Do you own a list of great ideas and projects that you haven’t made a start on yet? Pushing projects to the bottom of your to-do list is not uncommon, especially in today’s frantic pace of life. But by acquiring healthy time management skills, you can create time and finally begin working on your biggest goals.
Procrastination is one of the largest causes of running out of time during the day. The good news is, a few simple changes can transform how much you get done in a day. Here’s a guide on how to stop procrastinating and start working on your goals.
1. Set Clear and Achievable Goals
Creating a clear plan is a key aspect of successful goal setting. A structured plan helps you stay on track and avoid initial overwhelm when goal setting.
WinGo is an app designed to create effective plans and measure your progress. The app breaks down your goals into stages for easier management. Every stage is represented by a circle on a progress line, so you can work on your goal one step at a time.
WinGo provides all the tools toboost your productivity using SMART criteria. You can set deadlines for every stage of a plan, add reminders, and set an importance value for different tasks. You can also be very specific by using the Description tab and creating multiple tasks for each stage. If you’d like to focus on a certain aspect of your goal, you can hit the star button next to different tasks and view them in the Ongoing tab.
Download:WinGo forAndroid|iOS(Free, subscription available)
2. Schedule a Time to Work on Your Goal
If you fall into the trap of writing down ideas but never spend time working on them, this tip is for you. Time-blocking a weekly slot in your calendar to work on your project will help you limit distractions and ensure consistency.
FlowSavvy is a smart scheduling tool that helps you create plans that are adaptable to your schedule, even when it changes frequently. To add a new time slot, hit theplusbutton (+) on the homepage, selectTask, and set how long you’d like to work on your project.
FlowSavvy will then add the task to an available space in your schedule automatically. If something new crops up in your calendar, simply hit theRecalculatebutton. Creating a dedicated time slot in your calendar for project work will help you prioritize more efficiently andtake better care of your calendar.
Download:FlowSavvy forAndroid|iOS(Free, subscription available)
3. Write Down Your Intentions
If you have no meaning behind your project, how will you motivate yourself to work on it? Discovering the “why” behind your project will encourage natural motivation to help you work with greater ease and less strain.
A basic journal app is a great space to write down your project intentions without getting distracted. Simple Journal offers a quiet writing environment to help you connect with your thoughts without being overly complex. From the homepage, press theplusbutton (+) to begin typing an entry.
You can change the journal of the entry by pressing the three dots in the top right corner. Simple Journal lists entries chronologically, so you can easily access different ideas based on the time they were written. It also offers a search tool to scan text easily.
Download:Simple Journal forAndroid(Free, subscription available)
Download:Basic Journal foriOS(Free, offers in-app purchases)
4. Prioritize Tasks Correctly
Doing things in the wrong order is a common mistake when making plans and setting goals. By prioritizing your project over less relevant tasks, you’ll progress faster and be more efficient overall.
TickTick is an advanced task management app that allows you to sort and prioritize your daily tasks effectively. There are four priority levels to distinguish tasks from one another: High, Medium, Low, and No Priority. No matter how chaotic your to-do list is, you’re able to add structure to your tasks from theInboxtab.
Hit the three dots in the top right corner, then selectPriorityunderneath theGroupByheading. Doing this presents a neat list of tasks categorized by their priority level, so you know what tasks to complete first.
For best results, it’s ideal to work on your project when you have the most energy. For this,determining your sleep chorotypeis helpful.
Download:TickTick forAndroid|iOS(Free, subscription available)
5. Create a To-Don’t List
If you’ve suffered an unproductive day, the cause often stems from what you shouldn’t have worked on rather than what you actually got done. Creating a to-don’t list is a perfect solution to eliminate wasted time throughout the day.
To Don’t is a helpful app to write down the things that prevent you from working on your goal. Whether you want toovercome your mindless scrolling habitorspend less time on social media, To Don’t will help you remove wasted time from your day, so you may focus on what’s important.
To add a new item, simply press theplusbutton (+) located at the bottom of the homepage and type in the bad habit you wish to avoid. To Don’t monitor your progress by asking if you spent time on each bad habit every day. For further motivation, you’re able to also gain streaks for succeeding consistently.
Download:To-Don’t forAndroid(Free)
Download:To-Don’t List foriOS($1.99, in-app purchases available)
6. Push Irrelevant Tasks to Tomorrow:Do It (Tomorrow)
Some tasks can feel urgent but can be done later. As a result, you might realize how you haven’t achieved your key priorities for the day despite how much time you had.
Do It Tomorrow offers a clever solution to help you move irrelevant tasks to tomorrow, so you can work on what’s important today. The interface is split into two sections: Today and Tomorrow. Any time you feel that today’s to-do list is getting too cluttered, you can hit the arrow next to a task to move it to the Tomorrow section.
Pushing unimportant tasks to tomorrow will reduce stress when planning your time and increase productivity. Giving yourself extra space in the day to work on your project will also add ease if unexpected tasks crop up in your routine.
Stop Procrastinating and Start Working on Your Goals With These Tips
Whether your goals are small or large, the hardest part is getting started. Procrastinating is the easiest route, which is why it’s so common. Use this guide to eliminate all the time-wasting elements from your day, so you can focus on what’s truly important. Try implementing these tips and realize how a small amount of effort each day is far better than no progress at all.
