Procrastination is a part of life for everyone and today we’re going to answer the question you’ve asked for a long time: How to Avoid Procrastination?
Like most people, you probably know the feeling of knowing you should get some work done but not being able to, so you fool around until the last minute, when stress and pressure force you to finish the job; or worse, the job never gets done.
If we aren’t “smarter” than procrastination, we lose. The job is not finished or is poorly done.
You can’t relax while procrastinating because you’re constantly reminded that you should be working.
Delay can make you feel like a loser and slowly transform your self-image into one of a person who can’t get work done. As a result, your productivity, earning potential, and creativity suffer.
There are many ways to stop procrastinating, and this article will cover some tried and true methods.
How to avoid procrastination: Tip 1;
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Get to work!
You could force yourself to start and take the first step.
It’s always the first step. You know how it is if you have ever had to push a car. It’s much easier once the car is moving.
So, use every ounce of discipline you have and force yourself to take the first step. It works sometimes.
Just forget about procrastination after the first step. Timeboxing can definitely help.
How to avoid procrastination: Tip 2;
Invest in energy, not time
Time management includes managing your energy levels as well as your time.
No matter how disciplined you are, you will have good days and bad days. Similarly, there are peak and non-productive times of the day.
In this context, consider the following:
Push yourself during your daily productive peak hours, not when you are tired.
If you’re tired, take a nap or go for a walk.
Take a break after a long day to re-energize.
Talk to other people to de-escalate your emotions.
Accept that sometimes you’re just not in the mood to work, and that’s fine. We’re all human.
First, address your energy issues, then tackle the task you’ve been putting off.
You must also be smart about work. You can’t just work hard. Burnout occurs eventually.
Life is a marathon. So, take frequent breaks (walk, stretch, hug people) and a long weekend break. Other days will be much more productive.
How to avoid procrastination: Tip 3;
Do other, easier tasks until you regain energy
What happens when you put off a task? How did you procrastinate in school when you had to study?
You probably went to the kitchen to see if everything was still there and had a bite. You suddenly needed to go. You relaxed by looking at websites, counting the windows in the building next to yours, etc.
You probably also cleaned up your room and desk, arranged your notes, stretched, talked with your classmates about what might be on the test, and did other semi-productive tasks. Do you see it?
If nothing else, procrastination can be used to motivate you to do other important tasks.
The key is to not waste time on trivial tasks and instead focus on more important tasks on your to-do list.
When the deadline for the procrastinated task approaches, you’ll just finish it. Instead of fighting procrastination, do other things.
Chronic Procrastination
Acute procrastination differs from chronic procrastination in that it often stems from a deeper psychological issue.
Chronic procrastination occurs when you repeatedly postpone certain tasks, or worse, all of them.
How to avoid procrastination: Get assertiveness training
Lack of assertiveness is the leading cause of procrastination. Lack of assertiveness is usually inherited.
Simple: lack of confidence leads to a sense of insecurity and inferiority.
Unbelievably, a lack of assertiveness usually occurs in a context. Someone who is confident and skilled on the soccer field may not be so in intellectual matters. The money management skills of a successful professor may be lacking.
Similarly, some areas of life require self-expression while others do not. You put off the former.
The only solution is to learn healthy assertiveness in that area of life.
You can do several things:
- Mimic your assertiveness in areas where you lack it.
- Take an assertiveness course.
- Procrastination can be explored in individual or group therapy.
- Get an assertiveness coach or mentor.
How to avoid procrastination: Tip 5;
Overcome failure or success fear
Fear can cause procrastination. The two most common fears associated with procrastination are failure and success.
There’s a big difference between being hurt by failure, recovering, reflecting, and trying again, and being paralyzed by fear.
But failure is part of success. Success is failing repeatedly until you succeed.
So, to succeed faster, you must fail more. You must learn to accept and embrace failure.
Another fear that may be holding you back and causing you to procrastinate is the fear of success.
Success brings fame, wealth, being the center of attention, positive self-esteem, and so on. You will always self-sabotage if you don’t feel worthy of success and all that comes with it.
Fear-busting techniques are similar to assertiveness training techniques. Encourage yourself, join a group or individual therapy to explore the reasons, and use techniques like visualization and affirmations.
How to avoid procrastination: Tip 6;
Avoid having unrealistic life goals and expectations
We must all dream big. But we must avoid narcissistic grandiosity, driven by completely unrealistic expectations of how quickly we can achieve something.
Big life disappointments usually lead to procrastination or giving up.
How it works. Procrastination occurs when you set unrealistic goals and realize that achieving them will be more difficult than you anticipated.
The Dunning-Kruger effect causes the Valley of Despair. You may start doubting your abilities to achieve your goals. You fight procrastination for a while before giving up.
Conclusion
You should now have a good grasp of procrastination and what to do about it. Next time you procrastinate, identify the type and source of procrastination.
After identifying the source and type of procrastination, there are numerous tools available to help you overcome it. Here is a list of all the techniques we discussed.
Also read, How White Sesame Seeds May Impact Our Health
