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6 Great Tips on Getting Things Done, No Excuses

TL:DR Summary

• Do not procrastinate: Avoid delaying your tasks and do them as soon as possible to avoid guilt and stress.
• Do it when you are truly ready: Avoid jumping the gun and wait for the right moment to start your tasks with confidence and clarity.
• Focus on attention management: Control your attention and direct it to the most important and meaningful tasks in any given moment.
• Learn to do deep work: Engage in focused and uninterrupted work that requires high cognitive skills and produces high-quality results.
• Avoid modern distractions: Minimize the use of social media, email, phone calls and other sources of distraction that interrupt your flow and attention.
• Turn your values into time: Prioritize your tasks based on your values and goals, and allocate your time accordingly.

Introduction

Year after year, we think that we have learned time management, but there are still loads of missions that we want to accomplish in life. Hence, perhaps the key to doing great things lies not with time management, but attention management. Instead of scheduling every minute of your day around to-do lists, why not approach work from another perspective? In this article by Wellaholic, we are doing to deep dive into how to get things done skilfully by paying the right attention. 

1. Do not Procrastinate 

Procrastination typically means putting off until a later time or date. However, it is more than just voluntarily delaying your task or work. Procrastination is also derived from the ancient Greek word “Akrasia”, which is the the doing of something against our better judgement. This self-awareness is one important factor of why delaying or procrastinating things makes us feel bad and really guilty. When we postpone and delay our tasks, we are not only feeling that we are avoiding something that we are compelled to do, but we are wrong and bad by not doing it now. While procrastination is irrational, and comes with negative consequences, we do it anyway. The way around it? Do it now. Do a quick mental check to see if the task on hand is important. If it is, do it immediately. 

2. Do it When You are Truly Ready

​Besides procrastination. there is also another term called prescrastination. Precrastination is the act of trying to do something before the time is right to do it. Simply translated, it’s also called “jumping the gun”. It’s almost like interrupting someone in the middle of their speech because you are afraid that you will forget what you want to say. However, doing things too early, way before the time is ripe, is not necessarily a good start of the journey. It is better to wait for the right moment to get things done. Hence, if you think you are precrastinating, pause and set aside another better time to do the task at hand. 

3. Focus on Attention Management 

​Attention management represents a big break from past ideas about how to be more efficient and increase productivity. It is based on the way we work today. Attention management offers the ability to consciously direct your attention in any given moment, to be more proactive than reactive, and to maintain control rather than inadvertently relinquish it. It’s about regaining control over your attention and thereby taking control of your life. Attention management empowers your productivity. To practise attention management, try to control your distractions and stay focused. If your mobile phone and the social media feeds are distracting you, turn your phone off. Focus on getting your immediate task completed first. And most importantly, enjoy the process of doing the tasks. All tasks are meant to be enjoyed!

4. Learn to do Deep Work 

​What is Deep Work? ​Deep work is the ability to focus without distraction on a cognitively demanding task. It’s a skill that allows you to quickly master complicated information and produce better results in less time. Deep work will make you better at what you do and provide the sense of true fulfilment that comes from craftsmanship. In short, deep work is like a super power in our increasingly competitive twenty-first century economy. And yet, most people have lost the ability to go deep—spending their days instead in a frantic blur of e-mail and social media, not even realising there’s a better way. To focus on deep work, try to give yourself a strict period of time to spend working. This limits burnout, work creep, and keeps you focused and urgent on your work.

5. Avoid Modern Distractions 

​Making ourselves inaccessible from time to time is essential to boosting our focus. A 2017 survey from the American Psychological Association found that being constantly and permanently reachable on an electronic device — checking work emails on your day off; continuously cycling through social media feeds; responding to text messages at all hours — is associated with higher stress levels. ​Any action, such as working on a big project, getting enough sleep or physical exercise, eating healthy food, taking time to meditate or pray, or spending time with loved ones, are all forms of traction. Traction is any action you do with intent. It’s doing what you say you will do.

6. Turn Your Values into Time 

In this day and age, if you don’t plan your day, someone else will! Without knowing what it is you want to do with your time, everything is a potential distraction. To make time for the things that really matter, turn your values into time Invest your time in what matters, such as into your health, your families and your friends. Go to the gym, meet up with your friends, and take a stroll in the park if you can. Live up to your value because your values define you. 

Conclusion

At Wellaholic, we understand the importance of productivity and getting things done. That’s why we’ve compiled these six great tips to help you overcome excuses and accomplish your goals. By following these strategies, you can improve your productivity and achieve success in various aspects of your life. Whether you’re striving to meet work deadlines, complete personal projects, or pursue your passions, these tips are designed to give you the tools you need to stay motivated and accomplish what matters most to you. So, say goodbye to excuses and hello to productivity with these six great tips from Wellaholic!