Don’t Procrastinate: 5 Ways to Beat Procrastination

Here are some science-based tips to help you fight procrastination.

 

Let’s not kid ourselves – most of us procrastinate. And this often leads to a sense of guilt and being a harsh critic of our own behavior. Despite this, we still fall into the syndrome of putting off work until later. What could be the cause? A lack of discipline? An unwillingness to do something that we don’t enjoy? Or maybe it’s a matter of attitude? When you find the reason why you procrastinate, it will be easier for you to apply techniques that will help minimize this inglorious condition.Don’t be fooled. Procrastination has many faces . You have an expert text ahead of you, but you find countless reasons not to start working? This is a textbook example. But can you call procrastination work? Do you prioritize various things and check off tasks? Do you start by, for example, answering emails or clearing your inbox, but leave large, complex projects until the end of the day? At first glance, you are doing something related to work, you may feel that it is important and you are pushing things forward. But the key to understanding procrastination is the skillful avoidance of tasks that really matter and are important.

Delving deeper into how the brain works, we can conclude that procrastination is not at all unusual. The human brain is much better at processing Beat Procrastination concrete tasks than more abstract ones, and the immediate troubles we get into right before the deadline are much more tangible compared to the distant concept of benefits associated with completing the task right away. This short-term effort (the deadline is just around the corner!) dominates the long-term benefits, which behaviorists call present bias. Thinking this way, you have to trick your mind into thinking that the benefits of the action are greater than the costs. The reward for completing a tiring or unpleasant task should be more beneficial than the anxiety or – as some call it – pain associated with completing it right before the deadline.

5 Types of Procrastinators

Psychologists have mapped the characteristics of procrastinators and divided them into five archetypes:

1. Hedonist – chooses to do something that gives pleasure instead of focusing on a task that needs to be checked off a list. Hedonists often find themselves in stressful situations that occur right before a deadline, rushing through the task to meet the previously agreed-upon deadline.

2. Optimist – a person who is overly confident in themselves and their abilities. They are often unaware of the consequences of procrastination list of georgia cell phone numbers they look at everything with optimism (somehow it will work out, something will magically solve itself, etc.).

3. The Busy Bee – uses being busy as Beat Procrastination Beat Procrastination an excuse to procrastinate. This type intentionally fills their calendar with various tasks to appear highly productive while failing to do tasks that require immediate or urgent attention.

4. Perfectionist – a person who places quality and the pursuit of perfection above completing a project. Often, they postpone starting a task because they don’t have enough time or are certain that they know how to do the best project to meet their high standards.

5. The Martyr – avoids tasks because they are constantly worried about failure or negative comments. This type tries to avoid disappointment and does not do tasks out of fear of fear, which sounds like a vicious circle.

What causes us to procrastinate?

list of georgia cell phone numbers

How do we get to a state where we consciously look at the cost-benefit analysis, while also making the benefits of completing a task ahead of time greater? The simplest way to put it is this: the reward for completing a tiring task must be greater than the reluctance associated with it. And going deeper, the technique for combating procrastination depends on the reason why we are delaying completing a specific task. So what are the reasons why we procrastinate?

#1 Habits

Procrastination is associated with a lack of discipline. A procrastinator would rather spend time on something enjoyable than be engaged in hard work. Psychologists explain this in the following way: it is the lack of good habits that is responsible for procrastination. Many studies confirm that habits are responsible for completing tasks that require effort and for resisting distraction.

Task:What rules, rituals, habits help you check an important task off your list?

Tip:Plan your work consistently. Focus on projects that are most important to your business. This could be preparing a business strategy the ultimate guide on how to create an impactful visual identity for your brand conducting data analysis or writing a book. This is called deep work . Do it regularly and consistently every day at regular intervals to develop a habit. This can take up to several months.

If you decide to write an article, always devote a certain number of hours to this task, starting at a fixed time. And how to approach a task that you do for the first time? Recall some previous difficult task that you managed to successfully complete. Identify the steps that led you to success, and try to implement them in the new task.

We recommend reading:

5 Reasons Why We Don’t Like Mondays

Read

#2. Beat Procrastination Emotions

It’s no big revelation that we avoid tasks that trigger negative emotions. In psychology, avoidance is seen as a remedy for stress. But it’s Beat Procrastination just a vicious cycle that we get into when we try to avoid unpleasant situations. Furthermore, when you feel overwhelmed by work, you’re more likely to procrastinate on various important tasks for the project. In this state, even simple tasks like responding to emails can be overwhelming and take longer than they should.

Task: How do you feel? How would you rate your mental health? What emotions do the tasks you avoid arouse?

Tip: Start paying more attention to your emotions guinea lists try to identify them and look at them. Rate them on a scale of 1-10. You may find that preparing a presentation for your boss makes you anxious, reluctant and bored. Then think about how you can minimize these emotions.

If you are bored with something, plan a reward for completing the task, and if you need support, involve your teammates. If a task makes you anxious, start with the elements you know best. This is called exposure therapy : you gradually get to the thing that scares you the most. Everything that seems insurmountable to you, and therefore delays the completion of the task, will be within reach when you first take these simple steps.

#3. Thought Patterns

However, if you feel you have the discipline you need in various areas of your life but still have trouble procrastinating, specific thought patterns may be to blame. Some of the cognitive factors associated with procrastination are fairly universal—for example, most of us underestimate the complexity of tasks that have extended deadlines, while others are very personal.

Task:Does the act of starting a task seem more difficult than going through the steps to achieving your goal? Do you enjoy getting involv in a new project?

Tip: Get past the blocks in your head. A Beat Procrastination technique that can help you do this is reverse brainstorming. This involves thinking about what would have to happen to make the task incredibly difficult. Then think about the opposite, which would make you feel less blocked.

A task can seem impossible if you imagine that you have to do it perfectly, like someone you admire on your team. The opposite is true when you accept that you can make mistakes, but you use your strengths and your own plan of action.

If you enjoy writing blog posts and have a speech to prepare, consider whether you can work on the two tasks in the same way. The key is to define the similarities and proceed as if you were in a situation you know and enjoy.

 

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top