years. I have tried so hard to change my habits, but nothing worked. I tried journaling, setting timers, and putting less stuff on my to-do list. I tried meditation and exercise. I tried to wake up early to start working or stay late at night. Still, nothing worked. My frustration led to negative self-talk, and my self-esteem plummeted.

My “monkey mind”!

At some point, I admitted that I am a failure and a misfit. One morning, I started yelling at myself in front of the mirror:

Give up! And give a hug to your “monkey mind” to that silly animal who swings from limb to limb, jumping from one thought to one other, from fear to fear, and dominates your brain.

Embrace it, give up, and go on with your life as a failure. You are a misfit.

But then something strange happened.

The First Question

My monkey mind talked back to me. Don’t you see the pattern? Don’t you see the pattern of handling things? There are certain tasks, that you usually complete with unique ease and in the minimum of time. On the contrary, there are other tasks you constantly postpone.

The pattern became obvious. I completed just the tasks that were not about me. Let’s say I had to write a copy about a product or a service for a website. I would complete it in a few days. The same would go if I was ghostwriting. However, when I wanted to focus on writing my doctoral thesis, I went down to a rabbit hole: perpetual researching, reading, note-taking, cross-referencing. etc, but never writing. I gave up. If a task was about me, I was afraid to hit the publish button.

And the list of things that I have given up was endless.

The Second Question

The next question asking myself was why? The big revelation.

I was afraid of rejection. The fear of rejection has been the source of my frustration, anxiety, procrastination, blah, blah. I was playing it safe and making sure that I never go too far. I was afraid that if I try and fail, then a dream would be shattered. That fear constantly fed my monkey mind.

The Third Question

The third question was “what is next?”. The answer was simple.

Let’s try and fail. Let’s make mistakes. Let’s fail again. Let’s be a failure.
The Pomodoro Technique: A technique to maximize productivity
By: Umaima Tahir
Tags: Pomodoro Technique, Productivity, Tasks, Time Management, Procrastination

Every person faces procrastination and wants to overcome this issue. But failed to achieve this goal and become unproductive.

First of all, we should be well aware of procrastination. The act of postponing or delaying a task is called procrastination. Procrastination gives a feeling of pleasure and the result is that the deadline comes a panic master comes and gums up everything. So here is a Pomodoro technique to resolve this issue and be more productive.

What is Pomodoro?

Pomodoro is a technique that deals with procrastination and maximizes productivity by organizing the time. Pomodoro is an Italian name for tomato. A timer often looks like a tomato. And a timer is all for this technique.

The Pomodoro (Timer)

How to use the Pomodoro technique?

In this technique we have to do is

· Set a timer for 25 minutes

· Turn off all the interruptions

· Focus on the task

· And reward our self when we complete that task

My Experience

I was feeling unproductive and cannot achieve goals. So, I have come up with this Pomodoro technique and give it a try. When I initiated my course work, I set the alarm for 25 minutes and started focusing on that task. I put my phone out of my reach so that I can concentrate. When the alarm bell rang, I had completed my work. Then I rewarded myself by taking some rest and chill with my family. It was a very mind-blowing experience.

I have faced difficulty while doing this technique because of different distractions. But I will make a habit of Pomodoro to be a productive person.

I will improve myself by taking a further step of making a to-do list, after completing the four tasks then take a long break.

To continue this technique, we have to become more motivated and make a habit of this. The more outcome we see, the more motivated we can be. We have to keep an eye on our progress which is great in being consistent.
Procrastination and how to avoid with Pomodoro.
By: Syed Maaz
Tags: Time Management, Amal Academy, Procrastination, Pomodoro

We often find ourselves involved into different tasks while having an important task at hand that needs our undivided attention but we tend to spend on that unimportant task because we feel more relaxed and it seems easy to do at that time. This is called ‘Procrastination’. There are two types of procrastination, Intentional Procrastination and Unintentional Procrastination. These two procrastination can hinder our abilities to do important task that need immediate attention.

There is a technique, from which one can learn to focus on the task on hand rather then finding or doing something else to do. This technique is known as Pomodoro Technique. The Pomodoro Technique is a time management method developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s. The technique uses a timer to break down work into intervals, traditionally 25 minutes in length, separated by short breaks.

