I guess every one of you has had that moment ever that you hesitate to do or speak something.
Well, it's not the wrong thing sometimes. But, it is not good when you need to speak up. For example, in a class lecture, you had a doubt, and you didn't raise your hand to get a solution to it. You would find it difficult to speak up in a class.
It might be, this example is relatable to many of you. Even I am one of them. I used to procrastinate a lot when asking something to the teacher if I had any questions. And I could hardly raise my hand to get the answer. And, such situations are never coming back. So, you need to put your procrastination aside and solve your query at the same time.
Sometimes, you also pick up doing easy tasks before and avoid the challenging ones, irrespective of the deadlines. And, you can't help it. There could be different reasons for this doing.
Anyway, this is going to be our today's topic. We are going to see, what are the reason for procrastinating and how can you stop you. So, let's get started with its introduction.
What does procrastinate mean?
Procrastination is nothing but your habit that stops you from doing the urgent task, despite adverse impacts. When you procrastinate, you are most likely to shift your experience to less important things and delay your priorities. You would be going to those things that seem straightforward, less time-consuming, and enjoyable to you.
As per two accountability coaches Ali Schiller and Marissa Boisvert, you would find four types of procrastinators. And, you have to stop yourself from being one of them.
The performer
The self-deprecation
The overbooker
The novelty seeker, etc.
If you could find your group of procrastination, it can help you in improving your habit. You can work on it anytime and make yourself a good version.
If you think procrastination is the worst, let me tell you many accomplished people procrastinate too.
On the other hand, procrastination for other people is a lot more than just being lazy and poorly managing time. Saying Just do it, don't work when it comes to procrastinating. It can coincide with clinical treatment, and saying cheer up can be the way.
If you think you procrastinate, don't feel bad about it. As it is a common problem, and there is a solution for it.
12 tips to stop procrastinating
Well, no one would prefer making excuses, delaying their work, crossing deadlines, and so on. Some of you may have this habit, and you are trying to change it; you need to work on some of your elements.
So, here are some of the ways that will help you stop procrastinating. And you will see the difference if you work in real.
1. Work on inner motivation
You won't deny what your inner self wants you to do.
Let me say, even if you are too busy with your files, and you have to give it by today only to your boss if your inner self says you to have a cup of coffee, even if you are packed with the time, you will get one.
Your inner self motivates you to do anything. And you are probably to do it. So, imagine the good and bad sides of anything, and see the inner feeling. This way, you can imagine the consequences of procrastinating.
2. Declutter Before You Begin
Clutters can create more work for you. Even though you in what way you need to for your work, the clutter can anyway increase your yield.
Try sorting off your work in small groups so that you can find the mess sorted. Always before the beginning of the work, declutter yourself. It includes the work area, or your mind too.
If you are not ready mentally, you can declutter your mind first and then go to work.
3. Make a List
Enlist the tasks you have to wrap up by today, this week, and this month. This will help you prioritize your job and stop procrastinating.
When you make a list, you would then go with the work necessary for today and this week. Make your schedule according to their deadlines.
This will help you make your tasks easier. And you won't feel burdened about the work. You would go to the job instead of avoiding it.
4. Time Your Tasks
It's like, making the timetable for your entrance exams. If you have enlisted the tasks according to their deadline, the next step would be allowing them the time so that you will do it in those time slots only.
This will help you manage your tasks in the given time. This way, you will not feel loaded with the work, and you will end up doing every work one by one.
5. Break up large tasks
No matter how you love eating pizza, you can't have it withing making slices of them. It seems nearly impossible to you. So, you are slices of it, and you can have an entire of it.
Apply the same principle to your work. If you think your job is too challenging to do and don't understand where you should start, break your work into sections and subsections, start working on it, and complete it.
When you break down the tasks, it might be more than one task, but they seem easier to do. And as you achieve one by one, you can finish your assignments quickly.
6. Go Public With Goals
Going public with your goals would mean, tell others about your work. This is another way to complete your work and stop procrastinating.
