Procrastination is one of the most common problems in the modern workplace, affecting both the young and the old who strive for success.
Taking control of your time might seem difficult if you have a lot of activities happening all the same time, which leads 75% of people to cultivate the habit of procrastinating.
Procrastination is the delaying of important tasks, usually by focusing on less urgent, more enjoyable and easier activities instead. It’s different from laziness, which is the unwillingness to act. Procrastination can restrict your potential and undermine your career.
Now to the main reason that you decided to open this article: the steps to beat procrastination.
I’ve defined and given a brief explanation of what the word procrastination means in general. Please note, I am not guaranteeing the steps I’m about to give will produce 100% results but I can give you about 75-80% assurance.
Let’s hop right into it…
1. Accept That You Procrastinate
You might be saying, “of course I know I procrastinate, so why this point?”
This is the exact statement that causes many people to build the habit of disagreeing with themselves and making yourself think you have a solid reason to procrastinate, but did you know, the moment you accept your wrong is the same moment fresh ideas to counter the habit of thoughts come in? Perhaps you have not thought of it this way.
Solving a problem without admitting that the problem actually exists is difficult, if not impossible.
You can spend all day procrastinating if you are not willing to admit you are procrastinating.
It’s nothing to be ashamed of. We all procrastinate from time to time, which is why you must know the reason why you procrastinate…
2. Know the Reason You Procrastinate
There are different reasons why everyone procrastinates: you might be bored, lacking finances, challenges may surround you, maybe you’re overworked, or you’re simply seeking perfection.
Here is a little finding from my personal observations; did you know that 65% of people who procrastinate are highly intelligent?
The fact is, people who have lower IQs struggle to see the bigger picture (i.e., everything you need to do).
The best methods to overcome procrastination are determined by the source of your procrastination, as it will determine the level of support you need to overcome.
The more you learn about yourself and reason why you procrastinate, the easier it is to find the right actions to stop the habit while it is still on its track.
Now here’s a simple tip…
3. Just Do the 2-Minute Tasks
When you are given a task that takes only two minutes of your time, don’t put it off.
Do it now and get rid of it. Stop postponing the simple stuff.
With this opportunity, you can stop procrastination. Constantly practicing this will help you improve.
4. Stop Multitasking
Multitasking is one of the biggest myths in time management.
Some people actually think they can perform more than one task at a time in order to complete it quickly and get to a higher standard, but it’s been proven over and over, we can’t multitask.
Focus on one task, complete it, then move to the next till you are done for the day. This will help to reduce your workload to a minimum against the next minute, hours, or even days.
5. Get Real
Many people right now live in a fantasy world, thinking everything in life comes easy without any applied effort.
Waking up in the morning is easy, sure, but how do we determine how the rest of the way will go without setting realistic goals?
Many wake up setting unrealistic goals for themselves which is a great way to get discouraged and succumb to the negative mood that fuels procrastination.
Setting realistic goals keeps things positive, which keeps you in the right mood to work.
6. Stop Claiming Perfection in Your Head
Movie directors, producers, and writers come up with plots and characters. They do a lot of brainstorming, writing page after page that they’ll never include in the book/movie.
They do this because they know that ideas need time to develop.
We tend to give up when it’s time to get started, because we have given deep thought to it, saying the idea(s) aren’t perfect and what would be produced might not be good.
How can you ever produce something great if you don’t get started and give your ideas time to evolve?
“You can edit a bad page, but you can’t edit a blank page”
Author Jodi Picoult
7. Focus Only on Results
The mentality of giving up on a task that seems to be proving tough is the downfall of many.
Don’t focus on the challenges attached. Just think of how great it’s going to feel to get it done and how much worse you’ll feel if you wait until the last minute and don’t give it your best effort.
You can beat procrastination. But the action part is up to you.
About the Author:
You can read more of Manuel’s work at Manuel Blogs.