Procrastination

Procrastination - Day 19

This is day 19 of the challenge - A story a day, keeps the boredom away. Each day I'll try to reach my goal of 500 words a day. Today I'll be writing on how to avoid procrastinating and how I'm dealing with it.

Procrastination is a really big problem, not just for me, but for nearly everyone in the whole world.

Procrastination is when you delay or postpone tasks or decisions, often leading to feelings of stress, guilt, and mainly reduces your productivity. It typically involves prioritising more enjoyable or less demanding activities over more urgent or important ones, despite knowing that this will lead to negative consequences. A main example of this in our current generation is that a student might procrastinate on writing an important essay by spending hours on social media or watching television. Despite the looming deadline, they continuously put off starting the essay, which results in a last-minute rush to complete it, potentially compromising the quality of their work and increasing their anxiety.

That example is something that I can relate to and it's not just me, it's probably near almost everyone, and it may not be that example, but it could be many different examples of procrastinating. And so, with this in mind, how can we avoid procrastinating and how can we be more confident to do stuff that we don't want to do.

Here I have created 10 tips that can potentially help you avoid procrastinating if you take the time to implement them into your daily life and into your daily tasks that you may try to avoid taking the time doing:

• Break Tasks into Smaller Steps: Large tasks can be overwhelming, especially when you're stressed out which can lead to procrastination. By breaking these tasks down into smaller, manageable steps, you can make the task seem less daunting and more achievable.

• Set Clear Goals and Deadlines: By creating a clear goal, you can allow yourself to be more straight forward, instead of getting off track. On top of this, by adding a deadline, this can help you realise how much time is left, making yourself more productive.

• Prioritise Tasks: 

   Using tools like to-do lists or prioritisation matrices can identify which tasks are most important and urgent. Focusing on high-priority tasks ensures that you tackle essential work first.

• Create a Distraction-Free Environment:

   Creating a minimise distractions by creating a workspace that is conducive to concentration can enable yourself to relax and be stress-free. This might involve turning off notifications, using website blockers, or setting specific times for checking emails and social media.

• Use Time Management Techniques:

   Techniques like the famous Pomodoro Technique (working in 25-minute intervals with short breaks) can help maintain focus and productivity. Structured time periods make it easier to start and keep working.

• Develop a Routine:

   Creating and focusing on a regular work routine can help train your brain to expect and be ready for work at certain times. Consistency builds good habits and reduces the likelihood of procrastination.

• Reward Yourself: 

  Set up a reward system for completing tasks. By adding small rewards, it can provide some motivation and a sense of accomplishment, making it easier to stay on track.

• Seek Accountability:

   Sharing your goals to your family and friends can help you to stay positive and motivated as they could help you out with certain tasks or you can show them your accomplishment.

• Visualise the Benefits of Completion:

   By just spending a few minutes visualising the positive outcomes of completing the task, can shift your focus from the difficulty of the task to the stress-free satisfaction and benefits of finishing it.

• Practice Self-Compassion:

   And the final one, don't be too hard and harsh on yourself when you find yourself procrastinating. This can lead to you to become in a worse mood and make you feel unmotivated. Procrastinating is a regular thing that humans do to get more dopamine in their brain.

I hope these 10 tips could help you out on how to reduce procrastinating and how you can become more motivated, positive and productive. I'm still dealing with procrastinating and it's getting pretty bad. Luckily, I have been getting better due to this, yet it's still pretty bad if it comes to schoolwork and stuff that I am forced to do. Even though I'm seeing very minimal improvement, just remember, Life is a marathon, not a sprint. Thanks for reading.