Earlier this week, I posted my first post of 2019 called “why I don’t believe in New Year’s resolutions” and in it I briefly touched on how I made goals in December to beat procrastination. Here’s a lil excerpt:

This past December I took initiative to end my procrastination. In November, I only posted four blog posts compared to my usual eight and I would go days without posting an Instagram or engaging with you all. School was taking over my life at the time, but I definitely wasn’t managing my time that month either.

If I hadn’t set a change in motion, my December would’ve turned out like my November with low stats, barely any engagement, and high procrastination. Thus, I began a no-procrastination-better-time-management month in December. Did it work? It worked so well, that I, myself, was shocked. My blog posts were getting more views than they had in a long time, my Instagram growth and engagement was sky-rocketed.

Today, I’m sharing three of the main ways I cut out procrastination in December to maximize my time management skills. I hope you enjoy this post and that it helps you this new year! Here we go:

POSTER BOARD CALENDAR

I have never been one for planners, and although remembering everything in my head has never failed me completely, it definitely has its flaws (aka not remembering the blog post I have to write until the day before or thinking of homework two class periods before). I always manage to get everything done, but I decided to be proactive and create a way for me to remember in a more timely manner.

On the very last day of November, I got a giant poster board and drew a content calendar of December. Then, I filled it in with all 8 blog posts for that month, the days in which they needed to be finished by, photo shoot days, and other various blog to-dos. Above the calendar, I wrote several reminders for the entire month like respond to emails daily and practice using self-time on my camera. At the bottom, I made a overall to-do list of important blog things to see to throughout December. The finished product was very simple, but having it sitting in my room was a great reminder to get things done efficiently and with no procrastination.

Whether you use a planner or not, I highly recommend a poster board calendar. It helps give a full overview of the month ahead and gives you plenty of space to continue planning day-by-day. Also, it can provide a sufficient timeline of your events for the month, or if you’re a blogger, your content for the month. I found it easier to be proactive and complete tasks ahead of time, when everything was laid out for me all in one big space.

DAILY TO-DO LISTS

Another lifesaver when it comes to beating procrastination is making smaller, daily to-do lists. Some people find it beneficial to make one each day, but personally, I only made them on my busiest days when I knew in the back of my mind I had a lot to get done in a short amount of time. I use ten minutes of my busy days to sit and search my brain for any and everything that needed to get done, then I write down the immediate to-dos on a smaller, portable notepad. After that, I will skip a few lines and write down to-dos that if they don’t get done that day, it’s not a big deal, but if I can get to them I should do them. Doing this is as equally important as writing down immediate to-dos because it serves as a reminder to keep working and get things done ahead of time if you’re able to.

Whether you make to-do lists on the daily or only only our busiest days, they’re an important aspect of beating procrastination. If you’re like me, you want to be able to check everything and be satisfied with a job well-done. I can’t stress enough the positive impact on my productivity levels making to-do lists had for me and the positive impact it can have on your levels as well.

NO PHONE FOR TWO HOURS EVERY WEEKDAY

I knew I couldn’t possibly be my most productive self in December without cutting out the biggest overall distraction in my life… my phone. Hence, I made the decision that I would put away my phone for 1-2 hours in the evening of every school day for the month. Although it took a lot of self-control at first, doing this was the ultimate game changer and worked like a charm. It’s amazing what I was able to accomplish in a purposeful two hours without my phone compared to when I would check my phone every 10 minutes or so, unconsciously ridding myself of high productivity.

I could get my homework done, a blog post done, go outside and take photos, and more; all in a faster fashion than in November. I put this policy back into place this morning as I’m writing this post and not only did I write the majority of this post, but I finished my annotated bibliography for an English essay, helped rake my yard, and went with my sister to shoot photos. Sometimes, I even find myself staying away from my phone longer than the initial two hours!

Out of the three tips in this post, putting away your phone for 1-2 hours is the one that will aid your productivity the most and lessen your procrastination. Don’t forget to have your phone on silence!

ONE LAST THING… HOLD YOURSELF ACCOUNTABLE

Throughout the process of creating new and improved habits of productivity, you have to hold yourself accountable. It does you no good to procrastinate the no-procrastination.And yes, you can use a friend or family member to hold you accountable, but in the end, it is up to you to finish what all your to-dos. Remind yourself to stay focused, on task, and don’t be afraid to get harsh with yourself. If you don’t get it done, it’s not getting done. Period.

It’s a new year with new tasks and to-dos. Let’s all get them done procrastination-free with high levels of productivity. You got it!

💜Love, Olivia