My experience with this technique was very helpful and a bit different because I can focus for short period of time but in longer run its hard to focus but this technique still helps me to get the 2 hours of my work done and I cant imagine being that productive in those two hours.

My four task was comprised of doing the Amal Academy work which was to complete the first learning group work, making priority matrix. Following with the online course work of superhero resume in the next three tasks as that course is a little lengthy. I did get distracted by YouTube one time which is kind of progress given that most of the work time I always get distracted by YouTube.

All of these task were completed within the time frame of 25 minutes and some task even before the time limit so I started the next task with the remaining time on hand, just to check how much productive I can be. This technique helps me a lot in getting the important things done as I know how much procrastination I do and at the dead line my Panic Monster wakes up and by that time I didn't have time to complete anything.
Eat That Frog with a Pomodoro
Tags: Pomodoro Technique, Productivity, Task Management, Time Management, Procrastination

Pomodoro is a technique used to analyze the productivity of your work. For this you have to divide the tasks and set an alarm for the performance of tasks. The technique also includes noting the destruction caused during the task. The best way to deal with the Procrastination is the Pomodoro method which can find out the fear of failing to complete the task within due time.

Common technique used Pomodoro for performing tasks

“If you want to be productive, you need to become master of your minutes” Crytal Paine

The experiment is arduous because I have not analyzed the work rate of my performing task and the hurdles caused due to destruction before. So I followed this method to find out my productivity of work for the first time and it just amazed me. Distractions like phone calling of friends, noise of the siblings and notification of the phone come to my way. But I took it as a challenge, avoided taking a break for 5 minutes and performed my task within the set timer.

By beheading this technique it helped me a lot in finding the destruction caused throughout executing the chore. It best elaborated my weak points and enhanced my capacity for time management. I see an amazing change in performing tasks as looking to the previous strategy of completing a task. I will often use this technique more and more because of their improving my productivity time. To see more of its consequences I will use this technique in maximum consuming tasks and will practice on a daily basis.
Eat that frog with a Pomodoro
By: Hamza Sarwar
Tags: Time Management, Productivity, Procrastination, Pomodoro Technique

The Pomodoro Technique

Pomodoro is a well-known technique used to deal with procrastination and to develop a habit of getting things done on time by using a time-management strategy. Procrastination is our significant obstacle towards accomplishment, and it provides us a habit of working with full potential at the eleventh hour.

I also have a habit of procrastination, and I used to delay my work for the sake of my comfort zone. Every time, when I try to schedule my routine, that monkey came to appear and reschedule it, and I can’t control my nerves to overcome it. Eventually, I faced a lot of embarrassment for not completing my task. So, I planned to use this technique to overcome this habit so that I become more focus on my work.

So I take the following steps:

1. Decide on the task to be done:

I planned to read two google scholar publication related to “Sentiment Analysis,” and apply this technique.

2.Set the timer to 25 mins:

My mobile was in an airplane mode and set the timer for 25 mins so that I cleared my mind and focused on the essential thing which is to read an article at that time

3. Remove distractions:

I removed all the madness which are present in my surroundings and turned off my wifi so that I can work more effectively without any obstacle

4.Working on the task until the timer ring:

I focus on my work with full zeal until the alarm rang.

5. Take a short 5 min break:

I take a short break, close my eye for 1 min, feel relaxed. It helps me to revise this whole procedure with more efficiently.

6.Repeat the 1–5 Steps up to 4 times:

I repeat the above 5fivesteps up to 4 times, and after three times, I feel like I am more focus to do my job.

Experience:

This technique helped me a lot to focus on my work with more concentration, and I complete my required task more effectively. I will try to inherit this technique in myself so that I become more productive.
Project: Eat that Frog with a Pomodoro
By: Farah Mahmood
Tags: Procrastination, Productivity, Time Management, Pomodoro Technique

Despite being a behavior therapist, and practically implementing a set of designed reward system upon achieving undesirable tasks (ranging from, eating comfort food and watching my favorite seasons to shopping spree), I still struggled with doing all those anxiety provoking things lying outside my comfort-zone.

With pomodoro technique, I decided to pick up something that needed immediate attention and was also uncomfortable for me to do. I decided to do my job hunt research that was assigned to me in 1 on 1.

