Overcoming procrastination is crucial in being the best we can be. There is an adage, “Procrastination is the thief of time”, coined by an English writer, Edward Young. My mum likes to remind me that procrastination is a thief of time; she says my national anthem is “I Will”. Do you get reluctant to do things you need or want to do? I do too.
Many of us have been overcoming procrastination; Piers Steel, a researcher and speaker, said 95 per cent of us procrastinate to some degree. It is soothing to know that you aren’t the only one, right? Procrastination is often mistaken for laziness, which is far from the truth; Procrastination is doing an easier or enjoyable task while ignoring a likely more critical one.
Procrastination is the main barrier between a person and their goals; researchers have proven that people have more regrets for things they haven’t done than things they have. Honestly, this regret tends to stay with us for a long time. So I would be giving tips on overcoming procrastination.
Tips On Overcoming Procrastination
Get Organized
Overcoming procrastination requires a great deal of organization. You can’t get any work done if you don’t know the task you need to complete. To tackle this problem, I would advise that you develop a routine; it may be hard to achieve initially, but I am optimistic that you would see consistent results. Get a daily planner or diary; it helped me.
Set Daily Achievable Goals
One of the greatest hindrances to overcoming procrastination is having a task at hand that seems too big, so I read an article that said we should break down tasks so the job at hand is easier to achieve. So instead of inputting “I have to read a book” in my planner, I’ll say “read chapter 4 of # book”, so if I read further, it’s even better.
Set A Deadline
Every task has a deadline, but it’s advisable we create our deadline. For example, I have a paper due on Monday; my deadline would be the Friday before that Monday.
Get Rid Of Distractions
I know I get distracted by social media while writing, so if I want to write, I turn off my phone or keep it where I’d be too lazy to reach it. For other distractions like annoying siblings, I play music to drown their constant chatter. Some distractions are internal, like my bad habit of getting lost in oblivion. I haven’t quite figured out how it can be avoided, but I am working on it. Get rid of distraction by any means possible.
Take A Break
Trust me, allowing your brain to have a breather for about 10-30 mins while working is good. Take a walk, clear out your wardrobe, listen to music, surf the internet, daydream, whatever makes you relax. I have birthed some fantastic ideas during this period.
Use Incentives
Everybody loves rewards, so why don’t you reward yourself with a snack or a television show whenever you complete a task? You deserve it.
Tell Someone About Your Goal
It’s pretty easy to forget or put off an assignment if you are the only one accountable for it. Tell a family member or friend so that they could snap you back in line if you are going off track. It’s nice to have someone to celebrate your victories with, no matter how little they are.
Like I mentioned earlier, overcoming procrastination is not an easy task; it’s a gradual process. I am still trying to work my way around it, so if you have this same problem, join me so we could finally get rid of a familiar demon. Procrastination can’t be avoided entirely, but it would be helpful if we make an effort to overcome it. We might find it more accessible with these strategies, and I hope we don’t procrastinate operation overcome procrastination.
