How to stop procrastinating and start doing

Everybody has things they need to do but don't want to - for example homework, taking the dog for a walk or washing your hair. And when you feel unmotivated to do these things and don't even want to do them in the first place, they rarely get done. But I've noticed something about motivation: when the thing you need to do is boring, it is immediately a chore and you become unmotivated. So if we can make things less boring, you're more likely to do them! I find it much easier to make a task more fun than to actually make myself want to do it. I am also very bad for procrastinating, so hopefully some of the tips I am about to give will help you stop procrastinating, too.

ROMANTICISE

One way I make things more fun is by 'romanticising' them. Say, for example, the thing you have to do is revise for a test: light candles, use highlighters and make your notes look really nice, pretend you're in a film and your whole career depends on this revision, wear comfy clothes, etc etc. It makes it more entertaining when your surroundings look nice and what you're doing is aesthetic. 

REWARD

Another way I make myself do things is by giving myself rewards for after they are done. This can be as simple as having a cupcake afterwards or watching TV, or, if the chore is something big and difficult, you could choose to order something you've been wanting for a while, or go and hang out with your friends for the rest of the day. This works because even though these are things you probably would have done anyway, associating them with the task and saying to yourself "I can do that, but only after I've done this" makes you a lot more likely to get the job done. If you really struggle with being motivated, you could do this for everything you do: write a To-do list of everything you need to do that day, and next to each one put a reward for once it's done. 

SURROUNDINGS

Making your environment easy to work in is probably one of the most important tips I have, and it can help with making things more fun, aswell as avoiding procrastination. 

You need to limit your distractions. Turn off your phone, and use headphones with white/black/brown noise to silence any noises from your family. Don't multitask - e.g don't watch TV while doing homework because you won't be able to focus. And like I said before, make whatever you're doing look nice by lighting candles or having a tidy space. 

ACCOUNTABILITY

This is kind of contradictory to the 'no distractions' rule I was just talking about, but it does work for me in some situations. I find that if I need to do homework, facetiming my friends after school helps me get it done. Even if I don't have the intention of doing any homework that night, if we're on call and they're doing homework and I have nothing to do, I'd rather do my homework too rather than just watch them. Yes, we talk at the same time, but it means we're there to help eachother if we need it. It's the same with my family: sometimes I bring my homework downstairs and sit in the kitchen to do it, because they're there to see me do it and will help me if I need it. It's like doing work in a cafe - having people around you keeps you accountable.

FORCE

This is often what gets me going in the first place whenever I need to do something, and it is a great way to stop procrastinating. As an example, say I've been on my phone for ages and need to take my dog for a walk. Instead of thinking, "I should really do that" but not actually doing it, I say to myself "3, 2, 1" and on 1, stand up/put my phone down. Because usually, the thought of doing something is much worse than actually doing it, so if you can just start, you probably won't stop again until you've done it. 

THOUGHTS

Trying to put a positive spin on doing the task can help in a psychological way. One example - and this has actually changed my life - is exercise. I used to hate it, and never did any outside of PE, but that was until I started thinking "I get to work out" instead of "I have to work out". And now I actually love going to the gym! I go with my friends or family and it's great, and I actually look forward to it. So try and be grateful when thinking of the things you 'have' to do. For example - I get to revise (I have a good education), I get to take the dog for a walk (I can have some fresh air), I get to wash my hair (I have good hygiene) etc. 

I hope this helped! Thank you to everyone who has been looking at my posts recently. Remember, I try to do one per week, and you may have to sign up again if you aren't getting the emails. <3