As strange as it may sound, it was something I wasn’t finding the courage to do and was delaying for days. It even had been giving me the feeling to quit already but I decided to confront my fears and procrastination and for that matter, I started setting up the timer and starting the trials.

The experiment wasn’t all fun and easy. The intrusive thoughts popping up in my head were not just limited to environmental distractions. It was an ongoing message of failure that it won’t work out and there was no point in doing it. I kept writing down the thoughts and immediately going back to the task in hand. The breaks after every focused attempt helped me calm down. The feeling reduced a little over the course of trials. It also gave a sense of achievement.

The results made me realize that I was now practically one step forward, regardless of future anticipations that would have made me stuck in the same place.

I could conclude that if I repeat it on a regular basis then it might reject all the procrastinating hypotheses I make inside my head? Maybe next time I could take a deep breath and remind myself of how brave I was, for trying it out!
Procrastination is the Thief of Time
By: Muhammad Bilal Zaman
Tags: Small Task, Productivity, Time Management, Work, Procrastination

Many individuals think that it’s hard since they understand it may require a long investment to start on a vast undertaking. It could be a lot less demanding to reveal to yourself that you have to go through 25 minutes by separating it up into half-hour squares. When you’ve completed the first Pomodoro, you’re every now and again well into the undertaking and may discover it sensibly easy to finish another Pomodoro. Separating each Pomodoro as you complete it may enable you to feel you’re gaining ground. Start with a short period, if 25 minutes feels excessively long and develop. Everybody extraordinary, so finding your ideal focus time bodes well. On the off chance that you don’t as of now have a clock, you will discover an assortment of characteristics, both free and for a little expense such a large number of Pomodoro applications having a wide scope of highlights. The main exemption is one flame in this building diversion warnings on the off chance that you are using your telephone. A fundamental piece of profound focus relies upon having no diversions. Close your email and interpersonal organization windows or applications. The main special case is one flame in this building associates or family that you’re not to be irritated.

Clearly, in case you’re the essential career for a kid or invalid, you may need to mastermind your Pomodoro time for when another person can cover for your obligations. If you consider something which for five minutes each half-hour includes over this day, and will make a supportive scratch in that quickly and after that go straight back to your investigation, so you are for five minutes each half-hour includes over this day, and will make an accommodating gouge in that. The Pomodoro site prescribes evaluating how the number of tomatoes your requirement for specific undertakings. Wellbeing experts prescribe at any rate thirty minutes for five minutes each half-hour includes over this day and will make a supportive gouge in that much. Standing up or walk energetically around for five minutes each half-hour includes over this day and will make a supportive imprint in that thirty minutes of activity.
Eat that Frog with a Pomodoro
By: Muhammad Hassan
Tags: Productivity, Procrastination, Pomodoro Technique

Today a beautiful moment happened with me and what was that any guess? I got a gift! Nah! I got a job! Nah! I got a big discount on a meal absolutely Nah! Let me tell, actually today I just found a new technique to get things done on time. You must be thinking that what type of childishness it is. But I just want to tell you that for me as a great procrastinator this technique helps me a lot. I hope after reading the word procrastinator you will be getting interested. Because in the world everybody, whether he is an engineer, scholar, doctor or any high profile gentleman, will be encountering with the state of procrastination. So without wasting the time let me discuss the technique.

One of the techniques to handle the procrastination is “Pomodoro” technique. Actually, in this technique, you have to focus on a single task that you want to do for 25 minutes by setting up the timer and then give yourself a reward for a couple of minutes so that you could enjoy. The reward can be anything like watching TV, eating chocolate, playing the game, a cup of coffee or tea and etc. After the reward, you again resume your work and focus on it for the next 25 minutes and then again it’s reward time. Repeat this four times and now you can have a longer break of 15–30 minutes.

It is a simple technique but has a great effect. I have personally experienced it and saved a lot of time. I focused on my task for 25 minutes and then rewarded myself 5 minutes on Facebook. This technique really helps me a lot and I am planning to continue this technique in order to increase my productivity and for handling procrastination.
3 tips to write impeccable to-do lists
By: Davide Zanon
Tags: Time Management, Productivity, Procrastination, To Do List

To-do lists are the go-to tool to manage time. Yet, 89% of adults admit failing to complete all the items on their list, with 40% citing distractions as a significant cause.

