Fighting Procrastination
TL;DR
25min work, 5min break. Forest App. Saving money each time slot. Use a satisfying desk setup. Make it fun to work with.
Lately I had a lot of issues with procrastination. I was supposed to study for my exams but instead I was tinkering on my computer an doing pointless things which did not lead to a good grade as an outcome.
It was just too bad. During this battle I found some good methods which helped me to get back on track.
1. Make time rare. Take breaks.
I started using a pomodoro timer.
Work was then divided into 25 min slices with a 5 min break in between. Every fourtht slice I took a break of 15 min.
This worked out very well. I used my time slots way more efficient than I did before.
2. Make spending time satisfying.
Here I had two approaches.
Number one was just planting trees in the Forest App. It does not do anything but it keeps me away from my phone. Additionally you slowly grow a forest of trees which is nice to see as it represents your work.
The second approach was to pay myself for every slice of time I finished. I saved 1€ in a jar for every time slice I finished. I know - this is my own money - but still I was a good feeling and motivated me since I was about to invest these “earnings” into a savings plan.
3. Make work satisfying.
Lastly I tried to make it as attractive as possible to sit down and work on my computer. Working on it is already kind of satisfying. With the right applications it becomes even more fun.
Apps that I find satisfying to use