Procrastination perceptions

Procrastination. I am guilty. We are all guilty of doing it, more often than we would like to admit. Procrastination may not be just about turning in your school report/work project at the last minute. You may also be putting off important life decisions like whether or not you should ask your boss for that raise he promised last month, or whether you should join a gym, leave your boyfriend, have a baby - it’s endless.

And if you can’t learn how to stop putting things off, it becomes a bad habit you will have to deal with your whole life. This can hurt your relationships, career, and personal health. Others perceive you as being lazy, unable to meet your time commitments, or incapable of making up your mind.

The thought process behind procrastination is that you believe there is always tomorrow, so why not steer clear of the stress and anxiety and just put it off until later. But guess what? This is the first thing you need to tackle. The stress is not going anywhere and will always be there whenever you get around to doing what you delayed. It will not be easy but try to figure out what the stress factor is behind your procrastination. It could be fear of failure, fear of confrontation, fear of not being perfect.

Don’t be too critical of yourself

Waiting to start a project pushes you to bite off more than you can chew. Partnering that with a leap into the deep end usually results in a finish nowhere near what you had envisioned.

So, you judge your flaws and faults way too harshly. Yet, studies show that when you forgive yourself for putting things off or not getting things done as perfectly as you would have liked, it can help fend off procrastination. Additionally, setting realistic goals and not spreading yourself too thin can also help with a procrastination problem.

Following these tips may help you combat procrastination

1. Make tasks into good habits

We all have enough willpower to get about 3 or 4 tasks done each day. Habits use other parts of our brain rather than the prefrontal cortex which is associated with rational thinking. So, when you train yourself to do something out of habit, rather than look at it as a mundane task, you think about it less which means you’re using less willpower and you won’t fall into the procrastination rut.

Things like brushing your teeth or making your bed have all become daily habits that you automatically perform without even considering putting them off. Why not turn healthy eating, daily exercise, or turning in reports ahead of time into daily habits as well?

After, that it becomes easier, but you still must keep yourself motivated and inspired. Procrastination is all about avoiding that dreaded first step. So, why not ease into it with the knowledge that after a certain amount of time, or once I’ve finished X, I can watch videos on YouTube or go get a cup of coffee. Make it pleasant for yourself because the reward is the part that the brain assimilates to gauge your enjoyment level. If it makes you happy, then your brain slowly turns this task into a habit that you look forward to, instead of something you dread each time.

2. Divide work tasks into pieces

Instead of cleaning out the entire garage, do the right side first, take a break, then do the left side, take a break, then finish off the rest. At work, big tasks may seem daunting when you look at them. The answer? Break it down into smaller tasks. Outline the entire project, and then divide it up into smaller tasks.

Working in 30-minute increments also helps break down tasks into smaller chunks that are manageable and not so intimidating. After 30 minutes, take a break and assess your work. Seeing how much you’ve accomplished will give you that boost of confidence you need to keep at it.

3. Eliminate distractions

Checking your email every 5 minutes doesn’t do you any good. So, once you’ve committed to doing the job, limit distractions by putting your phone away. You can find apps that help you stay on track, but some will say that’s completely missing the point.

The important thing is that you set up a certain time for checking emails or your social media, and once you’ve started your task, you should try to avoid the urge to sneak a peek.

Another serious distraction is multi-tasking. Even though it may seem that you’re being productive, the truth is it wastes time and energy. Think about it, it takes your brain about 20 minutes to completely focus on one task and give it 100%, and then you bring in another task which means you decrease your focus level by half, bring in a third task and the focus drops even lower. So even though you’re working more, your results will be below average for those 3 tasks.

4. Work during your optimal hours

We all have certain times during the day when we’re most energetic and alert. Some of us are morning people, some are night owls, and others do best in the late afternoon hours. This is the time you usually find it easiest to accomplish your hardest tasks. But, whenever your peak hours are, that’s the time to tackle your most difficult and demanding tasks. You’ll be a true powerhouse then with your brain working at its maximum capacity.

My final thought

These tips are general and can help to a greater or lesser degree any person who procrastinates. Keeping in mind not all people procrastinate for the same reason it follows that some tips are better than others, but you may need to think outside the box. Tip number 2 works best for me because unfamiliar things make me feel overwhelmed and I need a list of steps to take.

Please share this post with your family and friends if you found it useful.