In this article, I offer you three science-based tips to turn your schedule into a helping hand to master your time.

#1: The if-then planning

While listing our goals on paper can free us from anxiety, different studies claim that breaking them down using the if-then formula, when and where you will take a specific action, can double your chances to complete tasks and develop habits.

For instance, if you want to motivate yourself to go jogging, but you keep putting it off for other priorities, you can write:

“if it is 5:00 PM, then stop working and go jogging in the park.”

The more exhaustive your description is, the better.

#2: Reward yourself

Planning rewards for achieving items on your list, including unproductive activities like browsing social media or strolling outside, can help us to recharge our mental energies.

As our full concentration can range from 20 to 45 minutes, box tasks within these time frames and follow them with short planned breaks. Vary the type of reward according to the difficulty of the accomplished goal.

For instance, to reward a task that requires 40 minutes of your time, you can write:

“if it is 10:30 AM, then edit the paper and deliver it & if it is 11:15 AM and you are done, then go grab a coffee.”

#3: Focus or multitask

If a complicated task requires our undivided attention, interruptions are a no-go, but if it seems more manageable, multitasking can boost our performances.

As open offices, phones and laptops are notorious for buzzing with distractions and notifications, lock time-frames in your schedule to focus on demanding tasks, and leave other ones open to welcome secondary challenges as the sea gets calmer.

For instance, you can schedule to isolate yourself to meet a deadline and be open to help colleagues afterwards. Pairing a colour with a type of concentration can assist your brain to get in the zone, or open up to external inputs.

What do you think about these tips? Let me know how your to-do list looks like in the comment sections.
Do The Thing!
By: Aj Martofel
Tags: Inspiration, Self Care, Procrastination, Motivation

I’m an avid journaler. I have lots of thoughts and it helps for me to get them out of my head and onto some paper so I can see them. I live in my head quite a bit. That’s why it can oftentimes get very difficult for me to do some of the most seemingly simple tasks, like folding and putting my clothes away. This is where ‘Do The Thing!’ comes in.

Photo by Derick McKinney on Unsplash

How did it come about?

There are so many incredible motivational videos on YouTube… the ones that pull soundbytes from speeches given by people who have accomplished inspirational feats and are underscored by dramatic, cinematic music. These are great for listening to while you do a workout, run, or as I went on to learn… clean up your clothes off the floor. Here I am listening to and watching a boxer who was told he’d never fight again by doctors after a car accident doing intense workouts while in recovery and it eventually montages to the point where I see him now in a boxing match… and winning!!

Naturally, as the video kept playing, I almost instinctively began to fold my clothes. It was just a simple mico-second thought of, “Well… I want to watch this video regardless. I can either do that from my bed or I can place the phone somewhere where I can continue to watch and listen, but while I’m folding this clothes.” And well, it worked. The clothes got folded and put away.

So why am I three paragraphs deep right now in a story where the arc is simply about how I watched a video on YouTube and folded my clothes?

Well… because if you’re like me and like most the people I know, you’re not motivated 24/7. You also oftentimes find it difficult to do seemingly simple tasks such as folding your clothes or beginning a workout or preparing a nutritious meal for yourself. These are all ‘good’ things. We know that they’ll make us feel good. It’s that simple and straightforward. Yet, there’s resistance.

That’s where ‘Do The Thing!’ has become my version of the Mel Robbins ‘3-Second Rule’ or whatever that phrase or rallying cry becomes for you that is just a thought process you have once that you can boil down into a resistance-buster. ‘Do The Thing!’ has now become this super simple phrase and idea that I can tell myself that serves as motivation in a bottle. It brings me right back to that time and space of watching that motivational YouTube video and deciding to stop putting off this ‘simple’ act of self-care for my future and ongoing self.

Oh right… I still haven’t told you where that line actually came from!

Well… here’s the actual YouTube video I was watching that sparked the thought.

