It’s 31st of the month (5 pm) in the evening and you have to submit your work by 7.30 pm. The work was given to you 15 days prior. You are in a rush to complete the work and silently regretting your decision of starting late.
Why did you start late? Was the deadline too strict or you overestimated the time you had? Relatable to our situation? Isn’t it? If you wish to understand why we procrastinate and how you can overcome it, read on:
Why do people Procrastinate?
Procrastination is nothing but delaying your important work and coming up with excuses to avoid it! Partying with friends, Netflix, Social Media, reading emails, etc. are more preferable and are given more time. There are many reasons people procrastinate, here are few of them:
1-I have Time
The major cause of procrastination is believing we have more time to complete the tasks then we actually have. If we have 15 days to complete the task, we believe the task will take only 2 days and we start late.
2-Avoiding Effort
We always look at the smaller pleasure of avoiding the task at the present and putting it off tomorrow. “Let me chill today, I will work from tomorrow”. And the tomorrow never comes 😊
3-Fear of Failure
“I am not incompetent, it’s just that I didn’t give it my best shot.” We don’t want to accept our shortcomings, and avoiding them is the best possible solution.
4-Being a Perfectionist:
If the task is not according to our terms, we tend to take more time and procrastinate it for long.
How to Overcome Procrastination?
1-Break the tasks
We generally avoid the tasks as they will take longer working hours and we hesitate to even start it. We can break the task into smaller goals. For example: If you are reading a 20 pages chapter, keep the first target for 5 pages.
2- Schedule it using a calendar
Using a calendar on the table and marking all the tasks for the week will give you a proper timeline.
Pro Tip: You can also use Google Calendar and mark all your work there, it gives you a 10-minute reminder and your chances of skipping the task will reduce.
3-Ask yourself a few questions:
Whenever you have thoughts of procrastinating, always ask yourself –
What if I start today, will it harm me in any way?
How will I feel if the task is completed asap!
4-Gift yourself on every task completed
Whenever you complete a task, reward yourself something you relish. It could be your favourite snack or spending time on your Instagram account. You can even use your distractions as your reward. For example: If you cannot stay away from your phone for long, complete a task (or at least partially) and then take your phone.
5-Have a Mentor
If you are someone who cannot monitor your tasks, and you need constant motivation, have a mentor to keep a check on you. They will constantly remind you of your tasks and the consequences you will face if you procrastinate further. They can be a family member, a friend or even a professional life coach.
89% per cent of us procrastinate, but the degree varies largely. According to Research, the more you procrastinate, the more time you take to succeed in your career. The choice is yours!
Do you have any of your procrastination buster techniques, do share in the comment section!