How to Overcome procastination Habit (10 Tips to Overcome Procrastination)

How to Overcome procastination Habit (10 Tips to Overcome Procrastination)

PROCRASTINATION is simply the act of delaying or postponing something. Procrastination is the avoidance of doing a task that needs to be accomplished. Sometimes, procrastination takes place until the "last minute" before a deadline.

Procrastination is a trap that many of us fall into. In fact, according to researcher and speaker Piers Steel, 95 percent of us procrastinate to some degree. While it may be comforting to know that you're not alone, it can be sobering to realize just how much it can hold you back.

Procrastination is often confused with laziness, but they are very different. Procrastination is an active process – you choose to do something else instead of the task that you know you should be doing. In contrast, laziness suggests apathy, inactivity and an unwillingness to act.

Procrastination usually involves ignoring an unpleasant, but likely more important task, in favor of one that is more enjoyable or easier.

In psychology, it has long been believed that people who procrastinate have a faulty sense of time — that they think they will have more time to get something done than they actually do. While that may be true for some, more recent research suggests procrastination is linked to difficulty managing distress. 

Do you want to know how to stop procrastinating? Well, for starters, you can stop reading this article right now and get back to work.

How to Stop Procrastinating.. Overcoming the Habit of Delaying Important Tasks Now.

(1.)   Recognize That You're Procrastinating

Firstly you have to identify a problem before you can solve a problem.The first step to overcoming procrastination is to recognize that you're doing it. Then, identify the reasons behind your behavior and use appropriate strategies to manage and overcome it.If you're briefly delaying an important task for a genuinely good reason, then you aren't necessarily procrastinating. However, if you start to put things off indefinitely, or switch focus because you want to avoid doing something, then you probably are.

You may also be procrastinating if you:

Fill your day with low-priority tasks.

Leave an item on your To-Do list for a long time, even though it's important.

Read emails several times over without making a decision on what to do with them.

Start a high-priority task and then go off to make a coffee.

Fill your time with unimportant tasks that other people ask you to do, instead of getting on with the important tasks already on your list.

Wait to be in "right mood," or wait for the "right time" to tackle a task.

(2.)Focus on your “why.”

Procrastinators focus more on short-term gains (avoiding the distress associated with the task), as opposed to long-term results (the stress of not doing it, as well as the consequences of avoiding this task). Instead, try focusing on why you are doing this task: What are the benefits of completing it?

If you've been putting off cleaning out a closet, imagine walking into the closet when it is decluttered and how good that will feel. And consider how much money you will make by selling the items on eBay, or how those in need will feel when they receive these items as donations.

If it is an exercise program you have been avoiding, focus on how exercising will help you have more positive energy, give you a boost of self-esteem, and serve as a great role model for your children.

(.3)  Block Out Distractions

Did you know that willpower is a limited resource that can be depleted like any other form of energy? Much like going on a morning jog tires you out for your evening work out, the more energy you spend resisting temptation, the less energy you’ll have for resisting temptation later on. This has been confirmed by real studies.

What does this mean for someone trying to get rid of procrastination? It means that just knowing that Facebook or Reddit is one click away can make it more likely that you’ll get distracted and start procrastinating. While you might be able to resist the temptation during the first half of your work day, as you expend energy focusing, you’ll become more and more likely to give into temptation and start procrastinating.

(4.)   Increase confidence and self-belief

 Students who believe that they won’t be successful at the task at hand are more likely to procrastinate. One way to increase their confidence is to highlight how others who have been in a similar position have been successful (psychologists call this ‘modelling’). This can make the task at hand seem achievable and provide a possible template to follow.

(5.)  Build the Discomfort Habit

One of the best strategies you can use to permanently and on how to overcome procrastination is to become comfortable being uncomfortable. Mastering this skill can allow you to do pretty much anything. You can stop procrastinating, begin that exercise regimen, eat healthier, get that degree, speak in public, and overcome specific challenges in your life.

Similarly, when people try to push aside their junk food and start eating a healthy diet, they often discover that the new food on their plate is bland, unexciting, and not filling. Changing what your taste buds are used to is a bit uncomfortable, but to be honest, you can retrain your taste buds if you are willing to push through a little discomfort.

Discomfort is not a bad thing—it’s just doing something that’s not part of your normal routine. As people avoid discomfort, they pay the price of not being able to change things in their lives, not living a healthy life, and not being open to new adventures.

The important thing to remember here is that a little discomfort is healthy. It can actually turn something you perceive as dreadful into an enjoyable habit—if you’re willing to push yourself at first. So, let’s talk about how to do that.

(6.)   Work Out WHY You're Procrastinating

You need to understand the reasons why you are procrastinating before you can begin to tackle it.

Poor organization can lead to procrastination. Organized people successfully overcome it because they use prioritized To-Do Lists and create effective schedules. These tools help you to organize your tasks by priority and deadline.

Surprisingly, perfectionists are often procrastinators. Often, they'd rather avoid doing a task that they don't feel they have the skills to do than do it imperfectly.

Another major cause of procrastination is poor decision-making. If you can't decide what to do, you'll likely put off taking action in case you do the wrong thing.

(7.)    Set yourself a short deadline

 In his meta-analysis on procrastination, researcher Piers Steel notes that ‘it has long been observed that the further away an event is, the less impact it has on people's decisions.’ Break down the task and give yourself a short deadline for each part.

(8.)   Minimize distractions

 Turn off your email and social media, and avoid sitting anywhere near a television while you work!

(9.)  Forgive yourself.

Stop beating yourself up about the past. Thoughts such as “I should have started earlier” or “I always procrastinate; I am such a loser” will only make matters worse. Research shows that forgiving yourself for past procrastination will help you stop putting off working on a task.

You can try to use past procrastination to your advantage as well. How? Determine what went into your avoidance — fear, stress, not having a good understanding of how to progress, lack of accountability, etc. Then address those obstacles in the present and future. If, for example, it was fear that contributed to your procrastination, what steps can you take to feel more empowered and less fearful next time around?

(10.)   Keep a To-Do List.

 This will prevent you from "conveniently" forgetting about those unpleasant or overwhelming tasks.