When you tell other people about your task, there are more chances that you will complete the task. It increases the pressure on your head. Also, once you tell other people about your next job and if you don't do it, it can make you miserable in the sight of others.
Therefore, you start working toward the same.
7. Celebrate Your Accomplishment
Don't be so hard on yourself. If you think you have accomplished one of the problematic tasks, you should celebrate your victory.
Even if the victory is small, it is a victory for sure. And it would help if you gave a treat to yourself. It's not essential to celebrate something only after it is enormous.
Instead, when you celebrate your small victories, you get the motivation to do further work. And this way, you can avoid procrastinating.
8. Add Music to the Mix
Adding up the music to your work is like adding up the sugar in a cup of tea.
Music is a stress reliever. And if you feel stressed while working, or due to work, you should add up some music at your job. Play your favorite playlist to reduce your stress.
It is proven the melody songs scientifically can reduce your stress more than loud music. So, if you can listen to the songs to get rid of stress, go for it.
9. Eliminate Distractions
Distractions are evident. It is everywhere. Even if you are working at home or in the office, you won't find a peaceful environment around.
At the same time, you can either avoid them or eliminate them. Well, you can't eliminate every distraction around yourself. If you are working and the person next to you talking to the client, you can't stop it entirely. You would need to avoid it.
Yet, there are several distractions you can eliminate entirely. So, try doing it.
10. Create rewards
Incentives are always happening. You would never say no to stimuli. So, why not try creating an incentive for completing your work.
If you avoid some work and delay it often, try creating an incentive to complete the same. Like, you would go on vacation, go party, treat yourself, get a weekend with your family, and so on.
Such rewards can motivate you to accomplish your task on time.
11. Enjoy work
Have you ever been denied work because you don't like it?
I guess, yes. Many times people procrastinate because they don't really enjoy what they are doing. I won't say that everyone should only do what they want to do or enjoy doing. At the same time, you have to perform some tasks you don't like much.
However, in such a situation, to stop yourself from procrastinating is to enjoy the task. Let me say if you are asked to make a presentation for the meeting. You don't like making it; you can deal with your work by saying the presentation has a lot of things that you can enjoy doing, Such as animations, the pictures that you are going to add in, and so on items.
It is right that you can generate your interest in anything if you want. And if you have an interest in something, you definitely won't procrastinate to do that.
12. Know the importance of your task
Another tip that can help you stop procrastination would be, you should know the importance of your task that you are trying to avoid often.
Let me put it in this way. If your boss has ordered you to make a spreadsheet of last month's sales in a day, you would definitely do that for the sake of your job. And you need to do it immediately by the deadline.
In the same way, taking an example of the covid pandemic, if you are feeling relatively low, you ignore it and don't visit the clinic to consult with the doctor. You are not giving importance to health. Whereas, in such a situation, when you feel uneasy, you need to visit the clinic.
If you had known the importance of it, you would have definitely visited the clinic. And didn't procrastinate to go to the doctor. Understanding the importance of your task can also help you to accomplish it as soon as possible.
Conclusion
Procrastination is not the worst habit. But yes, it can give you the worst consequences. This habit is developed within you without your knowledge. And eventually, you start getting its impacts. Thus, stopping procrastination is good anyway. I hope you find this article helpful in changing your procrastination.
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4 Step-by-step process to avoid procrastination
Procrastination is, 'Ahh, I'll do it tomorrow'…
'Procrastinare' is the latine word that means 'deferred until tomorrow,' and procrastination is derived from this word. Now you might have understood where the term came from.
You do this thing and say the same repeatedly when tomorrow comes. And your tomorrow never comes. You begin postponing your work every last minute, and the burden of work starts collecting in your head. And when you see a lot of work in front of you, you again are lazy or stressed about it.
You had started slipping into procrastination a long time back without your knowledge. You start strengthening the chain of procrastination every time you postpone it. And eventually, you don't even want to finish the more straightforward task itself.
