Procrastination is a subject that seems over flogged, but somehow, we still fall victim to it. We habitually find ways to ignore an unpleasant, but likely more important task, in favor of one that is more enjoyable or easier. Always, the sentence “I’ll do it later” becomes a thing.
Although it is often confused with laziness, they are very different terms. Procrastination is an active process – you choose to do something else instead of the task that you know you should be doing. In contrast, laziness suggests apathy, inactivity, and an unwillingness to act. Procrastination is a matter of having poor time management skills.
95 percent of us procrastinate to some degree. The reason varies from person to person and is not always obvious. Sometimes it is a hidden fear that we don’t want to acknowledge. It could even be as simple as not wanting to do something because it just doesn’t motivate us or the most common excuse of preferring to work under pressure. While it may be comforting to know that you’re not alone in the procrastination train, it can be sobering to realize just how much it can hold you back.
Procrastination is the killer of success, opportunity’s assassin, and a killer of time. Time is in itself the most valuable asset we do not own, and whether you believe it or not, how you use or don’t use your time is the best indication of where your future is going to take you. If you must achieve the success you desire, you must understand that time management is life management, and giving in to procrastination means undervaluing your life’s essence whilst focusing on irrelevancies.
Procrastinators are underachievers.
When you put off till tomorrow, tasks that can be done today, you are unable to meet your goals. You blow out opportunities as well as put unnecessary pressure on your bodies and immune system by causing boatloads of stress and other negative emotions like guilt, anxiety, shame, and self-criticism. Procrastination has a negative effect on health, overall achievement in life, and happiness, and until you find ways to escape it, you’d be wobbling in the web of unproductivity and inaction.
To overcome procrastination, you need to first recognize that you are procrastinating, and then find reasons why you are. Acknowledging your procrastination is the only way you’d want to provide a solution. If you’re briefly delaying an important task for a genuinely good reason, then you aren’t necessarily procrastinating. However, if you start to put things off indefinitely, or switch focus because you want to avoid doing something, then you probably are. You need to also ferret out reasons for procrastinating. Could it be fear for negative feedback, fear for failure, rewards that are far in the future, or the task is such that does not motivate you? When you know your whys, it is easier to tackle it
Secondly, Adopt Anti procrastination strategies. Because procrastination is a deeply ingrained pattern of behavior, it means that you probably can’t break it overnight. These Anti procrastination strategies could include having a to-do-list and committing to tasks on that list. Focus on doing, not avoiding. Write down the tasks that you need to complete, and specify a time for doing them. This will help you to proactively tackle your work. Other strategies that could work include; setting a reward on tasks you complete, having an accountability partner that reminds you about your goals, and rephrasing your internal dialogue from “have to” to “must”.
Also, minimize distractions. You will need to subconsciously take decisions to do away with irrelevancies that occupy your time. This could include your television or social media time. That way, you are able to focus on those things that must be done. Procrastination is the thief of time. It is one of the most common and deadliest diseases and its toll on success and happiness is heavy. Today, stop making excuses for why you can’t get it done and start focusing on all the reasons you must make it happen.