It doesn’t actually say ‘Do The Thing!’ anywhere on it, but it does touch on a lot of different ideas that dance around that theme and it’s how my mind winded up interpreting these 10 minutes of passion and wisdom in that specific moment in time. I never wrote an entry here on Medium, but I wanted to share, I felt inspired, and well… I did the thing!! :)
Use technology to stop procrastinating
By: Asma Mohamoud
Tags: Educational Technology, Productivity, Students, Startup, Procrastination

Notion (FREE)

I discovered Notion via work. It was a tool we used to co-work together. However, it works for anyone whether a student or a project manager. With Notion’s Kanban-style template, you are able to break your workload into smaller pieces and put them under the headings “ Not started, In progress and Completed”. It’s very visual, and you can clearly see what needs to be done. There is also nothing more satisfying than marking a task as completed.

2. Google Calendar ( FREE)

Not just for people who have “important meetings”. When you have written down all that needs to be completed, you actually need to set the time to do them. I use google calendar to schedule times for each task and estimate how long it’s going to take me. Again, it’s very visual, and you get a reminder of when the tasks are about to begin. Added bonus, you might get the opportunity to say “ let me check my calendar.”

3. Forest (FREE)

Forest is an app that plants a tree for the duration of the task you have set out to complete, over time you grow a forest. If you leave the app during your session, your tree dies, and you start over again. It also allows you to lock specific apps on your phone, and the best part is, there is an opportunity to plant a real tree.

4. Whatsapp (FREE)

I know you are thinking WTF, but hear me out. I think having an accountability partner can often make getting things done easier. I have recently dedicated 30 minutes a day to learning something new a long with my friend. Every day at 20:30 latest, we Whatsapp each other to see if we’ve done it. We both anticipate this message and not doing it often feels like you are letting the other person down.

5. Tupear (shameless plug)

The wonderful people at Tupear and myself understand that a lack of accountability often leads to procrastination, especially for students and those completing online courses. It can be hard to get your friends to hold you accountable as they too are procrastinating and you both bond over how you will most likely fail together. For those studying online, it’s often a lonely journey and motivation can be hard. In short, we are working on a product that will hopefully eliminate these issues. I can’t say more at this moment, but we are so excited, and we will be keeping you updated on this mysterious thing that might just revolutionise your life (not promising you will be the next Steve Jobs).

If you REALLY want to find more about it, you can shoot us an email at Hello@Tupear.co

Last words of wisdom, we all procrastinate, some more than others. What works for one person might not work for you. As long as you manage to get the work done, that is all that matters. I have a friend that treats herself to a snack when she completes a task. Personally, I would eat the whole bag of Doritos before I even begin.

A wise guru in the Himalayan mountains once said: “JUST DO IT.” ✔️
HOW TO STAY FOCUSED ???
By: Lendale Vijaylaxmi
Tags: Success, Tips, Goals, Focus, Procrastination

I believe that every success story has 3 points

Determination Perseverance Passion and Strong belief

above mentioned qualities are not inculcated in a person as a prerequisite

Many people think that successful people are blessed with this quality!

my dear friend! this is not true, All of us have these qualities and we should find a way to harness these qualities and work effectively to reach our destination!

staying focused will help you to accomplish your personal and professional targets in life.

To improve this skill, you can adopt following habits

Make a To-Do list Organize your personal and professional workspace. Eliminate distractions and energy vampires(negative people and social media. Plan difficult things in the early hours. Take breaks and relief your mind. Eat healthy to stay more focused. Don’t procrastinate the tasks. Visualize your dreams or works. Identify and Break your own boundaries. Get going!

No more distractions and remember the outcome that you have to face if you don’t reach your target!

STAY FOCUSED! TRY! TRY! TRY! UNTIL U REACH YOUR DESTINATION!
{Day 5} Old Habits Are Hard To Break - Accountability Is Key To Beating Procrastination.
Tags: Self Help, Challenge, Self Development, Procrastination, Life Hacks

Hello,

Yesterday we talked about dealing with people and things that try to derail our efforts to beat procrastination. Today I’m back with another tool for your toolbox. Accountability can help you stick to the plan and start making new habits. Here’s how having someone hold you accountable can help beat procrastination.

https://eccentricperceptions.blogspot.com/2020/08/bpc-day-5-old-habits-are-hard-to-break.html?m=1

To Your Success,

Kamharidah.

P.S.: Do you know someone that would like to get email tipsand join the challenge? Send them over to Eccentricperceptions.blogspot.com to Subscribe and Follow.

