#Productive101: Procrastination

Procrastination is a word thrown around a lot these days, but what is it?

“Procrastination” comes from the Latin word “pro-crastinus” which means “belonging to tomorrow”. The definition of procrastination itself is trouble persuading yourself to do the things you should do or would like to do. Procrastination should be overcome because procrastination is one of the biggest roadblocks to waking up, making the right choices, and enjoying the life you’ve always imagined.

According to recent research, people regret the things they haven’t done more than the things they have. Furthermore, remorse and shame associated with lost opportunities appear to linger for much longer.

All of our opportunities seem to be at our fingertips at times, but we can’t seem to grasp them. When you procrastinate, you are wasting time that could be spent on something more important and valuable. You will be able to do more and better exploit the potential that life has to offer if you can defeat this tough opponent.

One thing to note, though, is that procrastination is not laziness.

Procrastinators often delay tasks, leaving them until the last possible moment, or even gazing at the wall. However, keep in mind that procrastination is not synonymous with laziness. People who are lazy actually do nothing and are content with it. Procrastinators, on the other hand, have the ability to get things done but are unable to do so.

It’s a good idea to start using the word procrastination instead of using the terms laziness or putting things off. It gives a much more clear picture of your situation. You can only start working on your issue once you’ve given it the proper name.

Myth: We work better under pressure

We always hear the excuse that people enjoy waiting until the last minute to do stuff. They justify their actions by claiming that they are most productive under pressure. Scientific research, on the other hand, suggests that the opposite is valid. Stress, guilt, and ineffectiveness thrive in situations where tasks are put off until the last minute.

Why does it happen?

Decision paralysis

The amount of opportunities available in today’s world is enormous. Individual liberty is valued in modern culture, with the idea that the more free people are, the happier they will be. So, why aren’t people now happier than they were in the past? Since we have more freedom to make our own choices and actions, we have become easily confused about what is a priority, what is important and what is not, and what is right and wrong, and as a result, we have become demotivated to do something at all.

Ignoring the value of time

We were all born, and sadly, we will all die at some stage. Our time on this planet is limited. Time is the most important asset you have in light of this reality. It’s not money; unlike time, money can be borrowed, saved, or earned. That’s something you can’t do with time. Any second you waste is irreversibly lost.

People tend to manage their time more carefully as they realize that their existence is short. It makes you consider how you would like to spend your time on earth.

Lack of self-discipline

You may think of self-discipline or self-control as a situation in which you give yourself orders but struggle to obey them. It isn’t the main cause of procrastination, but it is a significant component. You must have the right form of motivation and learn to sustain and improve good behaviors in order to be disciplined.

Some tasks are just procrastination-worthy

According to Tim Pychyl, the author of Solving the Procrastination Puzzle. The more you dislike a task, the more likely you are to procrastinate. In his research, Pychyl identifies a set of seven triggers that make a task seem more averse, and they are:

• Boring
• Frustrating
• Difficult
• Ambiguous
• Unstructured
• Not intrinsically rewarding (i.e., you don’t find the process fun)
• Lacking in personal meaning

How do we overcome procrastination?

Reverse the procrastination triggers. Remember the previously mentioned seven procrastination triggers by Tim Pychyl. Try thinking about the task in a different way to make the prospect of completing it more appealing.

Work within your resistance level. Reduce the time before you reach a point where you are no longer resistant to the task — and then complete it.

Do something — anything — to get started. It’s much easier to keep on with a task once you’ve gotten past the initial challenge of getting started. That’s because procrastination-inducing tasks are rarely as bad as we imagine. Starting something forces a subconscious rethinking of the task, and we may discover that the actual task causes fewer triggers than we expected.

List the costs of procrastination. This tactic works best when you’re putting off larger tasks. Add to your list all the ways how not procrastinating could affect your social life, finances, stress, happiness, health, and so on. It’s also worth it to make a list of the things you put off personally and professionally, large and small, while calculating the costs of procrastination for each.

Disconnect. Our devices offer a lot of distractions, whether it’s email, social media, or texting with friends and family. This is difficult since our work becomes more ambiguous and unstructured (two triggers of procrastination). When you disable digital distractions ahead of time, you have no choice but to focus on what matters most.

The bottom line

Procrastination is trouble persuading yourself to do the things you should do or would like to do, and it should be overcome because it is one of the biggest challenges for you to get up and make the right choices. Decision paralysis, ignoring the value of time, lack of discipline, and the seven triggers all sound hard to conquer, but with the right mindset and strategies, we can.

Sources

• Bailey, C. (2017, October 04). 5 Research-Based Strategies for Overcoming Procrastination. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2017/10/5-research-based-strategies-for-overcoming-procrastination
• What is Procrastination? (n.d.). PROCRASTINATION.COM. https://procrastination.com/what-is-procrastination#how-to-stop-procrastinating