If you answered yes, and you get frustrated with how much you procrastinate, don’t beat yourself up. Procrastination has been around much longer than you probably realize.

According to a Psychological Science article, procrastination isn’t something new and we can’t blame the internet either. Procrastination in one form or another has been mentioned in writing many times over the last few thousand years!

Side Effects of Procrastination

It’s human nature to procrastinate in some way or another. But when does it all start?

A 2007 study with college students found that 80 to 95% of them procrastinate on a regular basis.

In this study, “Researchers found that at the beginning of the semester, students who were procrastinators reported less illness and lower stress levels than non-procrastinators. This changed dramatically by the end of the term when procrastinators reported higher levels of stress and illness.”

Needless to say, you probably don’t need a scientific study to know that procrastination isn’t helping you achieve your goals in life. One of the best ways to fight procrastination is to break up big tasks into small, bite-sized chunks.

Once you’ve made tasks smaller, use the Pomodoro technique to help you get things done.

How to Use the Pomodoro Technique

So what is the Pomodoro technique?

It’s a time management method developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980’s. The technique uses a timer to break down work into intervals, usually 25 minutes in length, followed by a short break.

The best part about this technique is that it’s simple and easy to do. All you need is a physical timer that you can buy on Amazon to get started.

While you can use your phone, I’ve found this leads to checking social media or email. A physical timer eliminates the chance of losing willpower and getting addicted to your phone.

According to their website, “The creator and his proponents encourage a low-tech approach, using a mechanical timer, paper, and pencil. The physical act of winding the timer confirms the user’s determination to start the task; ticking externalizes desire to complete the task; ringing announces a break. Flow and focus become associated with these physical stimuli.”

To get started, buy a timer, turn your phone on airplane mode and get to work on the stuff that will move your business and life forward.

Here’s how you can do it:

Step 1: Select a Task

Choose a task you’d like to get done. This could be big or small.

It could even be something you’ve procrastinated with but know that you need to get done. Choose something that needs 100% of your attention.

Step 2: Set the Timer for 25 Minutes

Make a promise to yourself that you will spend the next 25 minutes on a task and not interrupt yourself. No phone, notifications or email. 

Focus on staying present and engaged in your task at hand.

Step 3: Immerse Yourself

Immerse yourself in the task for the next 25-minutes with all notifications, texts, and emails out of sight. If you think of something you need to do unrelated to your tasks, write it down on a separate piece of paper.

Step 4: Take a Short Break

Once you’ve completed 25-minutes of deep work, take a break for about five minutes. Go on a walk, stretch, check your notifications, etc.

Step 5: Rinse and Repeat

Once your break is over, get back to the next important task. Every four Pomodoro’s, take a longer break of 20-30 minutes or more.

I’m confident if you use Pomodoro technique, you will end procrastination once and for all. This method is simple, easy, and know that it will help you do more so you achieve more in your life and business.

The post How to End Procrastination Forever: Pomodoro Technique appeared first on Fearless Motivation - Motivational Videos & Music.

Technology is now controlling us but it wasn’t meant for that.

Humans are supposed to be the ones that controlling it. Otherwise, we’ll end up in a Terminator judgment day movie where the machines take us out!

If you’re addicted to your phone here’s why it might ruin your life unless you take control of the addiction. 

Here are four ways you could benefit from a digital detox to take back control of your life.

Addicted To Your Phone: How A Digital Detox Can Help

Killing Your Sleeping Patterns

The light from your phone is killing your sleeping patterns. It’s why so many people lie in bed restless and unable to get quality sleep.

While some hardcore digital detoxers might have you remove phones from your bedroom, I’m not sure that’s very practical. Instead, try to minimize technology or screens at least 60 minutes before bed if you have trouble sleeping.

Starting Your Day Reactive

Successful people aren’t waking up and scrolling through social media. As Mel Robbins said in The 5 Second Rule, “ Imagine Bill Gates or Oprah Winfrey. Do you think they are lying in bed scrolling through social media?”

Of course not! So why are you?

This year I’ve made it a point to ignore my phone for at least one hour when I wake up. I’ll use it for guided meditation but I don’t look at the text, social media, or emails. Anytime I even look at one wrong email I find myself getting pissed off, frustrated and reactive.

You want to start your day energizing yourself, not giving your energy away to mindless social media or maybe even worse, the news.

Instead, focus on creating in the first hour. Work on yourself by reading a book, meditating, observing your thoughts or writing in a journal.

