“While we waste our time hesitating and postponing, life is slipping away.”
-Seneca
What is Procrastination?
I want to begin by simply defining what Procrastination is. It is the practice of deferring or postponing duties until the last minute or till after the deadline. Academics define it as a “type of self-regulation failure marked by unreasonable deferral of tasks despite possible negative consequences.”
Now let us understand What Procrastination is NOT?
This is important to avoid confusing between procrastination and other phenomena.
Procrastination is Not Laziness.
Procrastinators often put off doing things, leave them to the very last moment or sometimes even spend their time staring at the wall. However, be careful, procrastination is not a synonym for laziness.
Lazy people simply do nothing and are content with that. Procrastinators, on the other hand, have the desire to do something but are unable to begin.
It is a good idea to start using the term procrastination instead of laziness for putting things off. It gives a much more accurate picture of your situation. Only by naming your problem correctly can it be solved.
Relaxation is Not the Same as Procrastination.
Procrastination should not be confused with relaxation. Relaxing gives you a boost of energy. Procrastination, on the contrary, depletes it. The less energy you have, the more stressed or even depressed you get, and the more likely you are to put off your responsibilities.
Causes of Procrastination
Perfectionism
Perhaps you are worried you might make a mistake, an error that exposes a weakness. The fear of making mistakes is a real thing, and it can cause people to put off some of their important obligations for another day. As Suzy Kassem says, “Doubt kills more dreams then failure ever will.”
While some people believe that being a perfectionist is a positive trait, it can be quite damaging. It’s a dangerous combination of counterproductive habits and attitudes that restrict progress. Although perfectionism is frequently misunderstood as having high standards, it limits the definition of success to an unrealistic standard. Why try to meet this standard when it will never be met? Or met after the achievement is no longer relevant?
Fear of the Unknown
Sometimes people are afraid to act because it might reveal inconvenient truths they don’t want to hear. Turns out the old saying “What you don’t know can’t hurt you” is not true. In most cases, if you ignore something for a long time, hoping that it goes away, it will only get worse.
Lack of Motivation
People lack motivation when they find little value in the projected outcome of their work. However, if people can see how their work connects to their interests, goals, and concerns, they are more likely to value their work and be motivated to invest their energy into it.
Unclear on How to Get Started?
What if the task at hand is overly complicated, one-of-a-kind, or challenging? What if there are so many dynamic elements that it’s difficult to know where to start? Because you don’t know where to begin, this ambiguity may prevent you from starting. Even if you can figure out the first step, if you look at the whole procedure, you’ll see that you miscalculated the amount of time and effort required to finish the activity.
Modern-day Distractions
Many surveys have revealed that numerous diversions such as Skype, Instagram, Facebook, and Messages are the primary cause of procrastination. These activities tend to grab people’s interest while also providing a sense of enjoyment from the content they provide. People would rather have a brief burst of happiness and pleasure than do the tedious or uninteresting activity they have been assigned. Everyone has a different reason for procrastination. The causes of procrastination follow a general pattern, but individuals may procrastinate for multiple reasons, sometimes mixing and matching different causes. The key to overcoming the problem is to identify your personal reasons and act accordingly.
How to Overcome Procrastination?
Personal Vision
One of the main tools is the personal vision; it helps you understand your abilities and priorities. Having one will ensure that you never get lost in what you want to do with your life. Personal vision also assists you in focusing your efforts on the proper activities and setting priorities in order to prevent moving back and forth between actions. Understanding what motivates you will allow you to maintain your discipline and make the most of each day.
Break Your Work in Small Steps
Part of the reason we procrastinate is that we unconsciously believe the work is too difficult for us. Break it down into small pieces, then concentrate on one at a time. If you’re still procrastinating on the assignment after breaking it down, break it down even further. Soon, your task will be so simple that you’ll think to yourself, “gosh, this is so simple, I might as well just do it now!
Habit List
Learning new habits is a fundamental component of personal development. When we create a habit, it takes less mental energy to do it. As a result, developing new habits is critical. However, there are various myths regarding what works and what doesn’t when it comes to developing new habits. Here is a example of one template of a habit tracker that I personally use which is proven to overcome procrastination.
Eliminate Distraction
Ask yourself what pulls your attention away the most — Instagram, Facebook updates, or the local news — and turn off those sources.
Meeting with Yourself
This instrument will assist you in navigating your own “Meeting with Yourself,” a time set apart specifically for you! During your meetings, you can concentrate on long-term planning and an overall assessment of your personal development. It’s meant to make you reflect on how far you’ve come in a short period of time. Consider where you want to go in life and what you can do better.
And once you realize you overcame procrastination, congratulate yourself and reward yourself by indulging in something you enjoy.
In the end I would like to motivate you by saying…
JUST DO IT NOW
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