I have four practical ways that will erase your though to postpone your work. I have personally used it and suggest others if the same case appears in front of me. So, make a count of each one of them.
1. Create clarity
Many people procrastinate because of the unclarity. Many people don't know what they should do. When exactly should you be working on it? Why do you need to do it in the first place, and what are your priorities? How are you supposed to do it effectively? When all such questions surround you, you will procrastinate. As simple as that.
When things seem unclear to your brain, it continuously says that the task is difficult for you and out of your comfort zone. And you can't do it. When your brain is not responding to your actions for the particular work, you start making excuses that your brain tells you instead. You create energy-draining situations for yourself to avoid work.
Therefore, being clear about your task is so important.
2. Change your mental state
You will agree that your mind controls your body, actions, thoughts, and feelings. So, if your mind is happy, you will ultimately be acting positively. If your mind is stressed, you will see the full effect of the same on your body.
Similarly, when you have a specific goal, and your mind understands everything about it, as mentioned above in the point, it will make you feel motivated.
For this, the base will be, making your goal clear for your brain to change its state. This also means that you need to be mentally ready for what you are going to do. As simple as that. If your mind can command you to procrastinate, it can similarly give you a command not to procrastinate.
3. Imagine the Pain and Pleasure of procrastination
I'm sure; if you ever procrastinate, you have had its consequences. On the other hand, if you have completed your work on time, you have felt the pleasure.
In the third step, you have to do the same. You have to imagine the post-procrastination effects and the pleasure when you do your job.
When you procrastinate, you must struggle with your finances, health, business, and so on. These areas get poorly affected due to your lousy behavior. At the same time, you feel more comfortable and pleasant when you do your work on time.
So, imagining both situations can help you know how it can be, ignore things, or give them a priority.
4. Do The 15-Minute Exercise
As per the laws of physics, you will need more energy and force to make something in motion if it is still as compared to something already moving.
If your car is ever broken in the middle of the road, you will understand what I'm trying to say precisely. If you want to stop procrastination, you will have only to read how to do it won't work for you. You will have to take action.
Now, why 15 minutes only?
So, 15 minutes are not a too long period. So anyone can do their task easily within the period. And, as to the physics laws, if something is in motion, it's easy to keep it in action. This means that if you are working, it will be a lot easy for you to keep doing your task instead of starting it anytime.
You can decide what you want to do.
Set a 15-minute timer
Do your task within the time.
Even if it is not wholly done within the time, you can keep going with it, with the flow.
The people practically apply all the four steps that are listed above. And they have worked for many. So, you also can try them out. And feel the benefit of it.
Mark Jackson
Why do people procrastinate?
By now, you have learned that what procrastination is and how you can stop it. So, it's time to know the causes of procrastination.
You might have learned the various ways to change this habit. But, before that, it's essential to know why someone procrastinates. So, here in this section, you will learn the reasons why people procrastinate.
1. Fear of Perfectionism
Perfectionism only exists in the world. Except for the word, perfectionism is just a dream. There are no perfect things. But, people see others as the perfect ones. Mostly they incline them.
It can be professionally or personally. So, according to such people, perfectionism does exist. But it does not.
So, even if it doesn't exist, people have the fear that they won't be able to wrap the work perfectly. And thus, they try to avoid doing it.
2. Fear of failure
Failure is a must and is evident. But no one wants to accept it.
Failures are meant to be teaching you lessons that you need to use for your work completion. But, society doesn't allow failure and doesn't give its place in the world. So, the fear of failure arises.
This fear of failure gives birth to procrastination, and people tend towards it.
3. Fear of criticism
Another cause for procrastination would be the feat of criticism by the people.
Society has a lot to do with what the other person is doing. They are always ready to give their opinions about someone. Even if it is not needed, and this arises dear of criticism.
At the same time, it is not essential to hold yourself at that point. But, people stop at that point and procrastinate about their work.