Feeling Anxious and Depressed

Phone addiction is creating anxiety in our culture. It’s no surprise that since 2010 (when social media took off and the first iPhone was released) that searches for depression and anxiety have increased at an alarming rate.

If you are dependent on your device, you most likely feel anxious and depressed when you aren’t using it. Quit seeking a quick hit of dopamine from Twitter or Instagram and only use social media at specific times. A good example would be 10-minute windows at lunch or after work.

If you are struggling to find happiness, pleasure, and a relaxed mood put the phone down and do something else. Run, exercise, take a walk or meet up with a friend.

Lose Relationships

A Forbes study found that 3 in 5 people spend more time on their phones than they do with their partners. 

If you can’t go out to dinner with your significant other or friends without your phone you might have a problem. Instead, put it on airplane mode and keep it off the table.

Don’t even have it out where you can see it. This will subconsciously show your brain that you are still thinking about it.

Start Your Digital Detox Today

Only you know how much your technology is hurting certain parts of your life. Since I’ve made the changes this year I can say 100% that it’s helped increase my happiness and decrease worry, stress, and anxiety. The longer I go without looking at my phone the prouder I am.

This year I started actively trying to start controlling my technology instead of it controlling me!

Here are a few things you can start doing:

• No phone on the table when eating with anyone
• No phone on my desk when you’re working
• A great morning routine: no social media, emails, or texting the first 60 minutes of the day

The result?

You’ll feel happier, healthier, and sleep better than ever before. Remember, you control technology, it doesn’t control you.

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Your eyes slide out of focus and laying in bed feels like the only thing you want to do.

Sometimes we just need a boost. Enter Nootropics. The latest scientific development in cognition enhancement.

The road to success is paved with obstacles like procrastination, doubt, fatigue and the myriad of other challenges that we must be overcome in todays fast paced world.

Discipline is key, but that’s something that is cultivated over time. That’s where nootropics can help you get your foot in the door.

Sometimes, all you need is that little ‘nudge’ to help you get started or finish off daily tasks.

Your day job may leave you drained. All you need is something extra that will help you get things done even after a hard day’s work.

If you’re like me and you want to make every moment count, this article is for you.

Let’s see which Nootropics are best for energy, cognition, focus and motivation.

Piracetam | Best Nootropics

Rating: 4/10

Piracetam has been synthesized over 50 years ago, making it one of the oldest and most popular nootropics.

It works by improving blood flow in the brain. It is thought to reverse the effects of Alzheimer’s and dementia.

Piracetam is an effective cognitive enhancer that boosts verbal fluency and creativity, making it great for studying. It also increases brain plasticity, favoring the formation of new connections in the brain and slowing down cognitive decline.

Piracetam accelerates the production of acetylcholine, which can accelerate the depletion of choline in the brain, potentially leading to headaches. It also boosts other stimulants such as caffeine and is best taken together with choline to counteract it’s depletion.

Phenylpiracetam | Best Nootropics

Rating: 7/10

Phenylpiracetam is one, if not the most potent nootropic of the racetam family.

Structurally, it is an analogue of piracetam with an attached phenyl group.

The added phenyl group allows phenylpiracetam to pass through the blood faster than piracetam, making it thirty to sixty times more potent and it produces more stimulating effects in a manner similar to other phenethylamines such as Adderall.

It improves cognitive performance and problem-solving skills in people that suffer from low-mood or asthenia.

Phenylpiracetam is an ideal nootropic for athletes because it increases stamina and reduces the negative effects of stress on the body.

Adrafinil | Best Nootropics

Rating: 9/10

Adrafinil is a great choice for anyone that wants to get that needed ‘kick’ to make the most out of a day.

Adrafinil is a precursor to Modafinil, thus being quite the same in terms of effects, although you would twice the amount to achieve similar effects.

It’s actually metabolized by the body into Modafinil and has a shorter half-life. In the United States you will need a prescription for Modafinil, where as for Adrafinil, you do not.

Rather than forcibly stimulating the body and generating hyperactivity, Adrafinil increases the presence of the neurotransmitter Orexin, which controls alertness and wakefulness.

Oxiracetam | Best Nootropics

Rating: 6/10

Oxiracetam is a potent cognitive enhancer that enhances learning capacity, memory recall, attention span and also has stimulatory effects.

The stimulation experienced on oxiracetam is considered mild and encouraged rather than strong and forced as seen in other stimulants like Adderall.

