Breaking the Procrastination Trap
What is Procrastination?
Procrastination is the act of delaying or putting off tasks until the last minute, or past their deadline. Some researchers define procrastination as a form of self-regulation failure characterized by the irrational delay of tasks despite potentially negative consequences.
Why do people Procrastinate?
It may be helpful for you to take a moment and think about why you keep on postponing a task. Often the cause of procrastination differs according to the person and the task at hand. So, let’s look at some top reasons for procrastination.
Ø Lack of Motivation
Ø Distraction
Ø Feeling Overwhelmed
Ø Feeling Confused
Ø Lack of Energy or Boredom.
There is a saying — Know thy enemy, it’s the same with procrastination. Know what you are going to fight. We need to get to the root of the problem and then tackle it. Let’s come to a reality fact check as well and let me be frank about it, we all have heard advice before about procrastination. But it’s not that easy to just stop procrastinating. It does not come with an on-off switch. There are emotional and psychological barriers that manifest in the behavior of procrastination. Therefore, it is very important to learn how not to procrastinate. Procrastination is simply a behavior state where one is delaying taking action on the completion of a task or a project.
Ways to Stop Procrastinating.
To achieve optimum productivity, you need to give time to your task for planning and organizing. It will eventually pay for itself over the life of the project or the goal which you have set to achieve.
Let’s categorize Procrastination into the following two segments.
A) Feeling Confused and Overwhelmed
B) Lack of Energy or Boredom, Distraction, Lack of Motivation.
To tackle the feeling of being confused and overwhelmed during your task, you can use the below three methods:
1. Written To-Do List.
To-Do lists are a proven tried and tested way of getting you aligned and keeping yourself from getting overwhelmed. They are very helpful in structuring and organizing your thoughts and can prevent confusion. You can ideally prepare for the next day by making a list at the end of each day. However, do keep in mind that if you have tasks that are going to take more than 30 mins then you need to break them up into smaller parts or batches.
2. Start your list and your day with “The One” important task.
The main reason why you feel overwhelmed is when you are uncertain about the larger tasks. The solution? Organize and be proactive. When you accomplish something or take a step towards your goal, you feel empowered and motivated to take the next step. By doing the one important task in the beginning, you will free up your energies for the other tasks throughout the day. Hence choose to do that one task or a group of tasks that will empower you and make your feel productive. Remember, Mr. Dopamine is your best friend.
3. Seek Information, Help, and Support.
When you are feeling overwhelmed or confused about how to move forward with your task, it can arise because you feel inadequately prepared. If this is the case with you then plan and set aside some time for seeking out guidance. For example, when I’m writing on a particular aspect that I’m not familiar with, then I seek guidance from a mentor or a colleague who has experience on the subject matter.
To deal with Lack of Motivation, Distraction or Lack of Energy or Boredom use the below four methods:
1. Define and establish a purpose.
Let’s say you want to go shopping, but you haven’t decided which Mall or Destination to visit. Would you be able to pick a route in this case? The answer is obviously no. Many people do not give thought to their destination. They do not think about it creatively. If the only reason for you to do a task is to finish it, then you might succeed, but most miserably. Do you remember your high school or college project submissions where you were burning the midnight oil because the due date was the next morning? You did manage to complete it but were under great stress. You wanting to finish your task isn’t enough to hold back procrastination. Your purpose does matter if you have to beat procrastination. Be creative, make your goals fun. Try to establish a broader sense of purpose that you feel truly passionate about and then incorporate the task at hand into your plan and make progress towards your goal.
2. Avoid taking on too much load.
Taking on too much is something that we all have been through. It weighs us down and leads to boredom and drains energy. Often you take on a task and do not allocate enough time for its completion and then you end up feeling overwhelmed. To prevent boredom and drain your energy, work in batches, complete small chunks over a longer period. The sense of accomplishment that you will derive from this habit will help you overcome a feeling of incompetence and overcome a lack of motivation.
3. Mixing up pleasant and unpleasant tasks.
This is one of my personal favorites. I learned this from an ex-boss. This might seem much obvious as it is quite simple. But many people still go through the harrowing experience of immersing themselves in unpleasant experiences without looking at options to improve their circumstances. If you are doing a task which you do not enjoy (but you have no other choice) split that task into batches, finish a batch, then move to something pleasant and refreshing for you, and then get back to the next batch of the previous task. A short refreshing diversion is worth its weight in gold rather than spending time sulking and feeling depressed. Remember — rewards for achievement gives you motivation and foster productivity. Mix and match activities in your planning stage if you know you have to deal with some unpleasant tasks.
4. Create an Ideal Environment.
Distractions creep up when your environment is not ideally suited for your task. If your environment keeps on throwing distractions right at you and organizing your tasks is not helping and preventing you from falling into the procrastination trap, then you must look around and assess to find out what is hindering your productivity. Distractions can be of all sorts such as noise from the other room, your table shaking, your phone notifications, or the urge to check out social media on your smartphone. In today’s age, the Internet and social media are the biggest culprits. (How many times have you said to yourself, that I’ll just check one message or watch only one video or just check only once what has been posted on Instagram). It never stops at one. The instant gratification monkey is always back to its mischief. Developing the discipline to work in a space with the least distractions or before settling down in space make it distraction-proof.
These suggestions and methods are aimed at addressing a few of the primary sources which cause anxiety and result in procrastination. There are numerous ways of overcoming procrastination which can greatly vary from a person’s individual needs. While all these suggestions and methods may not be apt for your particular situation, starting and taking a step — determining the root of your procrastination — will give you a sense of direction that you need for finding the ideal solution for yourself.
Stop Procrastination — Stop Overthinking — Just Start.
I’m a big fan of Nike’s tagline — “Just Do it”. Similar to jumping for a bungee jump, the anticipation and initial dive into your task are the most unpleasant and jittery. Once you start and take the first leap, you acclimate and the process starts to become bearable and even enjoyable as you start the momentum and the Dopamine starts kicking in. Make the single-step a giant leap towards inspiration and accomplishment.
