Get Out of Procrastination
Procrastination refers to the act of replacing high-priority or important actions with tasks of lower priority, or doing something from which one brings enjoyment, and thus putting off important tasks to a later time.
Most of us procrastinate at some point of time due to various reasons. However, when procrastination becomes a habit, it can be a problem. When you procrastinate, you could miss deadlines, hurt teamwork and relationship as you will be perceived as not co-operative, not reliable or irresponsible person. You would tend to feel guilty, self blame and may lead to depression in the worst scenario.
Why do we procrastinate ?
To get out of procrastination, you need to understand the reason(s) why you procrastinate. Find out which is your cause for procrastination and take actions to overcome them :
1. Perceptions - our actions are very much our reactions to our own perceptions. When we think the task on hand is something not to our liking eg boring, difficult or unpleasant, we will avoid it.
Do not let your own perception hinder you, practice positive thinking as things may not be that bad as you thought. Just do it and move on.
2. Priorities - each of us have our own thinking of what is important to us. If the task is not given the priority, we have the tendency to ignore it. Some tasks may be mandate but are essential to do eg paying bills.
Review your priorities constantly to keep updated with changes and make them relevant. When you feel overwhelmed with so many priorities in life, ask yourself questions such as :
a) "How critical, important and/or urgent is this task ?"
b) "What are the consequences if I do not do this task now ?"
c) "Do I have other alternatives other than doing this task?"
3. Fear - when we perceive a task on hand as complex or very important, we become nervous and let fear overtake us. We may worry so much that we do not know how to start or wanted perfect planning before we start. All these leads to procrastination.
To overcome fear, take a deep breath and just do it. Be brave and face it rather than let it come back to "haunt" you when you avoid it. If the task is too complex, break down into smaller tasks and get assistance where possible.
Do not be afraid of how others will view you, build up your self confidence when you complete the small tasks while you are working towards achieving the bigger task. You can do it!
4. Time Management - We have limited time to do so many things in life. You may have set your priorities right but if you do not know how to manage your time well, you will end up not doing what you need to do.
Set a timeline for each task no matter how small it is so that you can complete on time and move on to next one. If you miss the timeline for a particular task, make up for it so that you do not delay the next coming task. You can set timeline for yourself within your comfort level but remember to stick to it and do not give yourself excuses of not doing it.
5. Perfection - we may want things to be perfect for the important events in life. We may want all information to make the perfect decision. However, life is not perfect.
You can visualize the outcome and worked towards your goal. Rather than wait for everything to be perfect before you start the task, take small steps and refine as you go along.
6. Self Discipline - often people who procrastinate are not focused and get distracted easily. For example, you may get distracted by TV program or an party invitation when you know that you have a project on hand to complete.
It is important to exercise self discipline to get things done. It is tempting to relax first before you start on the project but think about the consequences of not completing the task on time. Ask yourself is that the outcome you want, can you take the blame ?
Now that you understand your reason(s) for procrastination, take action to get out of procrastination - do it NOW !
"Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do."
~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Cheers!
Self Help-Site
http://selfhelp-site.blogspot.com/