4. Consistent Avoidance
Some people take their work for granted and keep their attitude avoiding towards the work.
It is their personal choice, or you can say the habit to avoid the work. When someone avoids their work, they are indirectly leading to procrastinating.
On the other side, avoidance is one of the evident a cause of procrastinating, and many people have the same reason of procrastinating, i.e., avoidance.
5. Low self-esteem
Low self-esteem can not be the direct influencer not to finish the work, show laziness, or avoid work, but it can lead to many other reasons that lead to procrastinating.
Low self-esteem is a significant problem in many people that they need to work on. And, by the time they keep moving with low self-esteem, their work won't improve.
6. A tendency to self-defeat
In a race, win and lose are evident. It is a saying, participation is important than the result. And, in any of the races, being defeated by the opponent is another form of win.
But, in many cases, people are defeated on their own. They are the reason for their defeat. And they can't help it. Many people have that tendency to self-defeat, and they lose by themselves.
In other words, they don't believe in themselves and try to make excuses for their work.
7. Depression overloaded
Depression can have many reasons. But, depression can alone be one of the reasons for your procrastination.
Whatever the reason is for your depression, it will indeed hamper your work. And it will impact it badly. Before you could realize it, it would already be doing its work.
When you are depressed, you can't focus on anything, you don't want to do anything, neither your mind is ready to work. And, this is the reason you try to make excuses and avoid your work.
8. Trouble focusing
Focus in must. Whatever work you are doing, you need to be focused on it. Otherwise, your work won't come out as the best.
If you are fighting with focusing on your work, you would indeed lead to procrastinating. It is evident. If you can't focus on your profession or anything, you would probably try to avoid it, delay it, and act lazy. Which also means that you are procrastinating.
9. Waiting until the last minute
Well, deadlines are meant to motivate you to do your work in the given time. But, for few people, it is a burden. Or, they just wait till the last minute to submit the job and then make excuses to be safe from it.
Such attitude is so hammering to your work. And, the major drawback is, you learn to procrastinate. Deadlines are reasonable until you genuinely want to work by the date. Otherwise, it's nothing but the tension giver.
10. Resisting challenge
Challenges are meant to make you strong mentally and physically. Those, who learn this, can go ahead only.
Some people have a fear of facing the challenge. They want their life to go smoothly without any difficulty, which is not the wrong wish. But, until you have tough times in your life.
Unfortunately, people resist such challenges to take up and accomplish them. As a result, they find ways to get saved from it.
11. Difficulty defining goals
I have seen many people having many goals or many dreams. Thus they can't decide what their destination is.
So, when the other people ask about the goal, they don't have anything to say, and they procrastinate. They start blaming other things or making excuses. They don't think before denying their doings and extending their deadlines as well.
12. Lack of energy
Lack of energy would be one of the most important causes of procrastination.
Okay, if you have a plan to work. You have set up everything, the tools, the instruments, the goal of action, and so on. Still, something is making you not do your work. And, that is, lack of energy.
I know, if you plan, you automatically feel excited to work. But, if internally you don't feel like having energy, you can't work.
Why do I procrastinate so much?
If, talking about yourself, personally, you are well known to yourself, and what are those factors about yourself that stop you from doing your work.
The reason may be that you don't feel pleased about the work; the work may be cleaning your bathroom, making a spreadsheet, organizing something for a long time, and so on. It can be anything. And you don't feel excited to do it.
To procrastinate may have several reasons, but to motivate, I think one reason is enough. But, the feeling that stops you from doing work can be anything, starting from self-doubt, anxiety, low self-esteem, or insecurity.
The reason can be anything. But the reality is, it is stopping you from doing the work and making you lazy. Another reason is that you have a fear of failure or don't want to accomplish the new challenge. Low self-confidence is so enough to stop you from doing something.
Making excuses and halt your work at a particular place is easy anyway, but to keep going the job, don't matter what the condition is, is essential to stop procrastinating.
However, if you can find even a single reason to motivate yourself to work, you can win the game.