Are you familiar with that feeling of waiting until your laundry basket is overflowing or cramming for an exam just days before it? You’re not alone!
Procrastination is a common struggle, and it has affected even the greatest minds in history. Think of Mozart composing masterpieces, Steve Jobs revolutionizing technology, Leonardo DaVinci creating timeless art, and Margaret Atwood crafting literary wonders—all of them battled procrastination.
But here’s the exciting part: just like these remarkable individuals, you too have the potential to conquer procrastination and unleash your true capabilities.
Welcome to a comprehensive exploration of procrastination—a guide designed to unravel its definition, uncover the reasons behind it, and equip you with the tools to build healthier habits.
What is Procrastination?
Procrastination, derived from the Latin verb “procrastinare,” which means “to put off till tomorrow,” can be defined as the act of irrationally postponing or delaying a task, especially when it becomes a habitual or intentional behavior.
Signs of Procrastination
Procrastination can manifest in various ways:
- Embracing an “I’ll do it later” approach towards assignments.
- Deferring tasks you find unenjoyable until the last possible moment.
- Delaying decision-making and taking action.
- Consistently struggling to meet or missing deadlines.
- Facing difficulty starting tasks even when you have the desire.
- Promising to do better “next” time but continuing to procrastinate.
- Frequently wasting time when you have important tasks at hand.
Why Do I Procrastinate so Much?
At its core, procrastination is often driven by our emotions rather than just time management. We tend to delay tasks because we want to avoid negative emotions they may trigger.
Whether it’s anxiety, fear, boredom, or feeling overwhelmed, these emotions act as roadblocks to getting started. So, we push tasks into the future, hoping for a more favorable mood or circumstance.
Understanding this emotional aspect of procrastination is key to finding solutions. In the following sections, we’ll delve deeper into these emotions and discuss strategies to combat procrastination effectively.
Causes of Procrastination
Such habits are majorly due to:
- Short-term satisfaction. The temporary feeling of pleasure encourages a repeat of the action.
- Inertia- It is always easier to keep doing what you’ve always been doing. Manveetha Muddaluru, graduate of McCaster University Canada shared in a Student Success article that she felt more compelled to continue her habit rather than learn to change it anytime she felt she had gotten away with procrastinating.
- Boredom or low motivation- You’re very likely to put off a task you perceive to be boring or difficult in favor of more pleasurable activities, like scrolling through social media.
- Low sense of self-efficacy- Doubting your abilities to tackle an assignment triggers a sense of anxiety causing you to postpone it as much as you can. However, only by starting the assignment regardless, getting accountability and help where needed to complete it can you realize your potential.
- Fear and anxiety- This is a major cause because the more fear or anxiety a particular task elicits in you, the more you’re likely to delay doing it.
- Perfectionism- The desire for impeccable results may be a crippling force, even though it can only be achieved on the go after starting the project.
- Addiction to pressure- This was the case with Hunter S. Thompson, American journalist and author who described himself as an adrenaline junkie who could never get anything done without the pressure of some impossible deadline.
- Distractions- A pro tip is to strip your surroundings of all distractions before you begin working.
Victor Hugo, writer of The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, Les Misérables and famous procrastinator is reported to have done this by buying himself a huge knitted shawl to wear and locking away all his formal clothes, so that he would work without being tempted to go out.
- Mental health conditions- Underlying causes like depression, ADHD, eating disorders, or anxiety, can make it difficult for anyone to get anything done. The solution would be to consult a healthcare professional about treatment plans, depending on the issue.
How to Overcome Procrastination?
Now that you’ve understood the procrastination definition and psychology, here are practical steps you can take to beat the system:
- Take advantage of organized systems- You can choose to make use of productivity platforms. By using the data you input, they draft up a personalized plan and resources to help you become more productive.
- Acknowledge the adverse effects- The first step is to recognize that your habits are killing your potential.
- Identify your triggers- By evaluating your thought process and behavior, you can pinpoint the reason for your habits and focus on them.
- Forgive yourself- This may not be your first rodeo, but beating yourself up for relapsing will make it harder to get results.
- Take immediate action- Decide that the time for change is right now.
- Make a smart and realistic plan- Organize your tasks into realistic time frames. Taking on too much can leave you overwhelmed quickly. So you can start by choosing one task to tick off your procrastination list.
- Break it down- The whole process can seem intimidating so break it into easily achievable chunks. For example, organizing your wardrobe could be broken into organizing a section of it before you have your bath every morning.
- Get accountability- The aim is to have someone involved in your journey. You can choose to join a group of people who have the same goal or task as you.
Alternatively, hand over your plan to someone who will check in to make sure you achieve everything on it.
- Reward yourself- Take advantage of your brain’s reward system to increase your motivation to finish assignments. It also helps to find creative ways to make the process more fun. For example, music while doing the dishes or cleaning.
Conclusion
Darren Rowse, the Founder of Problogger shared that he also struggled with procrastination affecting his life and productivity. His breakthrough came by taking the time to design and plan his ideal weekly schedule.
“Now”, he says, “Procrastination is less of an issue because I know what I’m doing.
I know that these activities are directly related to achieving my goals and so I have more motivation to get things done.”
By arming yourself with the right knowledge relevant to your triggers and practicing them, you too can take charge of your habits and live a more proactive life.
