We've all done it. We've all put off an unpleasant task, difficult conversation or challenging assignment. But as you will have realized, procrastinating on a task or problem doesn't make it go away. It just means that when the clock runs out and you have to face up to the issue, you'll have less time to find a solution, putting yourself under even greater pressure than before. So it's time to say yes to productivity and reduce our stress levels by tackling what needs to be done head-on, with courage and vigour!
Why do you procrastinate?
The first step to eliminate procrastination is to recognize the reasons why you are tempted to defer a particular task, or avoid it altogether. This allows you to develop solutions to overcome these inclinations. Here are two common reasons:
- Fear of failure: We sometimes dodge tasks because we’re afraid to fail. We may have high expectations of ourselves, or fear of letting others down who have high expectations of us.
- The key is to make that fear work for rather than against If you fear failure, work harder, practice more and apply yourself more vigorously to the task to ensure that the risk of failure is minimized.
- Ask yourself, “What’s the worst that can happen?” If you give your best and fail, you’ll have learnt from the experience and become stronger for it. In contrast, procrastinate only enhance your chances of failure by leaving yourself less time to prepare, and also let yourself and others down by not giving the opportunity your very best shot. Isn’t it ironic that by procrastinating, the very thing you fear — failure — is all the more likely to occur?
- Overwhelming pressure: Some tasks can seem so herculean, we don’t even know where to begin and end up deferring until it’s far too late to even bother making a start.
- The solution is to split the task into small, manageable tasks and arrange them in order of priority.
- Start with the high priority tasks and work your way down the list. As you tick off items on your “to-do list”, you will build confidence and enjoy a tremendous sense of satisfaction!
Other anti-procrastination tips
Conquering motivation is the first step of beating procrastination. Here are some more tips to help you stay focused and productive:
- Set realistic deadlines and stick to them. There’s no point setting impossible deadlines for yourself — if you keep missing them, you’ll be discouraged and become even more likely to procrastinate.
- Eliminate distractions. Put away your mobile phone and close that Facebook tab on your browser!
- Write down your motivations for participating in that particular activity or tackling that task. Every time you feel like procrastinating, look at that list of motivations to re-energize yourself!
Procrastination is frequently the enemy of success. Don’t let it be the enemy of yours — seize every opportunity that comes your way, and make the best of it!