How To Overpower Procrastination!

 

How To Overpower Procrastination

 

What Is Procrastination?

 The act or habit of deferring or delaying something that requires immediate attention is known as procrastination.

"Putting off till tomorrow what might be done now!" is what it is all about.

Many people fall into the procrastination trap.

According to Piers Steel, a researcher and speaker, 95 percent of people procrastinate in some way.

While knowing you're not alone can be reassuring, realizing how much it might limit you can be sobering.

Is Procrastination Synonymous With Laziness?

Procrastination is frequently confused with laziness, although the two are not the same.

Procrastination is a deliberate action in which you choose to do something other than the task you know you should be performing.

Laziness, on the other hand, connotes apathy, passivity, and a refusal to perform.

Procrastination usually entails putting off a less pleasurable but perhaps more crucial duty in favor of something more pleasurable or easy.

However, succumbing to this urge might have catastrophic consequences. Even little instances of procrastination, for example, can make us feel guilty or ashamed.

It can impair productivity and cause us to fall short of our objectives.

We can become demotivated and disillusioned with our work if we delay for a long time, which can lead to depression and even job loss in extreme circumstances.

Why Do People Procrastinate?

However, how we postpone and what we postpone on varies by person:

In school, a student will put off studying for an exam or writing a term paper until the last minute.

A professional will put off doing a work-related job because it is difficult and time-consuming.

In addition, an athlete may put off getting an injury looked out because he or she does not want to miss a crucial game.

Procrastination serves a purpose for each of us. And it's all too easy to dismiss it as a little annoyance. “It's just a poor habit I have,” you might tell yourself.

People come up with all kinds of imaginative reasons why now, today, isn't the proper time.

There isn't enough time.

I'm bankrupt.

Overworked.

It would be far too dangerous.

It's too hazy.

Too young.

It is past its prime.

It's far too early.

It's very noisy.

plus everything else

Those justifications aren't always correct.

However, they are frequently used as justifications for avoiding the hard work and emotional discomfort that comes with making significant changes in our careers and lives.

Fear is at the root of that unease.

That powerful and instinctual emotion whose purpose is to protect us from suffering (both physical and emotional) and urge us away from anything that threatens our sense of self, injures our pride, or shakes our world.

If our anxieties aren't addressed, they can lead us to believe that if we wait long enough, our circumstances will improve, or that our worries would miraculously vanish, replaced by great clarity and courage.

We convince ourselves that "one day," the time will be better, our confidence will be stronger, and our circumstances will be easier, that "one day," we will be ready to make a change or take a chance.

Unfortunately, this is not always the case.

As the days pass, our concerns grow in size, rather than shrinking, until they become a cemetery for unrealized goals and untapped potential.

Our procrastination can take a toll on our finances, job, business, relationships, and health at any time.

We hate to acknowledge it, but by deferring what can be done tomorrow to today, we unknowingly sell out on our happiness – both now and in the many tomorrows that make up our future.

When philosopher William James remarked, "Nothing is so fatiguing as the endless hanging on of an unmet purpose," he wasn't exaggerating the consequences of procrastination.

“Life rewards action,” it is critical to understand. “Without it, nothing big is accomplished,” as well as the fact that "delay becomes increasingly costly."

Procrastination: How to Overpower It

The good news is that procrastination can be conquered, just like any other habit.

I've outlined the Steps and Practices below to assist you in dealing with and avoiding procrastination:

Step 1: Admit To Yourself That You're Procrastinating.

You may be putting off a task as a result of having to reorganize your responsibilities.

You are not necessarily procrastinating if you are temporarily delaying an important activity for a legitimate reason because sometimes one can procrastinate on purpose.

If, on the other hand, you start putting things off indefinitely or shifting your concentration to avoid accomplishing anything, this is a red flag.

Fill your day with low-priority chores to see if you're delaying.

Even if it's crucial, leave an item on your To-Do list for a long period.

Read over emails numerous times before deciding what to do with them.

Begin a high-priority task before going to prepare a cup of coffee.

Instead of getting on with the critical activities currently on your list, fill your time with meaningless jobs that other people want you to undertake.

Wait till you're in the "proper mood" or at the "perfect moment" to begin a task.

Step 2: Figure Out Why You're Procrastinating In The First Place.

Before you can begin to address your procrastination, you must first understand why you are doing so.

Are you avoiding a chore because you find it boring or unpleasant, for example?

If this is the case, take measures to get it out of the way as soon as possible so you can concentrate on the areas of your job that you enjoy.

Procrastination can be caused by a lack of organization.

