PROCRASTINATION

Procrastination is the habit of delaying an important task, usually by focusing on less urgent, more enjoyable, and easier activities instead. It is different from laziness, which is the unwillingness to act.

Procrastination can restrict your potential and undermine your career. It can also disrupt teamwork, reduce morale, and even lead to depression and job loss. So, it is crucial to take proactive steps to prevent it.

The first step to overcoming procrastination is to recognize that you are doing it. Then, identify the reasons behind your behaviour and use appropriate strategies to manage and overcome it.

You might be putting off a task because you have had to re-prioritize your workload. If you are briefly delaying an important task for a genuinely good reason, then you are not necessarily procrastinating. However, if you start to put things off indefinitely, or switch focus because you want to avoid doing something, then you probably are.

You may also be procrastinating if you:

·         Fill your day with low-priority tasks.

·         Leave an item on your to-do list for a long time, even though it is important.

·         Read emails several times over without making a decision on what to do with them.

·         Start a high-priority task and then go off to make a coffee.

·         Fill your time with unimportant tasks that other people ask you to do, instead of getting on with the important tasks already on your list.

·         Wait to be in "right mood," or wait for the "right time" to tackle a task.

You need to understand the reasons why you are procrastinating before you can begin to tackle it. For instance, are you avoiding a particular task because you find it boring or unpleasant? If so, take steps to get it out of the way quickly, so that you can focus on the aspects of your job that you find more enjoyable.

Poor organization can lead to procrastination. Organized people successfully overcome it because they use prioritized to-do lists and create effective schedules. These tools help you to organize your tasks by priority and dateline.

Even if you are organized, you can still feel overwhelmed by a task. Perhaps you have doubts about your ability and are worried about failing, so you put it off and seek comfort in doing work that you know that you are capable of completing.

Some people fear success as much as failure. They think that success will lead to them being swamped with requests to take on more tasks.

Surprisingly, perfectionists are often procrastinators. Often, they would rather avoid doing a task that they do not feel they have the skills to do, than do it imperfectly.

Another major cause of procrastination is poor decision-making. If you cannot decide what to do, you will likely put off taking action in case you do the wrong thing.

Procrastination is a habit – a deeply ingrained pattern of behavior. This means that you probably cannot break it overnight. Habits only stop being habits when you avoid practicing them, so try as many of the strategies, below, as possible to give yourself the best possible chance of succeeding.

·         Forgive yourself for procrastinating in the past. Studies show that self-forgiveness can help you to feel more positive about yourself and reduce the likelihood of procrastination in the future.

·         Commit to the task. Focus on doing, not avoiding. Write down the tasks that you need to complete, and specify a time for doing them. This will help you to proactively tackle your work.

·         Promise yourself a reward. If you complete a difficult task on time, reward yourself with a treat, such as a slice of cake or a coffee from your favorite coffee shop. And make sure you notice how good it feels to finish things!

·         Ask someone to check up on you. Peer pressure works! This is the principle behind self-help groups. If you do not have anyone to ask, an online tool such as 'Procraster'  can help you to self-monitor.

·         Act as you go. Tackle tasks as soon as they arise, rather than letting them build up over another day.

·         Rephrase your internal dialog. The phrases "need to" and "have to," for example, imply that you have no choice in what you do. This can make you feel disempowered and might even result in self-sabotage. However, saying, "I choose to," implies that you own a project, and can make you feel more in control of your workload.

·         Minimize distractions. Turn off your email and social media, and avoid sitting anywhere near a television while you work!

·         Aim to "eat an elephant beetle" first thing, every day! Get those tasks that you find least pleasant out of the way early. This will give you the rest of the day to concentrate on work that you find more enjoyable.

If you procrastinate because you are disorganized, here are six strategies to help you get organized:

1.   Keep a To-Do List. This will prevent you from "conveniently" forgetting about those unpleasant or overwhelming tasks.

2.   Prioritize your To-Do List using the Urgent / Important Principle. This will enable you to quickly identify the activities that you should focus on, as well as the ones you can ignore.

3.   Become a master of scheduling and project planning. If you have a big project or multiple projects on the go and you do not know where to start, these tools can help you to plan your time effectively, and reduce your stress levels.

4.   Tackle the hardest tasks at your peak times. Do you work better in the morning or the afternoon? Identify when you are most effective, and do the tasks that you find most difficult at these times.

5.   Set yourself time-bound goals. Setting yourself specific deadlines to complete tasks will keep you on track to achieve your goals, and will mean that you have no time for procrastination!

6.   Use task and time-management applications. There are numerous applications designed to help you to be more organized.

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