Don’t Miss A Post

In case you missed one of the emails and posts, here is what I’ve shared so far:

Day 1: https://eccentricperceptions.blogspot.com/2020/08/bpc-day-1-forgive-yourself-for.html?m=1

Day 2 : https://eccentricperceptions.blogspot.com/2020/08/bpc-day-2-set-goal-write-it-down-get.html?m=1

Day 3; https://eccentricperceptions.blogspot.com/2020/08/bpc-day-3-7-hacks-to-motivate-yourself.html?m=1

Day 4 - http://eccentricperceptions.blogspot.com/2020/08/bpc-day-4-dont-let-things-or-people.html?m=1
Reading Notes 1 for The 7 Secrets of the Prolific
By: Ruwen Chang
Tags: Procrastination, Reading Notes, Perfectionism, Mindfulness

Almost everyone has lived with procrastination in their life, more or less. If you personify your procrastination, how would you picture he/she/them? I imagine my procrastination to be a couch potato—a middle-aged man who has given up every hope in life. However, Hillary Rettig’s personification is vastly different in this book. She believes that procrastination is a rebellious, passionate teenage girl who fights against your inner bully/critic. Procrastination is your protector against unjust demands and unrealistic expectations.

Her imagination persuades me this book is not like other self-help books that simply boost you up with positivity or lip-service. “This might be something that actually works!” I murmur to myself.

Her first principle is to acknowledge that you have real problems that stop you from doing what you plan to do. These problems can be external and internal, but they are all real problems. Instead of labeling yourself as LAZY/WEAK/LOSER, Rettig recommends you to list out all the problems you have and start to address them. For me, PTSD and depression is a huge issue that is shadowing every part of my life. I realize I was being a brutal bully to keep demanding myself on my top productivity while I was struggling with mental disorders intensified by the current political climate.

Perfectionism is the reason why I bully myself ruthlessly. This perfectionism is not just a psychological tendency but also a shared social ethos in a society that prioritizes productivity over life, product over process, and success over failure. Nevertheless, Rettig wrote, “there is no such thing as a pure failure or success: that most failures contain some element of success (at least, as a learning experience), and most successes an element of failure or compromise. … that failure and success are not huge, show-stopping, life-defining events but merely transient states” (Section 2.12).

From now on, I will work to heal from perfectionism. I will not belittle myself as “useless” in front of the smallest failures, nor will I brag to be “in control of everything” when I reached my goals. I will focus my energy on the process of doing things, whether it is writing, working, running, or hanging out with friends. Let life itself be the only end, and the rest be its side products.
Why do I procrastinate?
By: Nivedita Das Narayan
Tags: Obsessions, Intentional Living, Commitment, Surviving Myself, Procrastination

Surviving Myself

I have come to realise that I have two operative modes.

Procrastinate.

or Obsess.

The first mode is where I drag my feet on closure and decisions — quite perilously—that are apparently obvious, that I am positively tuned to, and that I (and others watching me) frustrate over, as I watch myself struggle to remain unhinged. Mind you these are fairly important decisions like sign-up for a course that will require me to devote daily hours, apart from the money spent; or a journey that will require preparation, planning and of course, the actual going away. The Covid isolation brought me close to one such near-commitment situation and the pace of this existence allowed me a wider lens to watch myself through.

Here is what I observed. {I signed up for a program that would require a minimum commitment of 1-hour for 108 days and significant other follow-throughs for a whole year)

I am waiting for some kind of an internal green-light to pledge — this of course involves a cohesive Yes from mind, body, soul,

I question my own intentions until I get to the raw, honest Why of the decision,

Deep down I want to be fully prepared for when the obsession takes over; I fear my obsession so I ought to ready for it,

A sign-up that involves monetary commitment is (psychologically) sacrosanct and it logjams faculties that call for kindness to the self. The procrastination is thus a survival instinct or instinctive prudence - that is how I give kindness to myself.

I fill the phase of procrastination with enough hurdles and challenges to watch my grit and watch me perform. ‘Can I live inside the commitment’ is a constant refrain that I respond to.

And then when I am ready, I intuitively soften and commit, and the 2nd mode -Obsession- however rough it sounds, is a warm, mellow, involving, rather private world that holds me in, watching, observing, experiencing incremental steps, daily and over the period.

