- 29 November 2022
- by Andrej Fedek
- Blog
- 0 Comments
All of us, from time to time, are faced with the desire to postpone important things: we lazily scroll through social networks when we need to write an important letter, we drink tea with colleagues instead of preparing a report, and sometimes we just sleep for a long time, dreaming about our highly productive life.
A familiar picture?
The very word “procrastination” has Latin roots and the meaning of “delay, postponing.” Up to a certain level, procrastination is the norm, but beyond that limit, procrastination becomes a serious problem.
Popular researcher Joseph Ferrari identifies three main types of procrastinators:
Thrill seekers are people who put things off until the last minute in order to experience euphoria. They like it when their hearts are pounding because of the understanding that they can not be in time.
Such people listen to other people’s opinions and prefer to remain in the background, rather than break forward, making mistakes, alternating defeats with victories. According to MyEssayHelper, a lot of their clients come with burning deadlines.
The irresponsible are those who delay making a decision for fear of being held accountable for the consequences. Those who do not make decisions are not responsible for anything.
Due to self-reproach and frustration, the procrastinator has a feeling of helplessness, which again leads to doing nothing. But procrastination is not just laziness.
If we manage to defeat procrastination, we will be able to do more things and realize our life potential more effectively.
Why is the problem of procrastination so relevant today?
The fact is that in the modern world, the possibilities of a person, his individual freedom, have increased unusually, which is called the “scissors of opportunities”. And these very scissors lead to the fact that we have more and more options to choose from, and making this choice is more and more difficult. The so-called “decision paralysis” occurs. And regardless of the option chosen, we will still feel regret, imagining what would happen if we chose another option.
What should a procrastinating person do?
1 – Make a to-do list
Put a date next to each item that you must meet. Estimate how long each task will take, and then double that number. Sometimes it seems that you will do the task faster, but in fact it requires more attention. When you lack time, you can delegate the task. For instance, like college students use the essay writing service reddit users recommend.
2 – Write down the steps to complete each task
The more specific you are about what you need to do for each goal, such as “Learn English,” the better. Identify the first simple step to understand: the benefits will outweigh your efforts. Therefore, the paragraph about learning English can be started with the task “Write to a friend and ask what courses he took and whether he liked it.” By reaching this small goal, you will feel more motivated to take the next step.
3 – Announce the due date of the task publicly
Research shows that social approval activates the part of the brain responsible for the reward system. That is, by fulfilling our obligations, we earn a good reputation for ourselves, and the brain fixes this as a good habit.
4 – Analyze when you start to procrastinate
Once you realize you’ve decided to put something off, try not to give in to the urge to aimlessly look out the window or wander around your office or apartment. Give the task a couple of minutes (you can even set a timer) and, most likely, when you start work, you will not notice how it will drag you out.
5 – Think about how you will feel when you complete the task
Often we focus on how much we don’t want to do something because it’s boring and uninteresting. Experts recommend thinking about what will happen if you still go to a meeting that you have been putting off for so long: you will see friends, have a good time and maybe learn something new.
It is important to understand that procrastination is expensive. People who experience constant stress systematically undermine their health. Therefore, procrastination in the fight against procrastination is definitely not worth it!
Andrej Fedek is a digital marketer. He recently started his own blog about digital marketing called InterCool Studio. His passion is to help startups grow and thrive in a competitive environment.
