Procrastination is the act of putting off essential tasks in favor of less important ones. It’s a problem that plagues many people, who are often hard on themselves when they don’t get everything done on time or with their expected quality. This can be especially true for students and academics, where procrastinating might lead to not turning in an assignment at all! Fortunately, there are several easy ways to stop this bad habit before it starts so you can focus your energy on what matters.
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Understand Why You Procrastinate
The first step to crushing a lousy habit is knowing why it exists in the first place. There are several reasons why some people find themselves putting things off despite their best intentions. One of these is perfectionism, where someone feels that they won’t turn in something unless it’s perfect or has all the information they want to include. Another is underestimating how long a project will take, which leads to a more pressing deadline and a possible last-minute rush. If you think you might be avoiding specific tasks due to one of these issues or any other reason, talk about it with a trusted friend or co-worker, so you’re not going at it alone.
Start With The Task You Like Least
If procrastination is an issue for you, then there’s a good chance there are a few things you’ve been putting off for the longest time. Start with those if you want to make a long-term change in your habits. Pick the task that you like least and imagine yourself getting it done. Do whatever it takes to get into a positive frame of mind about completing this project because once you do, it will be easier to push through with other tasks.
Create A Plan And Stick to It
Once you know why you put things off, the next step is figuring out how to get past that block. If you’re letting your desire to get everything perfect stand in the way of completing all your tasks, then just dive into what you can get done ASAP and don’t stress about the rest. If you’re being unrealistic about how much time a project will take, set aside a specific block of time and do your best to get everything done in that amount of time (knowing that if something does come up, you can always deal with it later). Whatever you do, make sure that your plan includes things you enjoy and that you’re not setting yourself up to fail.
Identify Your Trigger
If you’re having trouble sticking to your plan, it’s because there are always things tempting you to procrastinate. For example, maybe you love watching sitcoms after dinner but then find yourself vegging out in front of the TV for hours instead of cleaning up or doing homework. If that sounds familiar, try setting a specific time to do your favorite thing and then save everything else for later. If you find that you’re still struggling with getting stuff done, identify the things that trigger you to procrastinate (i.e., what makes it hard to resist?) and figure out how to deal with them separately.
Get Rid Of Distractions
Everyone has things that tempt their attention away from what they should be doing. For some, it might be social media or video games, while others get distracted by a messy room or piles of clothes to put away. Whatever the case may be, get rid of the things that distract you from being productive and then work on avoiding them in the future. While you might not be able to get everything out of the way at once, clearing out your distractions can help free up your time.
Reward Yourself for Getting Things Done
When you’re trying to break a bad habit, it can help to reward yourself when you get things done on time. For example, you might give yourself a candy bar after getting your work done or treat yourself to a movie. This will help motivate you to keep working hard instead of procrastinating! However, this isn’t something you should do every day because it could worsen your habits; instead, save up your rewards for when you need them.
Get Help From Others
If you’ve been struggling with procrastination for a while and it’s still an issue, see if there’s someone who could help you even just once or twice. This way, you’ll be able to rely on others for a little bit of a boost and might even find that you can still handle things on your own!
Conclusion
Procrastination is something that everyone has dealt with at least once in their life. While it can be frustrating, it doesn’t have to control your life or make things harder on you. With a bit of effort, you can find the right balance in your life that will keep you on track without constantly worrying about when something is due!
