Most of us are all too familiar with procrastination — putting off something you need to do until the last minute. And chances are, you’ve probably procrastinated on lots of important tasks, projects, or assignments in your lifetime. You may even be procrastinating on something right now, as you’re reading this post.
There
are lots of reasons for why we procrastinate. We could be
afraid of failure, unsure of how to start, or just don’t see the task at hand
is urgent. However, regardless of why we are doing it, we know from experience
that procrastination only hurts us in the long run.
There
are lots of reasons for why we procrastinate. We could be
afraid of failure, unsure of how to start, or just don’t see the task at hand
is urgent. However, regardless of why we are doing it, we know from experience
that procrastination only hurts us in the long run.
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Experts
say procrastination is essentially irrational. It doesn’t make sense
to do something you know is going to have negative consequences. People
engage in this irrational cycle of chronic procrastination because of an
inability to manage negative moods around a task.
Simply put, we procrastinate to avoid feeling the negative
emotions that come along with whatever task it is we are putting off. This
could be because the task itself is unpleasant, or it could be related to our
own deeper feelings of insecurity, self-doubt, and anxiety.
Enough said, now onto taking action! With the above points in
mind, try and implement these few steps to help you eliminate procrastination -
Break up tasks into smaller tasks. Sometimes
we put off a task or a project, because looking at it as a whole feels
overwhelming. Breaking it up into smaller tasks can help. After doing
this, it’s important to only focus on the next task in front of you. This can
help calm your nerves by creating, “a layer of self-deception.” As you start
checking things off your task list, one by one, you will feel motivated to keep
going.
Motivation
follows action. Get started, and you’ll find your motivation follows.
Make
distractions convenient. We all
have our go-to list of things that we turn to when we are avoiding a task. It
could be social media, Netflix, or even something that feels productive,
like cleaning up around the house.
Whatever your “thing” is, find a way to make it less accessible. Turn your phone off (or turn off notifications) and leave it in another room. Block social media tabs on your browser for a few hours. Work outside of your home (if you can and it’s safe) to avoid distractions there. Try to remove each and every roadblock.
Reward yourself. Knowing you have something exciting to look forward to may propel you to tackle what’s in front of you. Procrastination feels like a reward at the moment. We want to avoid the negative emotions associated with a task or project. So, we put it off and are rewarded with good feelings that come with whatever we’ve chosen to distract ourselves with. Our brains are always looking for relative rewards. If we have a habit loop around procrastination but we haven’t found a better reward, our brain is just going to keep doing it over and over until we give it something better to do.
When we stop procrastinating and start accomplishing the tasks in front of us, that can feel like a reward on its own. However, if you need a little extra push, you could offer yourself a physical reward after completing a task. Get yourself a treat, go see a movie or hang out with a friend – as much of these rewards are possible currently, while being careful and socially distanced, of course.
With these motivations you are better equipped
to defeat procrastination before it strikes!
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