Procrastination is often confused with laziness, but they are very different.
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 usually involves ignoring an unpleasant, but likely more important task, in favor of one that is more enjoyable or easier.
But giving in to this impulse can have serious consequences. For example, even minor episodes of procrastination can make us feel guilty or ashamed. It can lead to reduced productivity and cause us to miss out on achieving our goals.
If we procrastinate over a long period of time, we can become demotivated and disillusioned with our work, which can lead to depression and even job loss, in extreme cases.
First, to overcome procrastination you need to have an understanding of the REASONS WHY you procrastinate and the function procrastination serves in your life. You can't come up with an effective solution if you don't really understand the root of the problem. As with most problems, awareness and self-knowledge are the keys to figuring out how to stop procrastinating. For a lot of people acquiring this insight about how procrastination protects them from feeling like they are not able enough, and keeping it in mind when they are tempted to fall into familiar, unproductive, procrastinating habits goes a long way to solving the problem. For instance, two psychologists, Jane Burka and Lenora Yuen, who have helped many people overcome procrastination, report in their article, "Mind Games Procrastinators Play" (Psychology Today, January, 1982), that for many students "understanding the hidden roots of procrastination often seems to weaken them" (p.33). Just knowing our true reasons for procrastinating makes it easier to stop.
To overcome procrastination time management techniques and tools are indispensable, but they are not enough by themselves. And, not all methods of managing time are equally helpful in dealing with procrastination. There are some time management techniques that are well suited to overcoming procrastination and others that can make it worse. Those that reduce anxiety and fear and emphasize the satisfaction and rewards of completing tasks work best. Those that arc inflexible, emphasize the magnitude of tasks and increase anxiety can actually increase procrastination and are thus counter-productive. For instance, making a huge list of "things to do" or scheduling every minute of your day may INCREASE your stress and thus procrastination. Instead, set reasonable goals (e.g. a manageable list of things to do), break big tasks down, and give yourself flexibility and allot time to things you enjoy as rewards for work completed.
To overcome procrastination it's critical that you stay motivated for PRODUCTIVE REASONS. By productive reasons I mean reasons for learning and achieving that lead to positive, productive, satisfying feelings and actions. These reasons are in contrast to engaging in a task out of fear of failing, or not making your parents angry, or not looking stupid, or doing better than other people to "show off." While these are all reasons - often very powerful ones - for doing something, they are not productive since they evoke maladaptive, often negative feelings and actions. For example, if you are concerned with not looking dumb you may not ask questions, delve into new areas, try new methods, or take the risks necessary to learn new things and reach new heights. A good way to put positive motives in motion is to set and focus on your goals. Identify and write down your own personal reasons for enrolling in a course and monitor your progress toward your goals using a goal-setting chart. Remember to focus on your reasons and your goals. Other people's goals for you are not goals at all, but obligations.
Start! Sometimes, we put off getting started because we do not really believe we can complete the task. Over time, this attitude becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy as the list of things we cannot do keeps growing! The best way to overcome this fear is to start small, persist with the task and record your progress in a diary. When in doubt, refer back to the diary as proof that you are capable.
Procrastinators are often poor planners who become quickly overwhelmed by long task lists. Look at your goals or upcoming tasks and pick one item to focus on. Do some research on how to tackle the item and create a schedule with smaller tasks culminating in the larger goal.
Tell someone about your goals. Set a deadline. Think about a reward. Use an alarm or calendar reminder to let you know when to start the task. Reduce distractions in your environment – delete social media apps from your phone, use headphones at the office, limit the amount of time spent on emails every day, and so on. Commit to overcoming procrastination.
We all procrastinate from time-to-time. The trick is to manage and curtail the impact of procrastination, both personally and professionally.
Procrastinators are often poor planners who become quickly overwhelmed by long task lists. Look at your goals or upcoming tasks and pick one item to focus on. Do some research on how to tackle the item and create a schedule with smaller tasks culminating in the larger goal.
Tell someone about your goals. Set a deadline. Think about a reward. Use an alarm or calendar reminder to let you know when to start the task. Reduce distractions in your environment – delete social media apps from your phone, use headphones at the office, limit the amount of time spent on emails every day, and so on. Commit to overcoming procrastination.
We all procrastinate from time-to-time. The trick is to manage and curtail the impact of procrastination, both personally and professionally.
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