Procrastination can derail even the best-laid plans and goals, resulting in tasks left undone and a mounting to-do list that quickly becomes overwhelming. While everyone is guilty of the occasional procrastination, some people become truly immobilized by the habit.
The good news is that procrastination is one habit you can kick. Simply identify your reasons for putting things off and develop a concrete strategy to compel you to complete the jobs you hate most. Soon, you will make all of your days more productive.
What is Procrastination?
Simply defined, procrastination is the process of putting off tasks or responsibilities. They may be jobs you don’t like or large tasks that overwhelm you. Instead of working on the job you should be focusing on, you turn your attention to more pleasant activities.
People who procrastinate often find themselves cramming to get a job finished right before a deadline, losing sleep and suffering from severe stress in the process. A handful of chronic procrastinators are adrenaline junkies who love the rush they get when meeting last-minute deadlines. However, most people who develop the procrastination habit would like to find ways to kick the habit for a more peaceful, orderly lifestyle.
Reasons for Procrastination
There are six main reasons people procrastinate:
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The job is unpleasant.
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The job is too overwhelming.
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The job is too abstract.
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The individual is too disorganized to properly prioritize to-do lists.
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The individual does not know how to make decisions effectively.
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The individual is a perfectionist who is looking for the right skills, supplies or time to complete the task.
Once you have identified your procrastination habit, determine your reason for putting things off regularly. Your strategy for beating procrastination will vary slightly based on the reason for delaying the job in the first place.
Getting Unpleasant Tasks Done
Let’s face it; some jobs are just downright unpleasant to do – or at least that is what we tell ourselves! Many find that those less tasteful tasks really aren’t that bad once they roll up their sleeves and get to work. If you are procrastinating for this reason, imagine the negative consequence of not getting the job done.
For example, if you tend to put off cleaning your bathroom, consider the alternative. The bathroom will continue to get dirtier and more germ-laden as time wears on! Next, consider the benefits of completing the task; in this case, you will have a sparkling clean bathroom that you enjoy using. You can also promise yourself a reward for getting the job done, such as a blissful bubble bath all to yourself.
Breaking Down Big Jobs
Overwhelming and abstract tasks need to be broken down into smaller steps that are easier to handle. Make a list of the steps and check them off as you complete them. If possible, begin with one or two of the quicker, smaller steps so you feel a sense of accomplishment early in the process. When a project is broken down from the whole, it instantly becomes more manageable. Simply focus on one simple task at a time, until the entire job is completed.
The Danger of Disorganization
Disorganized people tend to live from fire to fire, which means deadlines don’t become pressing until they are imminent. In this case, the procrastination stems from a lack of time to complete tasks each day.
Create a list of all the jobs you need to do, then prioritize the tasks in order of importance and urgency. Update your to-do list daily, and focus on a single task on the list at one time to increase your efficiency. Before you know it, you will be ahead of the game in terms of your tasks and procrastination will be a distant memory.
Decision Making and Perfectionism
For individuals who procrastinate for these reasons, the Nike slogan, “Just do it!” comes to mind. Tell yourself you will never make the perfect choice or get the perfect environment to complete jobs. Instead, learn to work with what you have, knowing that this simple choice will help you deal with your perfectionism so you grow as an individual. For those who have serious issues in these areas, an appointment with a professional counselor may help as well.
Procrastination is a natural part of life on occasion, but if your tendency to put off tasks has become a nasty habit, it’s time to kiss goodbye that habit and achieve more productive days. With these tips in mind, you will be able to efficiently work through that to-do list, check tasks off your list every day and feel a greater sense of accomplishment overall.
