When you start clearing your files, deleting mails in the inbox, setting up a new wallpaper right before beginning your work or something you must do because it is important. It is certainly not laziness, as people like to call it, given you are cleaning and shuffling things around, establishing a new environment- which is a good thing to do as it freshens up one’s mind. It is called procrastination. When you keep putting off your studies and assignments to the last moment and continue to indulge in movies, social media and video games, this procrastination can only repeat the next time and affect your mental health and your academics.
As the saying goes, ‘procrastination is the thief of time’, quite visibly, you are not afraid of doing something but are simply pushing it around by filling that time by performing other unrelated tasks. In simple words, waiting to be in the mood to do a certain piece of work.
Some common causes of procrastination are-
- Perfectionism: You may delay your tasks or assignments, believing that if not done with inspiration, you may not complete them the way you want to or fail in it altogether.
- Overwhelm: Sometimes you may feel overwhelmed by the difficulty or complexity or volume of your workload and put it off for another time or perhaps the weekend. This overwhelm flood your mind with worries, reducing your mental capacity for focus and making decisions.
- Fear and Anxiety: You may be delaying your homework or office work due to failure. Facing criticism might not be something anyone looks forward to and so it may induce anxiety when thinking about work. This fear and anxiety further lead to self-doubt and overthinking and a circle of it until you start working on your tasks. Despite procrastinating, you tend to feel guilty for not doing your task, however, you still continue to procrastinate- which is another vicious cycle. It is understandable that it is not easy to suddenly not procrastinate when you are habituated to it. Nonetheless, one can always try to overcome it.
Therefore, to your aid, here are some simple strategies that can help in overcoming procrastination–
- Self-Compassion as Motivation: According to research, being kind to yourself when you do not meet your expectations or slip up happens to increase motivation to get started again, thus helping in overcoming procrastination a bit. Therefore, do not criticise yourself but practice self-compassion. Give yourself a pep talk like you would to a friend and use that gentleness to move forward.
- Reduce Decision Fatigue: With reduced energy levels due to constant decision making, it is given that one would procrastinate. In order not to reach that state of depleted energy, plan your routine decisions- like meals, workout time, some me-time, laundry, etc, in advance. Planning will reduce your mental load and provide you with enough motivation not to procrastinate.
- The “Nothing Alternative”: this method was coined by an influential crime-fiction novelist named Raymond Chandler. It is a simple way, where you have to set aside some time and give yourself only two options, which are- you do the work or do nothing at all, in the given time. This strategy leverages boredom to nudge a person into doing their tasks. Besides, doing your work is still better than doing nothing!
- The Next Action Habit: David Allen, in his book Getting Things Done, talks about figuring out your next action concerning your current work to move closer to the completion of the said work- then just do it! To avoid procrastinating, shift your focus to something your mind thinks is doable and take the thought to action. For instance, you are procrastinating on making a presentation. Thinking about all the efforts involved in making it, tires you out, making you lose motivation. Now shift your focus to a simple thing that you could do immediately, which takes a step closer to completing the said presentation. Make this your next action and do it!
- Use Momentum from Enjoyable Tasks: Begin working on a task you enjoy doing and after its completion, immediately move onto the task you have been procrastinating.
- “Worst-First” Approach: Start with the dreadful task that you have been delaying, when you think about it. Do not give yourself a second moment to put it off again. Sit with it for five minutes or more, and the momentum will lead to its completion. Once that task is completed, other work will feel less like a burden while also providing you a sense of accomplishment.
Overcoming procrastination is an inwardly required need in self-betterment. To become more productive not only in terms of your job but also in your personal goals would benefit you as an individual, by reducing stress levels, improving work-life balance, which also gains you some more free time.
However, one must understand that being productive does not simply refer to not procrastinating and ticking off tasks. Productivity is about making choices and creating (also following) impactful habits that lead to appreciable results. To highlight this, 20th June is celebrated as World Productivity Day every year. This event encourages reflection and improvement, honours productivity and achievements.
So, do not miss out on this day; participate by trying the above strategies. Even a little goes a long way. To develop a new habit, especially a good one, takes 21 days, but to forget it and indulge in a less appreciable one takes but a moment. Grab yourself and progress in your journey, a slightly tougher if not difficult, one of cultivating impactful habits that increase your productivity and help you overcome procrastination. Remember- consistency is the key!