Users report that oxiracetam also alters perception by increasing sound awareness and making colors seem more vibrant and alive, making it a great productivity hack for creatives and artists.

Oxiracetam stacks well with other racetams, producing synergistic effects and is considered safe with no long-term side-effects.

Noopept | Best Nootropics

Rating: 7/10

Noopept is a peptide-derived nootropic supplement that is very much like a racetam, but not quite the same.

It produces more or less the same effects as piracetam, though a much smaller quantity is needed. Noopept helps in releasing serotonin which has positive effects on mood and energy levels.

People use Noopept to treat anxiety and depression.

It’s quite a gentle supplement in terms of side-effects and also has neuroprotective properties.

Noopept also leads to enhanced connection between the two hemispheres of the brain, excelling with creativity and problem-solving related tasks.

Although Noopept is much more potent than other racetams, it’s more effective for at improving memory recall than increasing energy levels.

Wrapping it up

Choosing the right nootropic largely depends on the purpose for which you’re using them.

The Modafinil precursor, Adrafinil, is a great choice among many ‘brainhackers.’

Phenylpiracetam is a great nootropic on its own and it’s great for increasing stamina during physical activities.

Noopept would be recommended for those who want to improve memory.

Oxiracetam is an effective creativity enhancer.

Stacking is popular among nootropic users. Stacking is largely subjective because of differing brain chemistry among individuals. Try experimenting and find out what best works for you. As always consult you doctor for the safest and most effective course of action.

The post Need A Brain Boost? We Rate The Best Nootropics in Existence appeared first on Fearless Motivation - Motivational Videos & Music.

As the #1 writer on Medium, Benjamin Hardy said, “Who you are is a product of your self-image and your self-image is based on your environment. Change your environment and you can change everything.”

Does your environment set you up to succeed or is the physical clutter leading to mental clutter as well? Your environment has a huge effect on your subconscious mind and the signals you are constantly sending it.

Here are three ways you can declutter your mind to achieve maximum efficiency in your life.

Clean Everything

As Laurence J. Peter said, “If a cluttered desk is the sign of a cluttered mind, what is the significance of a clean desk?”

Decluttering your house, closet, car, and desk will help declutter your mind as well. Create an environment that is calm, relaxing, and stress-free.

Best selling author Jack Canfield talks about this in The Success Principles: 

Subconsciously your mind is thinking, “If I can’t find a stapler when I want it and my filing system is dysfunctional what makes me think I can start my own company or become a millionaire.” — Jack Canfield

Once you free your living and work environment from the mental burden of this clutter you will be more focused, productive, and confident in yourself.

Schedule a “completion weekend” to declutter your mind. Take care of all the things that are bugging you and taking up unnecessary space in your mind. It could be a dirty car, piles of laundry, a broken hinge on a door.

Sure, these tasks may seem small and “not that important” but physiologically they are weighing you down.

Keep an Inventory of Your Friends

While physical decluttering your home, office, and desk can help you gain clarity, you also need to look at your inner circle. As Jim Rohn said, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with. Choose wisely.”

If you want to declutter your mind you need to look at the people you surround yourself with the most. Your friends and inner circle can have a huge impact on your effectiveness in life.  

If you spend time consistently with friends that are dragging you down or living a life you don’t want anymore you must be willing to change.

Your friends should remind you more of your future, and less of your past.

If you have a ton of friends but don’t love your life you are sending mixed signals to your brain. Focus on the friends who add value to your life, are positive, and supportive.

When you surround yourself with new people your thoughts, feelings, and ambitions will change…sometimes drastically.

Challenge Self Doubt

The last step to declutter your mind is to challenge self-doubt when it hits. Instead of accepting doubt, challenge it head-on.

Prove to your brain that you are more than capable of achieving your goals and your brain will eventually begin to change. The next time you experience doubt or fear accept the challenge and take massive action.

Final Thoughts | Declutter Your Mind

Remember, you control your environment, both physically and mentally. As Dr. Marshall Godlsmith said, “If we do not create and control our environment, our environment creates and controls us.”  

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Beating procrastination is the difference between leading an unproductive life and changing the world.

If you find yourself consistently putting important tasks off, being late for every meeting or appointment, in addition to being unable to get yourself organized. You probably already know that you are a serious procrastinator.

This limiting habit – limiting because it’s the barrier between achieving little and making an impact on the world – is common in every single human being. Nevertheless, the highest performing individuals have been able to overcome this mental obstacle by following a few simple tips, which we will describe below.

