What are the reasons behind why so many of us choose to procrastinate? Is it fear? Is it perfectionism? Is it bad time management? Get honest and ask yourself some serious questions as to why you keep putting off that task. Believe it or not, procrastination is actually a choice.
Some days procrastination can be so subtle and you don't even realise you are doing it. On other days you can see that you are clearly procrastinating but for some reason you continue to do so, irrespective of the mountain of work that you need to get through.
Procrastination is simply avoidance. It's just another way of saying I don't feel like doing this right now so I will find something else that I would like to do in this moment. We gradually learn that we can't always go by our feelings, feelings are fleeting and momentary - this is why discipline is essential. Self discipline is key in beating down the barrier of procrastination but it really isn't pleasant. 'No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it' a biblical principle from Hebrews 12:11.
Another reason that so many of us procrastinate is as a result of self doubt, we self defeat before we have even tried or we don't know where to begin or if it's too difficult so we just immediately think it's not meant to be. And after a few hours of doing everything except the task at hand the guilt sets in and the cycle continues until we make a decision and say to ourselves 'I no longer want to procrastinate, I have things to do and I will get it done!'.
Here's a few tips that help when it comes to procrastination
Honesty
Be honest with yourself about your work load, ask yourself how much work you really need to do.
Stop worrying and start prioritising.
When you have worked out exactly how much work needs to be done, it's time to set realistic time frames to complete each task and make a plan of action.
Help!
Ask for help and stop trying to do everything solo! Don't be embarrassed to ask for help we can't do everything on our own.
Don't avoid it.
Realise that avoiding the work does not mean that it will magically disappear, so make a start and do what you can.
Time out
Give yourself a few minutes to do something that you enjoy like make a cup of tea if you feel overwhelmed or go for a brisk walk for 15 minutes.
Accountability
Speak to someone you trust and ask them to hold you accountable, find an accountability partner.
Something different
Find new ways to do things, if the same old routine has not been working then it is definitely time to add some flavour to your day to day.
The to do list.
Don't underestimated the power of making a list! The to do list might seem like an obvious one but you would be so surprised with the amount of things that you actually get done each time you put a tick next to an item on the list.
Reward yourself
Give yourself something to look forward to, once task A is complete then I can...
If you have any tips when it comes to defeating procrastination, I would love to hear from you. Send me a message and share what has worked for you.
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