Because they use prioritized To-Do Lists and establish effective Schedules, organized people are able to overcome it.

These tools assist you in prioritizing and scheduling your chores.

Even if you're well-organized, a task can still overwhelm you.

Perhaps you have doubts about your competence and are afraid of failing, so you put it off and focus on things that you know you can finish.

Some people are equally terrified of success as failure. They believe that if they are successful, they will be inundated with demands for more work.

Perfectionists are frequently procrastinators, which may come as a surprise.

They'd rather avoid performing a task for which they lack the necessary capabilities than perform it poorly.

Poor decision-making is also a key source of procrastination.

If you can't make up your mind, you're more likely to put off taking action for fear of making a mistake.

Step 3: Implement Anti-Procrastination Techniques

Procrastination is a behavior pattern – a deeply rooted habit.

This means you won't be able to break it in a single day.

Habits only cease being habits when you stop doing them, so try as many of the tactics listed below as you can to increase your chances of success.

Forgive yourself for past procrastination.

Self-forgiveness, according to studies, might help you feel better about yourself and lessen your chances of procrastinating in the future.

Make a firm commitment to the work.

Concentrate on doing rather than avoiding.

Make a list of the chores you need to perform and set aside time to complete them. This will assist you in approaching your task in a proactive manner.

Make a promise to yourself that you will be rewarded.

Reward yourself with a slice of cake or a cup of coffee from your favorite coffee shop if you finish a challenging task on time. And don't forget to appreciate how satisfying it is to complete tasks!

Request that someone keep an eye on you.

In other words, get an accountability partner

Peer pressure is effective! Self-help organizations operate on this concept. If you don't know who to ask, an online application like Procraster can help you keep track of your own progress.

As you go, act.

Rather than allowing duties to pile up, take care of them as soon as they emerge.

Rewrite your internal monologue.

For example, the phrases "need to" and "have to" imply that you don't have a choice in what you do. This can make you feel powerless, and it may even lead to self-sabotage.

Saying, "I choose to," on the other hand, implies that you are in charge of a project and might help you feel more in control of your burden.

Distract yourself as little as possible.

Turn off your email and social media, and stay away from the television while you're working!

Every day, try to "consume an elephant beetle" first thing!

Get those tasks that you don't like to do out of the way first. This will free up the rest of the day for you to focus on more fun tasks.

If you're procrastinating because you dislike a task, attempt to think about the "big picture."

Because they are focused on short-term gain, impulsive persons are more inclined to postpone, according to research.

Identify the long-term rewards of completing the work to combat this. Could it, for example, have an impact on your yearly performance evaluation or end-of-year bonus?

Identifying the negative effects of skipping a task is another method to make it more enjoyable.

What will happen, for example, if you don't finish the project? What impact might it have on your personal, team, or corporate objectives?

Simultaneously, it may be beneficial to reframe the task by considering its significance and importance.

This will increase its worth to you and make your job more valuable.

It's also vital to recognize that we frequently exaggerate the difficulty of a task.

So go ahead and give it a go! After all, it might not be as horrible as you anticipated!

If you're procrastinating because you're disorganized, try these six tips to get organized:

Make a to-do list and stick to it.

This will keep you from "conveniently" forgetting about those difficult or daunting jobs.

Use Eisenhower's Urgent Important Principle to prioritize your to-do list. This will allow you to rapidly decide which things you should prioritize and which you may skip.

Become an expert in project management and scheduling. These tools will help you arrange your time wisely and minimize your stress levels if you have a large project or numerous projects on the go and don't know where to begin.

When you're at your most productive, take on the most difficult jobs.

Is it easier for you to work in the morning or afternoon? Determine when you're most productive and complete the chores that are most challenging for you during that time.

Make timed goals for yourself.

Setting explicit deadlines for projects will keep you on pace to meet your objectives, and you will have no time to procrastinate!

Apps that help you manage your tasks and time are useful. Trello and Toggl, for example, are two apps that can help you be more organized.

If you find yourself procrastinating projects because they're too big, try breaking them down into smaller parts.

Break down your work into smaller jobs and concentrate on getting them started rather than finishing.

Jeffery Combs recommends breaking down chores into 15-minute chunks in his 2011 book "The Procrastination Cure."

You can also structure your project by creating an Action Plan.

Begin with fast and simple chores. These "little victories" will offer you a sense of accomplishment, making you feel more positive and less overwhelmed by the larger activity or goal you're pursuing.

Finally, if you're putting things off because you can't decide what action to take or making decisions is difficult for you, check out the variety of decision-making tools available to help you improve your decision-making skills.