How to Beat Procrastination
Procrastination is likely something we’ve all dealt with at some point in our lives. In most cases, people procrastinate for one of two reasons. Either they feel like the task is too difficult so they purposefully look for distractions or they feel like the task is too easy so they can afford to put it off. One of the most common things you may hear a procrastinator say is that they “work well under pressure” This is just a way to justify the act of procrastinating.
Putting things off can lead to stress, luckily there are ways to overcome this trap. Firstly, recognize that you are in fact procrastinating. You can’t solve an issue without first realizing that there is one. The next thing you need to do is figure out why you are procrastinating. Lastly, adopt some strategies that will help you not procrastinate.
Rewarding yourself when completing a task can be one way to help. Another tactic you can employ is to have an accountability partner that will check on you as you go. Minimizing distractions and working as tasks are assigned to you will also help a great deal when it comes to avoiding procrastination. It is important you forgive yourself for procrastinating. Feeling more positive about yourself can increase self-confidence, and by extension, help lessen the desire to procrastinate as you start to gain confidence in your abilities.
One thing to keep in mind is that procrastinating can be a vicious cycle and you will have to work harder in the end. It is important to recognize that if you are rushing you greatly increase your chances of making mistakes and very rarely will you have time to go over your work. As Mason Cooley once said, “Procrastination makes easy things hard, hard things harder.”