ME, MYSELF AND MY PROCRASTINATION
I will write this story later.
I will attend the next conference.
I will call him/her tomorrow.
I will start taking this course another day.
I will complete this book later…
I am part of this gang!😎No judgment here trusts me on that😩.
I struggle with procrastination a lot, some days I stand-in for the President, some other day I am the chair-lady👑. I have read books such as Eat that frog, unfuck yourself, who will cry when you die, etc.
These books are amazing for sure, they have gotten me from point -20 to 69. It is one thing to read about stuff and it is an entirely different ball game to put into action some of the newly acquired knowledge. If you think you are a chronic procrastinator you can start with one of those books.
The word Procrastination is not the bad guy, the bad guy to me is not knowing when procrastination can lead to disaster. By disaster I mean, damaging a lot of things that could have been done if only I took the step at the right time!
I have experienced a lot of disasters due to my habit of excessive procrastination. I keep shifting things like I am the Creator who knows whether or not there will be a tomorrow. I always wait for the dying minute to get somethings done. Yes, it works a few times, but mostly it doesn’t because it leads to doing things haphazardly. This can jeopardize a lot of things especially for people in the professional environment, students, role models, myself, etc.
The negative effects greatly outweigh the little distraction or laziness. People will find it difficult entrusting some work to you, you miss opportunities, also get lazier by the day, selling your self short, over-promising and under-delivering, self-doubt, regrets, the lists go on.
It is cool to lazy around, I mean sometimes I derive joy in that. But when you let it take a better part of you and let it grow into a daily ritual is when we need to sit up and caution ourselves.
A lot of people struggle from this and have looked for solutions and answers on how to be better. I am one of you!
I have tried to read books, listen to podcasts, seek advice from people on how to be better at cutting down my excessive excuses for not doing what is meant to be done at the right time. Here are some of the few things that help me curb this disease😂 of ours.
I will differentiate between what I am currently doing and a few things I got online that I would also love to try. Before listing them, I would love to encourage you to find ways that would work for you as well. Time is money, I mean the more time we spend on doing the right thing at the right time, the more time we have to lazy around, because, you would have enough once you have completed your task🤭.
CURRENT SOLUTIONS TO MY PROCRASTINATION
- I try to read related books on procrastination and time management. why I love to read them is for the constant reminder that I am a work in progress.
- I love, love, love to set rewards, enticing ones. When I have huge tasks or things to do but I notice procrastination is trying to take a better part of me, I attach nice reward at the end of it all. It motivates me to get things done faster so I can bless myself with goodies.
- I am a lover of notes, reminders, jotters, excel sheets, ticking off, etc. I have some samples I would love to share with you. sheet 1, sheet 2, sheet 3. You can make a copy for yourself. What this helps me do is simply accountability. I have to fill in those docs, I have to tick off those actions just because it makes me proud. Each day, looking at them being done gives me an internal satisfaction that I am making progress. When you get used to ticking them off, it helps to reduce the excuses for procrastination for me.
- Talk to your siblings, or friends or colleagues or whoever that can look you in the eye and tell you when you are messing up. My siblings and friends are really close to me. They mostly know what I am into, I try to get them involved. I set some certain goals or list of things to do, I tell them to either remind me often or scold me when I do not try to follow my listed plans.
- Self-evaluation and deep thinking. What are really the reasons why you procrastinate? Movie? It will always be there, Social Media? The new and interesting things will always pop up….what exactly are the reasons we do this? We truly and deeply know that some of these things can wait.
- I set tiny goals I can quickly tick off. When they are little, I do not get overwhelmed. Rather it helps me work on them faster.
- I try to reduce my distractions. I purposely disabled notifications on my phone. I work remotely, so any little thing can distract me. I try to monitor the things that take most of my time.
- Take breaks, I love my timed breaks. I get to lazy around and also quickly end the break at the right time, but sometimes I don’t and it’s okay my dear. Just know when you need to caution yourself.
- Another important cause of procrastination that is hardly mentioned is depression. I’m no psychologist but taking care of your mental health is crucial for an all-round productive life. Most times we take this part for granted but it’s a core part of our personal growth. Knowing how to deal with what goes through your mind, knowing when to walk away, positive thinking, letting go, talking to someone can help too.
I know my pattern might not work for you, it took me a little time to get used to them and I will not say I am 90% all the time. I still struggle with them just that I am more aware.
Here are some of the tips I got online that might be helpful to you as well:
Do them. Starting now. There’s no better time than this moment. Develop and grow that muscle to be with the uncertain in life. To be with the glory of life itself, unconstrained by your own limits and opinions.
Don’t stop there. Instead of simply stretching our comfort zones, let’s blow the thing up completely. Try acting in a way you’d never think about acting. Doing something completely out of character would be a great start. Embrace that uncertainty and strike a blow for your future!
- Set a deadline
- Set a timer
- Get the hard stuff done first
- Start today
- Have a procrastination power song
- Make a bet
- Make it fun
I hope you learn one of two things from here and hopefully add them to what you currently have.
Please, if you have other suggestions and would love to share please, leave a comment.
Remember to stay safe, and I want to tell you that you are not alone on this journey.
Thanks for reading🤗