We’ve all procrastinated at some point in our lives. For some individuals, however, procrastination is a loop they can’t seem to get out of. They continually keep on stalling things and avoiding doing important work, which can prevent them from achieving positive results later in life.

Do you struggle with procrastination? Here’s what you should do.

Aim for Achievable Things

One reason we tend to procrastinate is because we set unrealistic and even unachievable goals for ourselves. We often overestimate our own abilities and end up making a rather long to-do list or planning a two or more big tasks for the same day.

When the time comes to actually start working toward these goals, we get flustered and intimated by our plans and keep on delaying the work that needs to be done.

The trick is to aim for goals that can be accomplished within the desired timeframe. For instance, if you’re planning on doing your laundry and organizing your closet this weekend, then deep-cleaning your home the same day isn’t a feasible idea.

You’ll keep on delaying everything because you won’t know where to begin from. Once you do actually start, you’ll either keep jumping from one task to another without finishing any of them, or do a poor job in your haste to cross them off your checklist.

The more attainable your goals are, the less likely you are to procrastinate.

Set a Detail-Specific Deadline

Don’t set vague deadlines for your work. In addition to that, don’t just set one deadline for your work either.

No, we don’t mean that you give yourself a backup deadline to fall back on in case you do procrastinate. What this means is that you should break down your work into smaller tasks and set individual deadlines for each of them.

Let’s suppose you’re hosting a party at your place two weeks from now. You’ll have a lot of preparation to do, from planning the guest list and menu, cleaning your apartment, and taking care of the décor.

Now instead of putting everything off for next week, break down what needs to be done and give each task a deadline. For instance, you can send out the invitations in the next two days, gather your decorations by the end of this week, and leave the last two days for meal prep. This will help you get things done on time instead of procrastinating, and save you from panicking the day before your party.

Modify Your Environment

Finally, pay close attention to your environment. Research has shown that different environments impact our productivity differently. Lighting, noise, and even privacy all play a huge role in how well we’re able to function and do our work.

Does your workstation make you want to go to sleep? Do you work in a noisy space that makes it difficult for you to focus? Are there too many distractions around you that tend to demotivate you from doing what you were supposed to be doing?

If you answered yes, then you might want to modify your environment to get rid of the distractions and other factors that are causing you to stall.

Rekha Shrivastava can help you overcome your habit of procrastinating through hypnosis and other subconscious mind healing techniques. She also offers Skype sessions to clients not residing in Rochester, NY.