Procrastination occurs when you put certain tasks off until the last minute. Usually, this is a task that you really, really don’t want to deal with and so you decide to focus on something entirely different.
Everyone procrastinates in some way or another. For example, you could have an essay due in a week’s time and conveniently put it off until the night before the due date. This sudden realisation of your impending doom is usually followed up by a hectic “all-nighter”, in which you type faster than anyone has ever typed in the history of the planet.
Why do People Procrastinate?
According to a recent study carried out by psychologist Professor Clarry Law, procrastination comes to life whenever there is a “temporal gap between intended behaviour and enacted behaviour”. In basic terms, this temporal gap refers to that period of time when you first intend to get a job done, and the time when you finally get around to completing it (usually in a self-induced panic).
Take these 5 steps to help yourself overcome procrastination:
- Practice Time Management
Procrastinators often aren’t very good at managing their time effectively. A great way to overcome this is to practice well-kept time management. This is achieved by planning ahead a little and creating estimated time slots for assigned tasks. Once you see how you can better use your time, you’ll have a better control over how you use this time productively.
- Work in Productive Environments
If you work in a distracting environment, chances are, you won’t get much work done. According to Entrepreneur, procrastinators should try their best to work in places without distractions such as TV’s and to choose where and who they work with wisely. This will help you to focus on the immediate task at hand.
- Focus on One Task at a Time
It is important to focus on one task at a time. Don’t give yourself unrealistic goals because you will only feel bad about yourself after when you realise you can’t complete all of the things that you wanted to. For this reason, it is better to focus on one specific goal or task at a time, which will be much easier to manage.
- Seek Guidance from a Professional
Many procrastinators feel that their bad habits are getting in the way of their success. Many young people claim that procrastinating has delayed them from finding the right job, or finishing an important project etc. www.lynnrecruitment.co.uk is a Recruitment Agent Belfast that are able to advise job seekers and those inclined to procrastinate on finding the right job for you.
- Award Yourself Afterwards
Have you ever wondered why a dog will suddenly become the most obedient version of itself when there is a treat involved? It listens because it knows it will only receive the award AFTER it has completed the command. In the same way, you can give yourself little awards after finishing a task you really didn’t want to. Finally wrote that daunting essay? Award yourself!