So, avoid wasting time and put these into practice straight away.

Focus On One Thing At A Time – Beat Procrastination

One of the essential tricks to beating procrastination is focusing on one task at a time. We often think about everything we have to do by a given time. This makes us feel overwhelmed and we don’t know where to start.

Start by choosing the most important task you’ve been procrastinating and commit to completing it as soon as possible. Organise yourself by writing down and prioritizing tasks. Get your ‘big ticket’ items completed early on in the day when your mind is still fresh and the rest of the day will come a lot easier.

Have The Goal Vision In Hand – Beat Procrastination

When you find yourself delaying actions or activities, remind yourself why you started. Your goal could be career development, financial freedom or even changing the world.

Whatever your objective in life is, make sure to have it in mind at all times. You can either write your goals in a journal that you review every morning upon waking, or if you find this a difficult thing to do, try hanging a few motivational quotes or images around the house or even have them rotate as a your desktop background (my personal favourite).

Apply The 5 Second Rule – Beat Procrastination

Mel Robbins, a renowned motivational and keynote speaker. Has shared how how the 5 Second Rule changed her life from the first day she applied it.

By now, you are probably wondering what is this rule and how do I apply it myself?

Well, it’s simple. Every time you are faced with a task you need to complete. Start counting down from 5 to 1. By doing this, our body will start moving before our brain kicks in and derails us from our goals.

In order to better understand the concept. Think back to times you had a tight deadline (delivering a project on the same day, catch the bus etc.) At points like these, our brain isn’t getting side-tracked because our body moves to meet our needs within a specific time constraint.

Put On Your ‘Uniform’ – Beat Procrastination

Have you ever considered as to why when we are at work we are more productive, but when it comes to completing tasks of our own it’s not the same?

In the first example, we are obligated to act in a specific manner which will in turn translate to a salary or some kind of compensation. At the same time, what this entails is the fact that we are mentally prepared to do what we are asked of even before starting it. Wearing that suit or uniform empowers the whole act and it subconsciously reminds us that delaying or saying no is not an option.

In the later example though, the events may not unfold in a similar way. We have the option of turning to our comfort zone and procrastinating activities that may be important. So, optimise your workspace, set aside things that may distract you and find that ‘uniform’ mentality that will keep you focused and productive.

Take Time To Chill And Unwind – Beat Procrastination

Ideally, we will all have tasted a glimpse of efficient task completion by now through commitment and hard work. However, working non-stop can sometimes prove to be counter-productive or even unhealthy.

After an effective day of getting closer to your dreams, take a step back and relax. Practice meditation, watch a movie or even spend some time with family. All activities of recreational nature, self-reflection and strengthening of personal relationships will help your mind take a break, recharge and start again even stronger.

Independent of what route you choose to follow in life. Rest and proper recovery are essential to perform at your best. So take your breaks, recovery and sleeping pattern as seriously as you would plan your work day and you will see a great increase in productivity.

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Procrastination is a bad habit, that can be very hard to break. We have all been guilty of it from time to time, but sometimes we let it take over, if you’re ready to make a change and become more productive in your life then please read on for 3 steps to overcome procrastination.

I find it interesting that nobody will let any physical thing stop them from going somewhere or doing something, but people allow mental things to stop them all of the time.

For example, I could walk in front of you right now, blocking your path and preventing you from walking past me, and I bet that you the first thing you try and do is push past me, or at least express vocally express your annoyance. Every person would of course. Isn’t it strange then how we let the mental things get the best of us, we let them block our paths to progress. We let procrastination along with all of our other bad mental habits get the best of us, without a fight.

How come we choose to fight physical problems that are stopping us, but we don’t fight mental problems that are stopping us? These mental problems can be much worse than physical problems because they are preventing us from achieving goals and the things that we want to do, and instead of fighting them, we just give in without a whimper.

One

One of the first important steps to take if you want to stop procrastinating is to start treating this mental problem the same way you would treat a physical problem, which would be to fight back or treat the issue instead of looking the other way. If you had some form of injury would you just ignore it, or seek help from someone who knew how to cure it? In what ways can you combat your mental state? what resources or mentors could you utilise to improve your mindset?

Next time you find yourself procrastinating be conscious of it and decide to fight back and not let it bully you, the same way you would not let a person physically bully you.

