Want to know what stresses me out? Little red circles with numbers in them. These red circles in particular.
Whenever I have an unseen notification, unread email, or unchecked task on my todo list, I get fidgety. It makes me feel bad.
You might call that a form of addiction. It probably is. But I’ve harnessed that to keep me from procrastinating.
You see; for me, a red icon stresses me out. So it’s to my benefit to knock everything off my todo list. The sooner that red icon goes away, the happier I am.
Want to know how to avoid procrastination? Figure out what consequences you don’t want to deal with, then tie your work to those consequences. Easy.
For some people, the red icon isn’t a good motivator. Some people have no problem with unread notifications. Those people need different consequences. Here are some ideas.
- Set an alarm every ten minutes. Only turn off the alarm once you’ve finished a task or the to do list.
- Turn off your phone until you get certain tasks done.
- No Facebook/TV/Video games until your list is done—whatever your vice.
Whatever you need to do, do it. The desire to procrastinate doesn’t go away. But you can get better at it if you work at it.
