Procrastination is like a credit card: it's a lot of fun until you get the bill.
I think we've all been there at some point. There's something to be done, but we don't want to do it. Or at least, not right now. So we don't do it, telling ourselves we'll "get it done later."
I've procrastinated a lot in the past. In every area from school and homework, to chores around the house. Here's what I've learned about procrastination.
Putting off work for later only delays the inevitable, plus some more.
Being lazy may seem beneficial at the time, but in the end we do the same amount of work we'd have to do before; but when we delay it, there are some huge side effects.
- Cutting it close to, or missing deadlines,
- Stressing over having to cram everything in a few hours,
- Poor results from a lack of time spent on it,
- When there are no deadlines, work just keeps building up until it's seemingly impossible to solve.
And don't forget the constant guilt accompanied with not getting things done.
But what can we do to prevent this chain of laziness?
Here are just a few tips to help stop procrastination.
1) Create a to-do list.
It actually helps. Write down the things you know that you need to do, and check them off as you complete them. It can be as simple or complex as you want it to be.
To-do lists help you keep on track, while encouraging you by showing the things you've accomplished so far. Remember, the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
2) Remove distractions.
Do you have a habit of texting instead of working? What about playing Xbox? Watching Netflix?
I find that physically removing those items from your view and make them not available to use often helped me focus and prevented me from using them before work was done. Nobody knows yourself better than you do. Find out what causes you to get distracted, and either remove it from you, or remove you from it.
3) Dedicate time.
One of the main causes of my procrastination, was me allowing myself to do other things.
Another great way to avoid procrastination is dedicate some time (say, an hour) to doing only the intended task, no matter how boring it is. And whenever you see something distracting, pay no attention to it at all.
4) Don't wait for perfection, just do it.
Don't wait for the perfect moment; it'll never come, and we'll never get the work done.
Sometimes I convinced myself that there was some "opportune time" to get this work done, and whenever it wasn't that time, I shouldn't work on it.
The best way to stop this? Don't wait. Do it immediately. Do you have stuff that should be completed? Stop what you're doing, and go finish it!
Stopping procrastination will actually save you time.
Sometimes, work is objectively unavoidable. You're going to have to spend at least one hour working on something, so you may as well get it out of the way, before it becomes one and a half hours, and then two hours.
In the end, how much time would you want to spend doing the exact same task: one hour, or two? The answer is simple. Get it done, and get it out of the way. You can actually save yourself time by getting it done now. And then that hour you would've spent working, can now be spent doing whatever you want to, with a mind clear of guilt. The decision is yours.
Thomas Edision once said "Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work."
Do you have something that needs to be done? What're you waiting for? Go and get it done. There's nothing stopping you besides yourself.
