Inconsistency and procrastination go hand in hand. They both give us the idea of “not right now” but the more critical question is if not now, then when? Yes! You can lay comfortably in bed all day, scrolling down social media and telling yourself you’ll do it in a minute but you typically know you won’t. The good thing about bad habits is as long as you are willing to change them, you can change them.
How do you change the pattern of inconsistency and procrastination? Here are eight things you can begin doing today that will guide you to getting it done:
1: Doing A Weekly Brain Dump
A brain dump is transferring everything in your head that you need to do, grabbing pen and paper and write it all out. It doesn’t have to be neat or even make sense but it will release the pressure you’re putting on yourself to get it all done. This will not only allow a more clear head space to organize everything but it will also offer you clarity.
2: Make Daily To-Do Lists
If you’ve been following my blog for awhile, then you know how much I stand by to-do lists. Making a daily to-do list first thing in the morning can keep you on track for the entire day. Many people believe a to-do list has to be long and drawn out but it doesn’t! You can make a list of anything from 4-6+ tasks on your list.
Using those items from your brain dump is great for building a to-do list. This will help you avoid having to think of everything because its already laid out for you to work off of.
The other significant reason to make a to-do list is to give yourself a sense of accomplishment which immediately boosts your mood. Seeing those boxes or tasks get crossed off will make you feel unstoppable.
Try out making a to-do list and knock out those tasks.
Download & print a to-do list template you can use whenever, wherever!
#3: Create Time Blocks
Time blocks can be an effective tool to utilize when you lack consistency. Time blocks are slots of times set aside to do certain things. If you find yourself saying “I’ll do this in a minute” but you never do it then this is for you.
The best way to set up time blocks is to create alarms for yourself for each task you need to complete that day.
Example: If you stay on social media all day you would simply set aside an hour for social media. Then set the next hour for responding to emails. So on and so forth.
The primary purpose of time blocks is to help you accomplish everything on your to-do list and keep you productive all in a decent amount of time.
#4: Remove Distractions:
I am guilty of spending way too much time scrolling down Tik Tok when I should be getting out of bed.
You know you do this too!
Well, this is the number one reason why most people find themselves being inconsistent and procrastinating the day away. The time you invest into social media can be put into other tasks that can benefit you long term.
Even if you use social media for your business, you should limit the amount of time you spend posting, responding and engaging with others. This doesn’t mean don’t put the time in for your business, this merely means enforcing a cut off time in place.
Distractions don’t just have to be social media or your phone. It can be the tv, radio, phone calls, etc. Anything that will pull you away from focusing on the task at hand.
This also means creating a clear space for you to work in. Remove any debris and trash that can be distracting you or guiding your mind to be elsewhere.
#5: Surrounding Yourself With Motivation
It’s a well-known fact that the more motivation and inspiration we are surrounded by, the more drive we have to accomplish our goals. This is equally true to hitting the snooze button on your alarm. If you develop a routine that gets you excited to get out of the bed, the easier it becomes to get up.
This isn’t to say you won’t have days where you would rather sleep all day!
You may not believe this will work but try it out! The more you put this routine into effect the more you will drive yourself to get things done.
Inconsistency comes from the lack of desire to finish what you started, and the best way to stay consistent is to create routines that will eventually discipline you.
#6: Taking Time Out For You
You may be thinking this will defeat you overcoming inconsistency and procrastination but thats far from the truth. The more you take care of yourself, the more you energy you have to give to other tasks.
Self care isn’t just about facials and relaxing baths but they are about doing things to regenerate your soul. A healthy you goes beyond working out. Your energy, your soul and your peace all go into being healthy. This is why it’s critical to give back to yourself at least one to two times a week.
Treating yourself to a break is the only way you can manage your focus so that you can pour yourself into your passions.
Take a day or two every week to ask yourself what you desire and deliver that to yourself.
Being consistent doesn’t mean you have to exert all of your time into working because fact of the matter is that energy needs restoration.
How do you keep yourself on top of your goals and tasks? Share your tips in the comments!
