Ramadan is over and back to work mode is difficult. I have to write blogs and I have been procrastinating. The irony is that my niche is Procrastination and time management and here I am, delaying it again. While tackling my problem, I decided to come up with a road map for you as well. Lets dive into this world of Procrastination.

What Is Procrastination?

Procrastination is when you delay or avoid tasks that need to be completed. When people procrastinate, they tend to focus on activities that are not a priority. This can include avoiding difficult tasks, filling your day with low priority work or waiting until the last minute to start a project.

Procrastination can negatively affect you and your work. If you want to eliminate or (at least minimize) procrastination, here are some of the tips that can lead to a more productive and disciplined life.

Identify The Tasks That You Typically Procrastinate About

I have observed that not all tasks are created equal. I might procrastinate about writing a blog but now about responding to messages promptly. Some students find it difficult to turn their assignments on time but they are very prompt when it comes to reporting for a cricket match or social meet up.

What are the tasks that you typically put off or avoid?

Identify Your Procrastination Behavior

If you don’t have any idea or some inkling but now sure as to what are your go to actions while avoiding certain task. This list may provide an idea:

• Waiting until the last minute to start a task.
• Spending too much time planning how to complete a task.
• Not starting or completing something until it is perfect.
• Waiting for the motivation or the right moment.
• Delaying or avoiding difficult tasks.
• Delaying or avoiding boring tasks.

Identify Why You Procrastinate

After finding out the task and your behaviour. Start with WHY. What is the underlying the reason behind procrastinating important tasks. There could be multiple reasons. Some of the reasons listed below may help you find out about your WHY.

1. Perfectionism

“Its just that it has to be perfect!”, my client told me when I asked her why does she take too long to submit her assignments.

Similarly, another client told me that I cant start unless everything is in perfect order. This perfectionism causes them to delay their projects because instead of optimization they go for perfection.

2. Fear of Uncertainty

Those people who want to plan and be prepared for each and everything find it difficult to uncertainly and hence delays the tasks.

3. Feeling Overwhelmed

This is also a very important contributing factor where people feel they have too much on their plate and lose the energy and motivation to keep going. The feeling of so much to do with so little time start making one feel anxious which results in shut down instead of achieving some progress.

4. Pleasure Seeking

Instead of doing mundane and boring tasks, nowadays, it is very easy to escape and find solace in social media and video games. We are living in a world of mass distractions and the urge for instant gratification is greater than ever. So we revert to activities that give us instant pleasure instead of doing things that matter in the long run.

How to Eliminate Procrastination

1. Plan Rewards

Once you make a plan stick to it and get things done reward yourself. Delay gratification until the completion of the task. If you find it difficult to exercise then don’t eat your favourite snack unless you are done with your exercise routine. This way you could be your cheerleader.

2. Removing Distractions

Put time limits or use software that blocks or limits your access to certain websites or phone apps. Taking away to option to choose social media makes it easier to complete the work you need to complete.

3. Just 5 Minute Approach

This is by far my favorite technique. Even if you don’t feel like doing it just start for 5 minutes only. Keep doing it for 5 minutes, chances are that you will get in a flow state and will end up doing much more than these 5 minutes.

4. Eat the Frog First

The idea is that you identify one challenging task(the frog) and complete the task first thing in the morning(eating it). To put it simply, eating the frog is the process of identifying your most difficult task of the day and completing it before you do any other work. It gives you momentum and confidence to keep going.

5. Time Blocking

“ A 40 hour time blocked work week, I estimate, produces the same amount of output as a 60+ hour per week pursued with structure.”

-Cal Newport, Author of Deep Work.

Time Blocking is about prioritizing your task list in advance and dedicating specific blocks of time for each task. This way you will be controlling your tasks instead of being controlled by them.

Conclusion

I hope after becoming self-aware about the tasks that you procrastinate about how do you it and why do you do it, it would become easier to implement the methods discussed above in order to lead a productive and discipline life.