That brings me to, perhaps, how some early relationships failed and how the guy I finally committed to remains a warm-obsession :)!
Catch Yourself
By: Mike Vardy
Tags: Productivity, Time Management, Attention, Intentions, Procrastination

Photo by Bethany Legg on Unsplash

Whenever I reorganize my office space, I find myself stopping midway and laughing while knowingly shaking my head. I just caught myself… again. I regain my poise, quickly finish the cleanup, and move on to the thing I was actively avoiding that got me started down this procrastination path in the first place.

It’s not just the office revamps that do this. A counter full of dishes is another. I’ll gladly delay doing something more challenging if the dishes need doing.

You probably have some of these tasks as well … the ones that pull you away from the more impactful work. Maybe it’s dealing with your email inbox. Pruning your ever-growing list of podcasts that you “listen” to each week. Getting caught up on your LinkedIn connection requests.

We all have them. The tasks that we need to catch ourselves doing so that we can let them go and start doing something more important. Something that’s uncomfortable. Something that needs attention over the long term and requires more of us than a messy kitchen or a lengthy podcast queue.

Something that really matters.
What I learned falling off my bike in the middle of the road.
By: Karen Ling
Tags: Personal, Life, Self Improvement, Creativity, Procrastination

I once fell off my bike in the middle of Market Street. My front wheel got caught in the streetcar railing.

I fell somewhere here a few years ago (apparently they got cars off Market St. which is pretty cool!)

Thankfully, there wasn’t a streetcar or any cars immediately behind me. I got up and moved to the side, shaken but not seriously hurt. My colleague who was riding with me at the time rode back after a few minutes and asked if I was alright. I said I was, but I wasn’t sure if I wanted to ride to our destination.

Then he said something that’s still stuck with me to this day. He said that if I don’t ride now, I will never ride on the road again — or it will become much more difficult. Because the memory of the fear would set into my bones.

I got on my bike after he said that and we went on to our destination. I rode on my bike around SF throughout the rest of that summer.

Don’t stop doing something just because you failed or got frightened once doing it.

This is especially true if you want to continue doing the thing. (I suppose if you jump off that plane for that skydiving experience one time, it matters less).

I almost didn’t write this today because last night I had a bad experience while writing it.

There was the guilt of leaving the writing to the last thing in my day. The knowledge that it’s not well-written. I feel uninspired and unqualified.

This may be familiar to you: you ‘need’ to do something. You push it back because you don’t really know how to tackle it, until the deadline comes and you finally force yourself to face it.

It’s called procrastination and most people are familiar with it.

But then this story popped up and I decided to write it. If I let the negative feelings overpower me tonight, then I will likely not write tomorrow either.

And guess what? Writing this tonight was a good experience. I have rewritten the last remembered feeling/state of writing from negative to easy and positive.

Nice.
Eat the Frog with Pomodoro
By: Muhammad Umer Arshad
Tags: Procrastination, Tomato Soup, Motivation, Pomodoro Technique

Eat the Frog with Pomodoro

The Pomodoro Technique is a time management method created by italian Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s. The technique uses a timer to break down work into intervals, traditionally 25 minutes in length, separated by short breaks. In italy pomodoro is the sauce made of tomatoes.Eating the frog with tomato sauce is the term use to solved out the problems faced by the persons suffering procrastination.

What is Procrastination:-

The act of delaying the work with no reason is called procrastination. I mostly suffer this in my daily life professionally and personally. This became a habbit to do the things on last dates or work completion on deadlines.

Working the Pomodoro technique

Decide one task to be done in a day set the timer of 25 minutes and start working when the ring start just stop working and take break of 5 minutes , after break again set timer to start working. These time intervals increase the mental agility and make the user more creative and dedicated towards work. This techniques should be followed by all working staff to enhance the productivity and taking breaks after interval give more energy to work in a better way.

After knowing this technique i applied on my self in my daily life and i feel amazing working balance. Before knowing this, i often start work and during working there is multiple tasking happening doing more than one task in a time, resulting work was not clear and efficient.

When one task is set to be done in a time frame is called pomodoro technique. Taking rest after 25 minutes of working boast up the stamina and makes mind relax to rethink about task and perform in a better way.

