How not to procrastinate until next Monday: simple tips to finally start learning

We are all familiar with postponing things for later: in one way or another, each of us has gone through it. Starting to write a term paper, washing a mountain of dirty dishes, finishing an important report on work - sometimes it's so difficult to get started on such matters. We are used to thinking that we often put off the most unpleasant things, because it’s true: what can be pleasant in dirty dishes? But this is not always the case. Take an English class or start exercising - sometimes these things are much more difficult to accomplish than washing dishes. This is because procrastination ( which we have already written about) concerns not only unpleasant cases. People tend to put off important things until later, which can be not only unpleasant, but also difficult (as we think) to do. When a business becomes of grand importance in our head, the little inner perfectionist is afraid to start it. That is why it is difficult for many to start learning new things, including programming. In this text, we have collected tips for those who want to start (or continue) learning, but keep putting it off.

Just start

This advice may sound like a mockery. How to start if I can't? But here it is important to understand that the first step is the most difficult. If you've ever had to push a broken car, you know how it is. Once you get the car in motion, pushing it becomes much easier. After the first step, getting involved in both the work process and the learning process becomes easier. And some even plunge into the notorious “ flow state ”, when it is difficult to break away from an interesting case.

Work with Fear of Failure or Fear of Success

Putting things off may not be due to laziness, but due to fear. The two most common fears associated with procrastination that are potentially holding you back are the fear of failure and the fear of success. But in order to understand what your procrastination feeds on, you will have to analyze yourself well. If everything is more or less clear with the fear of failure, then with the fear of success it is somewhat more complicated. Success brings things like financial abundance, being in the spotlight, feeling good, and so on. If you don't feel like you deserve success and everything that comes with it, you will sabotage yourself and the things that can lead to success.

Manage your energy, not your time

An important concept of time management is that you manage not only your time, but also your energy level. No matter how disciplined you are, you will have very productive days and less productive ones. In the same way, you have hours of peak productivity and hours of less productivity during the day. Here are a few things you should consider in the context of productivity:

• Stretch yourself when you are at your peak of productivity (often in the morning and afternoon), not when you are low on energy.
• Sleep or take a walk if you feel tired, and then immediately get to work.
• After a period of hard work, take a break and “recharge your batteries.”
• If you are emotionally annoyed, first calm down, and then proceed to work or study.

Accept the fact that sometimes you just can't be productive, and that's okay. We are just humans, not robots. Life is a marathon, not a sprint. Take regular breaks during the day (walk, pull up, hug people) and take long breaks at the end of the week. On other days, you will be much more productive.

Do other, easier tasks until your energy levels are restored

What usually happens when you put off a task? Remember, for example, how you put things off for later while studying at the university? You probably checked the fridge first to see if there was anything tasty left in there, then you looked through social networks and so on. Perhaps you still put things in order on your desktop, talked with classmates about term papers? These are useful but not urgent matters. If all else fails, you can use procrastination as a source of motivation to complete other important tasks. The key to this anti-procrastination concept is that you don't waste your time on stupid things, but instead do other important work that is easier to get on with.

Improve your lifestyle to get more energy

If you don't have enough energy, it's okay to procrastinate. A lack of energy can be caused by overwork, burnout, and temporary exhaustion, but it can also be caused by an unhealthy lifestyle. If you have a really bad diet and don't exercise, small changes can make a big difference to your productivity. Here are some tips to improve your lifestyle:

• Get enough sleep (7-8 hours), it should be quality sleep.
• Eat a healthy diet with lots of green vegetables, healthy fats, and low sugar.
• Eat several small meals throughout the day to keep insulin levels stable.
• Avoid unhealthy snacks.
• Train several times a week.
• Drink enough water.

Make sure perfectionism isn't holding you back

Perfectionism can be the reason why you constantly procrastinate. Cognitive distortions can contribute to procrastination. Here are a few examples of such thoughts-distortions that interfere with action:

• All-or-nothing thinking: I have to do it perfectly, otherwise I won't do it at all.
• Overgeneralization: I never get this type of task right, so why would it be different this time? It's better if I don't do it at all.
• Jumping to conclusions: In any case, I will not receive a reward for completing this task.
• Minimization: This is another unimportant task that I have to do, although someone else could easily do it.
• Label sticker: I'm a lazy person, if I always procrastinate, why shouldn't I procrastinate this task as well?

In particular, all-or-nothing thinking leads to perfectionism, and perfectionism leads to procrastination. The solution to combat cognitive biases is the so-called emotional accounting . This psychological approach offers three exercises that work with negative attitudes.

Use Strategies to Deal with Procrastination

Procrastination is a deeply rooted behavior pattern. You cannot break it overnight. Habits only stop being habits when you stop practicing them, so try these strategies:

• Forgive yourself for putting things off. Research shows that self-forgiveness can help you feel more positive about yourself and reduce your chances of procrastinating in the future.

• Promise yourself a reward. If you complete a difficult task on time, reward yourself with a treat.

• Have someone check you out. Pressure from like-minded people can help. If you have no one to ask, use online tools such as Procraster , it can help you with self-control.

• For those who need a "magic pendel" to study regularly, CodeGym has come up with a kick chart that works in the course's mobile app. Kick-manager can be programmed with your own hands for the necessary days of study - he will remind you when it is necessary. The kick schedule initially included the option of reminders for every day and weekends. There is also a "Score for study" button, which is needed if you decide to arrange a mini-vacation for yourself.

• Rephrase your internal dialogue. The phrases "should" and "should," for example, imply that you have no choice in what you do. This can make you feel helpless and even lead to self-sabotage. Use the phrase "I choose": it implies that you yourself decide to do something.

• Minimize distractions. For example, turn off social media.

• First, take on difficult and unpleasant things. This will give you the opportunity to concentrate on the work that gives you more pleasure for the rest of the day.

Help yourself get organized

If you're procrastinating because of disorganization, here are six strategies to help you get more organized:

• Keep a to-do list. This will keep you from “comfortably” forgetting about unpleasant or overwhelming tasks.
• Prioritize your to-do list using the Eisenhower principle of urgency/importance . This will allow you to quickly identify the things you should focus on, as well as those that can be put off.
• Set goals with time limits. Setting specific deadlines for tasks (in fact, deadlines) will help achieve your goals.
• Use apps to manage tasks and time. There are plenty of apps out there to help you stay organized, like Trello and Toggl .

We're curious to know how CodeGym students deal with procrastination? Do you have your own methods of dealing with procrastination? Tell us about them in the comments :)