Procrastinating
We all procrastinate at some point in our lives. We waste so much time procrastinating when it happens, and we do it because we don’t like or want to do the task that we need to do to be able to move forward.
You ultimately have the responsibility to plan your actions and goals, don’t be afraid to get help if things become overwhelming. A good idea is to write down why you procrastinate and what strategies you use to avoid doing the things you need to do.
Here are some of the common reasons why we justify our procrastination:
Avoidance and Distraction
We avoid situations or tasks that we do not want to deal with. We find other things to do so this provides us with a reason for why we did not do the task we needed to do e.g. we did not make the call because we thought the person might not have the answer.
External Factors
We often blame external factors which we deem as beyond our control e.g. I can’t exercise as I am overworked.
Denial
We convince ourselves that the task we have chosen to do is more important than the task we are avoiding doing.
Here are some strategies you may wish to use to avoid procrastinating:
Break Down Large Projects into Smaller Tasks
It is less daunting if you break down a task into smaller tasks. Decide when and where you will do these and gradually work through them.
Identifying Priorities
Identify what you have to do and by when. Put the most important at the top. Sometimes when we have things to do that we don’t want to do we do other less important tasks first.
Arrange a Time for Tasks
Set aside time when you will do each task and decide how long you think it will take. Putting off doing a task because you need a long time to do it creates unnecessary stress. Don’t delay do it now.
Organise help if you need it
If you have a task and you are unsure about how to do it or don’t know how to approach it, talk to somebody about it. Help is all around us, our friends, colleagues and family are also a valuable source of help.
Just Do It
The temptation is to put off tasks because we believe that we will be able to do a better job of things if we wait until the time is right. There is never going to be a perfect time because we will always have competing tasks, so just do it and don’t delay.
