You just can’t get yourself to do what needs to be done. You keep putting off until tomorrow what you could do today. You procrastinate on things that are important to you but don’t feel like doing at the moment. Does this sound like you? If so, you’re not alone.
Procrastination affects almost everyone at some point in their life. It is a sneaky thief of time that sneaks up on people unaware when they least expect it. Despite being a universal phenomenon, procrastination can have a detrimental impact on our performance and quality of life if left unchecked.
In this blog post, we’ll explore why we procrastinate, the dangers and how you can stop procrastinating to live a more productive life.
Why do we procrastinate
Procrastination is the act of putting off, delaying or postponing an intended course of action. The word procrastination comes from the Latin word procrasĭnus, which means “to put off till tomorrow”.
The most common reason people procrastinate is that they lack the motivation to work on a task. They may feel overwhelmed by the size of the project, or they may think they’re not good enough to finish it.
Some tasks just seem like too much work and require too much energy for anyone to want to get started on them right away. If you think about how much work it would take for you just to get started on the task in front of you, then you might wonder if it’s even worth doing at all! So instead of starting right away (which would require effort and energy), we put off doing anything by telling ourselves that we’ll start tomorrow or sometime later when we have more motivation
There are as many reasons for procrastination as there are people who procrastinate. Let’s take a look at some:
- Don’t understand the value of what they are doing
- Are overbooked with too many activities
- Are perfectionists who want to do everything perfectly
- Are lazy and don’t feel like doing anything
- Are overwhelmed by the amount of work ahead of them
- Have unclear, unrealistic or unhelpful expectations of themselves
- Are experiencing an issue in their life, such as anxiety or depression
- Have a distorted belief system or faulty logic that leads them to believe that procrastination is the best option for them at the moment
3 Strategies to Stop Procrastination:
- Decide what’s important to you
Before you can decide how you’re going to tackle your procrastination, you need to decide what’s important to you. This is not a one-off exercise. You have to keep doing it. This way, you make sure that you constantly reflect on what is important to you and what isn’t.
This will help you decide how to prioritise your time so that you have time to do the things that you need to do and don’t have time to do the things that are not important to you.
There are many ways you can decide what’s important to you. Here are a few suggestions:
- Ask yourself this question: If I could only do one thing for the rest of my life, what would it be?
- Make a list of all the things that are important to you. This could be family, friends, hobbies, work and so on.
- Make a list of all the things that you’re currently doing and decide whether they’re important to you or not.
- Make your chores feel like tasks you’d want to do
Doing things that you don’t want to do will never get you anywhere. You’ll just end up resenting these things and you’ll probably procrastinate even more. Instead, try to make your chores feel like tasks that you’d actually want to do.
If you can do this, you’ll find that you’ll be more productive and less likely to procrastinate. Here are a few ways to make your chores feel like tasks that you’d want to do:
- Be specific about what you need to do. Instead of saying, “I have to finish this project”, break the task down into its separate parts.
- Make sure each task is relevant and important. If you don’t feel like doing something, consider why it’s on your list and if it really needs to be there.
- Find a way to make each task more enjoyable. You could listen to your favourite music or podcasts, meditate, do yoga or set yourself a reward system.
- Have a plan for when you feel like procrastinating most
We’re all going to have moments when we feel like procrastinating. It’s impossible to avoid these feelings completely. There will be times when you just don’t feel like doing anything. The important thing is how you deal with these feelings and urges.
When you feel like procrastinating, ask yourself why and challenge the thoughts that you’re having. If you feel like procrastinating, it’s probably because the task you’re faced with feels impossible, too big or too difficult to do. Your feelings are just trying to protect you from doing something you think you can’t do.
Having an outline can help you stay focused and keep moving forward. For example, if you’re writing a paper or essay, write down what all needs to be done before you start writing — such as gathering all necessary sources and materials — and then write down your plan for each section in order of importance. You’ll know exactly what to do next and won’t waste time wandering around trying to figure out where to start.
Remember to start small. Starting with small tasks and working up from there helps take away some of that initial “ugh” factor that comes with tackling something big and overwhelming.
Procrastination is a serious problem, affecting almost everyone at some point in their life. It is important to understand why you are procrastinating and what you can do to stop it.
Unfortunately, procrastination is a very common problem, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be overcome. With the right strategies and techniques, you can get past your procrastination and achieve your goals.
Which area of your life do you procrastinate the most? Remember, if it’s too overwhelming, seek help. If you’re ready to create a healthier and more productive life, send Rita a message today.
