Procrastination is a trap a lot of people find themselves in.
Research suggests that 95% of us procrastinate to different degrees. Often
confused with laziness, procrastination is an active process.
Unlike laziness that incorporates inactivity, apathy, and
unwillingness to do anything, procrastination is when you choose to do
something other than the essential tasks you should be doing.
It is usually at deadline time that you start rushing to do
those tasks, and more often than not, you will wonder why you left it so late
and made things more problematical for yourself..
Procrastination involves avoiding unpleasant, but important
tasks in favour of those more enjoyable, easier and maybe not important at all.
These impulses, if not controlled, can have serious consequences.
Extreme Dangers of Procrastination
- · Guilt
- · Loss of
precious time
- · Reduced
productivity
- · Fatigue
- · Anxiety
- · Career
setbacks
- · Low
self-esteem
- · Low
self-confidence
- · A
damaged reputation if you miss deadlines
- · Additional
stress with the pressure of last minute working
- · Rushed
decisions that might not be the best
The Most Effective Way to Overcome Procrastination
Yes, it is possible to overcome procrastination, but you have
to take steps and ensure you turn them into habits.
Recognise That You Have a Problem That Needs to Be Addressed
If you realise that you are always in the habit of postponing
things until the last minute, then you are procrastinating.
Track how long it takes you to do your work or the most
important, albeit boring tasks. If you keep avoiding them, take longer than
necessary to make decisions, do low-priority tasks, start the important task,
but stop to get a drink, or even constantly wait for the “right time,” then you
are a procrastinator.
Ask Yourself Why You Do It
Are you avoiding important tasks because they are boring?
In that case, do them fast and get them out of the way. This
way, you will have time to do other tasks that you enjoy. The poor organisation
could also be the reason behind your procrastination, so organise your work by
priority or importance, create a to-do-list, make your schedule effective, then
stick to it.
You might be procrastinating because you have doubts about
your abilities, or even one of the most common reasons – a fear of success. Are
you putting off following up a sales lead because of a fear of rejection? If
this is the case, what’s the worst that can happen? If they say ‘no’, at least
you know where you stand and can move on.
Use Anti-procrastination Strategies
Being a habit, you cannot overcome procrastination in a day.
This means you need to adapt to strategies that will help you change those
habits and create new ones. Some of them include:
- · Committing
to tasks
- · Asking a
co-worker to keep checking on you
- · Acting
as you go
- · Rephrasing
internal dialogs
- · Minimizing
distractions
- · Start
with the most unpleasant tasks
- · Promise
yourself a reward
- · Keep a
to-do-list
- · Set reasonable,
but time-bound goals
Use time management and task management applications
If your problem is finding your work overwhelming, then you
can overcome it by breaking it down into more manageable chunks. The most
important thing is that you start tackling those tasks, so don’t concentrate on
finishing them. In case you think the reason why you keep putting things off is
because making decisions is hard, surely not making decisions is worse?
Mayfair, we care.
Sources
https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newHTE_96.htm
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/better-perfect/201703/11-ways-overcome-procrastination
https://www.selfhelpforlife.com/effects-of-procrastination/