Most important thing in this technique is to avoid distraction when you are working keep your cell phone silent or switched off. Mostly when we are working and cell phone beeps we keep our work away and start chatting on cell phone.
Eat that Frog with Pomodoro
By: Umair Qamar
Tags: Procrastination, Amal Academy, Pomodoro

“Do not put off till tomorrow what can be put off till day-after-tomorrow just as well” Mark Twain

What is Procrastination?

Have you been delaying that work that needs to be submitted in few hours? Do you become relaxed about the task even after knowing that the deadline is approaching and then near the deadline do you become raged and frustrated? Well then, Welcome to out group of master procrastinators.

I have been a procrastinator from an early age of my life. Delaying my routine task to the last moment and then rushing and panicking at the end is my favorite hobby. I have tried a lot to overcome this habit of mine because it puts extra stress on my mind, affecting my productivity and consequently degrading the results. I searched the internet for some available techniques to handle procrastination but none of the techniques did much good to me. I had starting questioning my will power when all of sudden it came to end, Thanks to Amal Academy for introducing a wonderful technique to kill procrastination. You guessed it right- It is the Pomodoro technique.

The Pomodoro Technique

I won’t take your precious time explaining the technique because the internet is already full of explanations, I’ll tell something more interesting that will be more valuable to my readers and may motivate them to use the same technique to achieve exponential growth in productivity- Let me share how this wonderful technique re-shaped my life in 2020.

The implementation of the technique in making a university assignment in four steps,

Identify Task for Today

I decided to complete a university assignment related to the subject of “Finite Element Analysis” using Pomodoro technique.

Set the time of 25 minutes

I opened the timer app in my mobile phone and set a timer of 25 minutes.

Work consistently for the duration

I tried to work consistently throughout the duration of 25 minutes but there were some distractions that were stopping me to completely focusing on the said task. I noted all the distractions on a notebook and then devised measures to tackle them.

Take a few minutes break and set another time

I used my mobile phone, called a friend and watched a video on YouTube to relax my nerves.

Back to work now, let’s set another timer but that is for another blog.

Stay Tuned!
Overcoming Procrastination using Pomodoro Technique!
By: Muhammad Zaki Kaleem
Tags: Work Routine, Procrastination

I am a person who gets distracted by a lot of things and eventually puts important tasks aside. These tasks get postponed for another time and often due to lack of focus, I fail to accomplish tasks in given deadline be it professional or educational tasks. Later, I came to know that this act is known as “Procrastination” and I am a procrastinator. Procrastinate is a verb from Latin language and used to define delay or postpone until tomorrow. Similarly, procrastination is act of putting things on back burner with the plan of doing these tasks later. This approach is faulty and often brings harsh results like failure to achieve a goal, backlash in educational career, and dismissal from job.

However, there is practical technique to handle this situation. You can complete your work and achieve goals without letting yourself down. This technique is known as ‘Pomodoro’ technique. It is an Italian word and means tomato. This technique is used to overcome procrastination and achieve work goals in the given deadline. We can use this technique to do a variety of tasks including professional, educational, and personal ones.

This technique enables you to track your time and thus helping you in accomplishing your tasks in time. The basic steps of this time management method are as follows:

· Identifying your daily tasks.

· Setting a timer for 25 minutes.

· Working for 25 minutes without any distraction and optimum focus.

· Taking breaks for up to 5 minutes after every 25 minutes work.

· Taking a longer break after 4th work cycle.

As I told earlier, I am kind of a person that could be called as a procrastinator. When I saw this technique, I tried to implement the pomodoro technique in my job routine to see whether it works or not. Honestly speaking, I was really surprise to learn that this technique is super effective and it enabled me to work efficiently without any distractions.

So here is what happened when I tried to work on pomodoro technique. During the first work cycle it was really difficult for me to keep my focus on work. However, with the third work cycle I adapted to this method and It was really getting the best out of me in terms of work. After 4th work cycle, I went for a walk out of my office and browse Instagram casually while walking. As for my short breaks, after my first cycle, I ate a cupcake. After second work cycle, I took tea, and with the 3rd work cycle coming to end I went from some smoke drags. This technique really helped me in working with proper focus, determination, and efficiency.

I plan to continue my working routine according to pomodoro technique as it would be helpful in increasing my productivity, avoiding work fatigue and improving personally. I recommend all other people who encounter similar problems while working to implement pomodoro technique in their work routine and witness the difference. I wish you luck for that!