Two

The second step to overcoming procrastination is to remove poisonous words such as “I’ll do it tomorrow” or “I’m too tired” from your vocabulary and your thinking process. Do it now, rest later! at least then you will be able to relax knowing you have done what was necessary. You must build up a strong association against procrastination, you have to start being proactive instead of reactive. What is one little task you can do right now, that will only take you a few minutes, but that you have been putting off, maybe a phone call or a simple task around the house. Go and do it now! this will begin the process of rewiring your brain.

Every time you find yourself about to put something off in your mind, stop yourself and replace it with “I will do it now” every time you do this you are strengthening your ‘mind muscle’ it will become stronger with use, and soon taking action will happen automatically. You just have to be strong enough initially to get started.

Three

Finally another great step to beat procrastination is to write everything down that you need to get done today, this week, this month, and this year. Continually add to it as you think of tasks, people who procrastinate tend to do so until they forget what they are putting off entirely. Every morning you wake up you should have your journal next to so you can see what needs to be done, and you can mentally plan out how you will go about achieving those goals. This will prime you brain and make it much easier to accomplish. Make a start today and don’t stop!

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Internet kills your time faster than anything else.

At a single click, you can watch your favorite TV episodes back to back, stalk your friends on Facebook and get stuck in the rabbit hole that is YouTube. It’s like a never-ending rollercoaster of distraction.

What people don’t realize is that excessive internet surfing works just like any other addiction. It hacks the reward system in our brain and makes us feel unmotivated to engage in real world activities – socializing, exercise, working – the things that fuel personal growth.

In fact, internet addiction has a strong impact on stress, depression, and anxiety.

Here are five ways to stop wasting time on the internet:

1. Set Strict Boundaries For Online Work

Set a time frame for work only e.g. 7AM – 4PM.  You can have free time before or after this set time. Every time you stick to this plan you are developing strength, developing a habit after a week or two it will come naturally. If it’s hard, work in short, 20-to-30-minute long stretches. Do not check access distractions in between but allow your self to get and and walk for 30 seconds or get a glass of water. Re-focus and get back to it.

You can use a timer (or install it on your computer) and keep it in front of you while working. It will remind you that you have limited time.

In addition, you can use online tools to stop wasting time on the internet. Internet blockers such as StayFocusd, Self Control, Leechblock and News Feed Eradicator For Facebook can help you focus and remain in that flow state for as long as possible.

2. Take A Day-Long Break From Technology

You are more than the websites you browse. Go out on the weekend for the whole day. Go out with your friends, or if you like to be alone – sit in a park, read books, meet new people.

Movement creates energy and like attracts like. So when you’re out and about, you’ll attract dynamic energy, people, and things into your life that will make you feel fulfilled and excited for this one life you’ve got. And as a result, you’ll stop wasting time on the internet when you go back to your computer.

Stagnation attracts stagnation and blocks growth and rejuvenation. Internet stagnates your energy since it makes you live inside your own head. You don’t want to live inside your own head for 6-10 hours a day, do you? Yet most people do.

3. Make It Hard To Access

A simple fact about behavior is that we do what’s easier to do when given an option. That’s the reason most people press the snooze button or don’t workout at least three days a week.

So to use this knowledge to your advantage, make all online distractions hard to reach. Use blockers for social media, change your passwords, and put your phone far away from you while you’re working if you really want to stop wasting time on the internet.

The WiFi is turned on 24×7 in most homes and that’s the reason people get addicted. Make a habit of turning it off for a set time period in the evening. For example, you don’t need the WiFi 3-4 hours before sleep. You should spend that time with family and friends. This will also increase your sleep quality immensely and in turn your productivity.

4. Build Your Self-Control Muscles With Small Commitments

Staying away from the internet is like fighting any other temptation. When you have self-control and are grounded inside yourself, you don’t need to drink, smoke, binge eat, or keep wasting time on the internet to escape uncomfortable feelings and physical sensations.

To build self-control, make small commitments and sacrifices. Don’t eat your favorite snack or eat it without your favorite sauce. Take cold showers instead of hot baths. Decide to stay away from the internet just for thirty minutes every evening. Such small acts of mental toughness will forge your inner stability bit by bit.

5. Create A Life Outside of The Internet

According to Brian Tracy, a renowned personal development guru, the only way to eradicate the bad from your life is to add the good. So if you want to get rid of internet surfing, add activities that will revitalize your spirit.

There are many healthy activities you can add – spend time in the park, reading, socializing with friends and family, engaging in your hobbies, working out, cooking your own food, writing in your journal, and so on.

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