If you’re like me — and if you’re a freelancer, you’re probably like this — you procrastinate on your assignment because, well, you just don’t feel like doing it right now. There are tons of reasons why: it’s an intimidating project, you’re not sure how to start, or simple inertia stops you from getting started.
A solution that works every time: break the job into smaller bits, and do those bits in bursts. That may sound obvious, but not many people put this to optimal use. Too often they procrastinate because they’re stuck with a daunting task on their to-do list. If that’s you, try these 10 productive tips:
Granularize. Got a project? Just put the very next physical action on your to-do list, not everything on the list. Is that task still too intimidating? Break it down even further. For example, instead of writing a whole article, write the intro. Or do an outline. Instead of doing a whole graphic design, just do a sketch. Or start by brainstorming. Or searching the web for ideas (don’t get lost on the web).
Granularize further. If that’s still too big, just do 10 minutes of the task. You don’t need to finish it. Do 10 minutes, and at least you’ve gotten off to a good start. After 10 minutes, you can stop — or just as often, you may just keep going. Even if you stop, doing something in 10-minute bursts is a bit more likely to get it done than putting it off forever. Just a tad more likely.
Set a timer. OK, you’re going to do this in a 10-minute burst — now set a timer and do it. When the timer goes off, you can stop. Timers are great tools for working in bursts.