The Best Anti Procrastination Method To Boost Productivity (The Ivy Lee Method)
Raise your hand if you are a procrastinator! If you have been a long time reader of this blog, you know I’m part of the procrastination team, and if you are too this anti procrastination method will help you to boost your productivity!
I have written a couple of posts on how to stop procrastinating and be more productive, you can check them out here if you are interested.
Have in mind that I also hate how normalized and encouraged the hustle culture is.
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While procrastinating is an actual problem, we shouldn’t feel guilty for taking time off and choose to be lazy. We aren’t productivity machines.
The fact that society tells you (and approves) that you should always be doing something, creates an extra pressure that usually leads to anxiety and other mental health problems.
As a matter of fact, taking time to relax and just do nothing should be the norm.
That being said, while I love and protect my time down, I also find challenging to just sit down and do what I have to do.
For some reason, I always find something better to do instead of actually taking care of the tasks on my to-do list.
Anyway, let’s start with the basics.
What’s The Ivy Lee Method?
A couple of months ago I came across the Ivy Lee Method, a strategy that helps you be more efficient and boost your productivity by just prioritizing your to-do list.
Usually, procrastination happens when we want to avoid something in particular. Could be a long project, a task that might enable your anxiety (like having to call someone, in my case), etc.
With the Ivy Lee method, we are able to make sure which are the tasks that need to be done and focus on them until they get done.
By having an efficient to-do list, we can also find better ways to minimize procrastination. With this method you know you HAVE to get them done before moving on to the next task.
How Does The Ivy Lee Method Work?
- At the end of each work day, write down the six most important tasks you need to accomplish the next day. Don’t write down more than six.
- Next, organize the list from most to less importance. I usually give them a number, being 6 the least important one.
- The following day, concentrate only on the first task (the one with the highest priority). Work until the first task is finished before moving on to the second task.
- Approach the rest of your list in the same way. At the end of the day, move any unfinished assignments to a new list of six tasks for the following day.
- Repeat this process the next day, so on and so forth.
As a procrastinator myself, my advice is to also make sure you are breaking down those bigger tasks into smaller ones. Getting overwhelmed is the last thing you want.
For example; if I need to write a blog post, I would write down all the tasks necessary to complete the main job. My list would look like this:
Remember to also schedule your breaks to avoid procrastinating or burn out.
While the point of this method is to not do another tasks until you finish it, it doesn’t mean that you hav to spend hours trying to finish it.
Take breaks when needed and refresh your mind. Go for a walk, read a few pages of a book, get a snack, etc.
Since some tasks take longer than others, I also try to organize my to-do list not only by priority but also by how fast I can finish them.
If I have a day where nothing is really that urgent or when I feel more distracted than usually, I try to schedule those easy tasks at first, that way I can build up my productivity levels.
That helps a lot especially on those that I don’t feel like being productive, but I still need to get things done.
Planners I Recommend
For this method in particular, I use two products. A simple notebook to write everything I need to get done without prioritizing the tasks, and a desk planner/calendar with a vertical layout where I write down in order the tasks I need to do on a specific day.
I found mine at Marshalls and is by Studio Oh! (previously Orange Circle Studio), but it seems they don’t do this type of products anymore.
Another good option is the Joy Weekly Desk Planner by Papier.
You can also use the Happy Planner with Vertical Layout, which has a similar design.
For a more affordable options, you can get this weekly desk planner (for $10) or this option (for only $9) .
Final Thoughts About The Best Anti Procrastination Method To Boost Productivity
The best part about the Ivy Lee method is that it’s actually super simply and it truly works!
Definitely approved by this hard-die procrastinator.
This is not only a method to boost productivity, it’s also a great way to organize your to-do list when it’s all over the place.
In my case, I have two different to-do lists (a personal one and a professional one). So I also try to mix between those two lists depending on what I have to do on a certain day. Especially since I work from home and those lists intertwine during the day.
For example, laundry and cleaning take chunk of my day and I always try to work in between loads of laundry. So my to-do list on those days look a little bit different.
To be honest, I suck at scheduling and time blocking, so the Ivy Lee method is way simpler for me and works better for my needs.
But if you are able to use those time management techniques together, you will definitely improve your productivity and procrastinate less.
Scheduling down time will help too. Definitely that will be something that I want to try next.
Because even though I don’t like having a set schedule, sometimes is really nice to have some rules and guidelines for my day. Especially for those repetitive activities like going to the gym, home chores, etc.
For more productivity tips procrastinators, click here.
Sincerely,
