Procrastination is not equivalent to laziness. While procrastination is an unconscious delaying of an activity, laziness is a conscious choice of avoiding a task at hand.
Meet Neha. She sits in her office on a Friday evening with furrowed brows and tired eyes. Her project’s deadline ends in 30 minutes, and she worries about finishing it on time. Though she had two weeks to finish the project, she waited until the last minute to complete it.
When you meet Neha, she might come across as a lazy person. But nothing is farther from the truth. She has big ambitions and works hard to achieve her goals. However, she procrastinates until the last minute to complete her job. This behaviour contributes to anxiety and depression in Neha.
If you could relate to Neha, you are also a procrastinator. You get in trouble with last-minute deadlines. Here is how to procrastinate less and work more:
RECOGNIZE:
Being aware of procrastinating can induce you to take steps against delaying tasks. Think of the last time you had to deal with a big project or goal. Did you finish it right on time? Or did you pull an all-nighter to complete it barely? What other unimportant tasks did you prioritize over finishing this one? These questions would give you an overview of how procrastination affects your productivity.
REVIEW:
Recognizing procrastination brings us to the next stage: analyzing the reasons for procrastination. As mentioned earlier, procrastinators are not lazy people. They understand the negative consequences of missing a deadline. However, some underlying reasons block them from completing the task on time. The causes of procrastination could be:
– Fear of failure: Chuck, who does a better job at work, doubts his abilities sometimes. This doubt causes him to fear the outcome of his performance. They are afraid of making mistakes.
– Unrealistic deadlines: Usually, procrastinators struggle to set an achievable deadline for a goal. They set smaller unrealistic deadlines for larger projects. When they can’t achieve it, they feel anxious and worried.
– Perfection: Perfectionists set incredibly high standards for themselves. They can accept nothing but a perfect outcome. Though perfection can lead to better results, it could also become unattainable at some point. As a result, perfectionists are better procrastinators.
RESOLVE:
Analyzing the reason for procrastination allows you to adopt strategies and techniques to overcome the cause, leading you to work more productively. Here are simple methods or tricks to try and stop procrastinating:
- When setting goals and deadlines, be specific and realistic. You must understand that no one can do everything all at once. Scheduling an impractical number of tasks within an unrealistic deadline could cause worry and anxiety.
- Commit to finishing the tasks that you schedule for the day. Reward yourself when you complete the task. Choose a reward that would motivate you towards another productive day. Forgive yourself if you did not finish a task in the past. Letting your guilt go is a huge step to working without stress and worry. Don’t hold yourself against your past mistakes.
- Prepare a to-do list for every day.
- Set a reminder for the tasks on your phone or laptop.
- Prioritize the tasks based on importance.
- Use the timeboxing technique to set a maximum time for each task. Try and complete the task within the time.
- If you are a freelancer or an entrepreneur, ask someone to hold you accountable for your progress. Deadlines won’t motivate you if there is no real meaning to them. When someone holds you accountable for finishing the task on time, you will be highly motivated to complete it.
- Burnouts are another reason for procrastinators to delay the task. Procrastinators benefit from writing their goals down on a piece of paper. Stick your vision board on your wardrobe or the wall; you can see them. Set a pomodoro timer to alternate between work and rest. A consistent routine can stop you from pushing yourself hard towards the goal.
- Do not postpone the tasks. Finish it as soon as they arise. ‘On the go’ is a better approach to stop procrastinating. More completed tasks will make you feel motivated and in control.
- Checking social media often or replying to a friend’s text can be a distraction. Engage in a distraction-free schedule. When you want to check an Instagram post or WhatsApp notification, delay that thought for ten seconds. The urge to distract yourself could pass within that delay.
- We all have those tasks that we do not enjoy doing. Complete those unpleasant tasks first thing in the morning. Analyze your energy levels throughout the day. Find the productive cycles and schedule the important tasks when you feel energetic and motivated in a day.
Lastly, never strive for perfection. There is no perfect result, but only perfect effort. Believe that you are the best in whatever you do. Do not let procrastination steal your valuable time.
