We are all familiar with the procrastination phenomenon. Most of us experienced squandering away our free time and putting off other important tasks until the very last minute. If you are a perfectionist, chances are you are great in the procrastination department too. Perfectionists fear being unable to finish a task perfectly, so they put it off as long as possible. They fear that they won’t be able to meet their goals, which might reflect negatively on them.
But there’s more variety of procrastination. For some, procrastination comes with a gnawing feeling of fatigue. No matter how many times they try to get up and gather enough energy, it only drains them more, leaving behind self-doubt and self-delusion.
According to Dr. Tim Pychyl, a professor of psychology and a member of the Procrastination Research Group at Carleton University in Ottawa “Procrastination is an emotion regulation problem, not a time management problem.”
Wait– do you mean to say that procrastination is a cause of bad mood?
Technically, yes. It is not a fatal flaw or a mysterious curse on your time management ability. Rather, procrastination is a way of coping with negative emotions — boredom, anxiety, self-doubt, frustration — instigated by certain tasks.
With that being said, there are practical ways you can do to stop procrastinating and actually get things done. By preparing yourself for a good work mood, you can do as many tasks on your to-do list. So step forward and do these ten things:
1. Stop procrastinating by waking a half-hour earlier.
Starting tomorrow, challenge yourself to wake up a half-hour earlier than your usual wake-up time. It will give you more time to prepare for the day. Plus, you can use that time to do things you enjoy– if that’s how you want to kickstart the day. Watch your favorite episode or listen to your favorite album. Just make sure that you’ll spend the remaining time of the day productively.
2. Memorize this motto…
If you’re on the verge of slacking off, just remember this: action today, not tomorrow.
Don’t put off what you can do today. Handle each piece of incoming mail. Answer your email first thing in the morning. Meet clients in person.
These tasks may seem easy to do, but don’t make the mistake of putting them off until they turn into a big pile of tasks on your desk.
3. Give solution-oriented feedback to those who seek it.
Some people tend to take other people’s problems as their own assignment. In the end, they have another reason to push away their own tasks instead of focusing on them. Rather than doing this, ask them the next plan they want to take and help them out by giving solution-oriented feedback.
4. Stop procrastinating, finish what you started.
Doesn’t it feel good to finish something you’ve invested your time and effort in? This time around, put aside all the distractions that might cause you to procrastinate. Turn off your television and put away your gaming console and phone. Then concentrate all your energy and intensity by aiming to finish the project you’ve started as soon as possible.
Related course: Productivity Tips: Finding Your Productive Mindset
5. Keep constructive critics around if you want to stop procrastinating.
It’s better to surround yourself with constructive critics rather than those who will tolerate you to put off your important tasks. Don’t participate with groups that collect grudges and like to throw pity parties. Instead, be around people who will inspire and challenge you to do better. That’s an elemental key to success.
6. Make a list for all your tasks — especially the unpleasant ones.
Write down all the unpleasant projects you’ve been putting off for so long. Then, make sure to add a completion date for each project. The challenging part is you have to strive to finish it on or before the completion date, so make sure you make the date reasonable and ideal. Don’t forget to put immediate action on unpleasant projects as it greatly helps reduce stress and tension.
Related course: Efficient Time Management
7. Find a role model.
What do you really want to achieve here, and who are the people who have achieved it already? To stop procrastinating, you have to inspire yourself by seeking them out and connecting with them. One of the best triggers for immediate action is witnessing living proof that your goals are very well achievable — if you give your all to it.
8. FEAR stands for...
One of the reasons we procrastinate is fear. We fear not getting the results we want. We fear not being good enough. But here’s something you should know: FEAR stands for False Evidence Appearing Real. Don’t give power to your fears as they are not real. If you never try, you’ll never know. So why not give it a shot?
9. Also, LUCK stands for…
LUCK simply means Laboring Under Correct Knowledge. It’s a rare occasion to succeed more by accident than by design. Don’t rely on luck. Instead, make your own fate by working hard and learning something new every day.
Read: 10 Keys to a Successful Life That Are Proven Effective
10. Problems are inescapable offshoots of progress.
Procrastinators tend to bemoan the negative rather than looking at the challenge as a new opportunity to improve. Problems will always be a part of progress. When you feel like it’s getting harder, it just means that you’re not used to it. That simply means that you’ve already overcome your previous state and you’ve progressed to another level.
Don’t be afraid of your problems, instead, face them head-on with your head held up high. Get out of the procrastination department and start becoming proactive and productive now.