How to Beat Procrastination and Have More Fun

Are you a workaholic or a procrastinator?

Would you be surprised to find out that the two are very similar? I was! But, it’s totally true. Both underestimate how much time they really have in a day, both put a lot of pressure on themselves (yep, procrastinators too), and both base their self-worth on external factors rather than an inner sense of value.

A big difference between them is that workaholics often take a lot of pride in that label while procrastinators don’t. A workaholic might not want to change, seeing it as a positive trait. I can identify with that. I’m embarrassed to admit how much I used to tell anyone who would listen how busy I was, how I worked on weekends, how I worked when I woke up and often worked into the late evening.

It wasn’t anything to brag about.

In fact, workaholics are less productive than people who have a healthier work-life balance and the quality of their work is often poor compared to their peers who take the time to live their lives.Click To Tweet

Unlike the badge of honor worn by workaholics, procrastinators fret over their inability to get things done on time. They’re so scared of messing up; they just get stuck.  A procrastinator is often viewed as lazy and careless, even though the issue might be that they care too much. They worry so much, they avoid getting any real work done. At the same time, they don’t enjoy their free time because they’re so stressed about falling behind. It’s the worst of both worlds.

With both workaholism and procrastination, a skewed sense of how productive one person can be in a day and over-committing are to blame. This can be easy for anyone to do. I’ve been guilty of making very elaborate Google calendar schedules, basically assuming I’m a machine with one thing right after the next, no breaks for lunch, etc. It’s impossible to keep up for more than a few days before crashing.

So, what can you do about it?

Figure out what tasks you dread doing the most and delegate! Make room for the projects that use your strengths the best and you enjoy doing. One of the best ways to do that is to track your time. This isn’t super fun, but sites like RescueTime help you to see how much time your spending on different websites. You’ll need another system: pen and paper, a spreadsheet, something like that, to track your offline time. After you’ve got that figured out, it’s time to take MORE breaks!

In The Now Habit, there is a technique called Unscheduling that I’ve been using, and I think you’re going to love it too. You schedule in fun things to do throughout the day, and you commit to just 30-minute work blocks during the workday before those breaks. You keep getting rewarded for completing 30 minutes of focused work, and you end the day achieving so much more and feeling awesome. Schedule your whole day, not just your workday. Include the things you choose to do in the morning, throughout the day, and even the evenings.

These breaks aren’t just fun.

They’re good for your brain. Brain breaks reward you for the time you worked, relieving anxiety and stress as well as encouraging creativity. Not only that, but you’ll be surprised at what a work beast you become when you’ve only got 30 minutes at a time. You’ve got to respect that 30 minutes, for this to work. Shut out any distractions and be singularly focused on your task.

Some of my favorite breaks include coloring, meditation, making jewelry with Polymer clay, putting on a face mask, or painting my toes. I also like to schedule bathtime. I’m not so great at scheduling in exercise and fitness yet, but I hope to do that more soon. For more ideas on fun make breaks, check out my Pinterest board Work From Home Make Breaks.

What are some breaks that you might enjoy? Taking a walk? Cooking or baking? I’d love to hear your ideas in the comments.

Want MORE tips to stop procrastinating and start taking action? Check out my board Take Action!

Also, if you need any help with social media or blog management, I’m available to help take some things off your plate 🙂

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