Written by Fatima Syed
Many people have questions regarding procrastination, so let us talk a little bit about it. Procrastination is the act of delaying your work (whether it be homework, assignments, or simple housework) until the last minute. In my opinion, procrastination is a mere illusion. We often think delaying our work will prevent us from negative feelings, but it is not a long term solution. Students procrastinate often. When their deadline begins to near, they tend to feel stressed and rush to finish everything on time. This results in their work being improper or unfinished, further leading to more procrastination. However, it is not just students who do this. Adults also tend to delay their work. Whether it is housework, office work, or even simply cleaning the dishes. Anyhow, procrastination isn't only caused by laziness or a bad mood. You could be procrastinating by not prioritizing your work. Regardless, the key to stopping this bad habit is being aware of what exactly causes you to do it.
If you've ever wondered why you procrastinate, there are many popular causes. There have been assumptions and misconceptions related to procrastination. However, it is a psychological concept. When it comes to planning to get your work done, things seem quite easy. Yet, when it is time to actually get up and finish it, you suddenly don't want to anymore. This is a concept of your future self and your present self. Your future self can set goals but it's up to your present self to achieve them. Some psychologists say that it is a type of avoidance behaviour. When we have quite a bit of work to do, we start to feel stressed, only thinking about the load of the work and the amount of time needed to be spent on it. This leads us to do activities that are irrelevant and waste that needed time. If we put it more simply, our mind and body crave quick and easy rewards. Provided that, we procrastinate because it is an easier option for the “present you”.
How do we avoid procrastination? There are a lot of ways you could leave this habit, such as prioritizing, being more self-aware, thinking about the consequences and dividing your work into smaller parts. Let's talk about prioritizing first. Sometimes we have a busy schedule, making it hard to get everything done. In that case, you should make a list of your top to bottom priorities, that way, you will get the important work done first, instead of procrastinating and doing unnecessary activities beforehand. Secondly, you need to talk to yourself, be more aware of the consequences. Since procrastination only makes things worse, you would need to constantly remind yourself of that and get up to take action. Lastly, divide your work. This is a very helpful tip, especially for bigger projects or assignments that contain several parts. You can do this by setting a due date for each of your assignments, especially if that due date is earlier than the one given by your teacher. This will make it easier for you to work in an organized manner and will prevent stress, knowing you’ve finished everything before the set date. Another great tip is doing the next right thing. If you are pushing your work for the next day consistently because you are in a bad mood, try to pick yourself up and do the next step. For example, if you need to write a paragraph, just jot your ideas down to get it started. This way you might just have enough motivation to complete the rest of it.
In conclusion, procrastination is a hard habit to get rid of, but it is not impossible. With a little brain training and pushing yourself, you could get rid of it. My preferred way is dividing and prioritizing. I have personally found success in trying this one. I hope you have learned something from this article, and hopefully, you found it helpful.
References
Lieberman, Charlotte. “Why You Procrastinate (It Has Nothing to Do With Self-Control).” The New York Times, The New York Times, 25 Mar. 2019, www.nytimes.com/2019/03/25/smarter-living/why-you-procrastinate-it-has-nothing-to-do-with-self-control.html.
Swanson, Ana. “The Real Reasons You Procrastinate - and How to Stop.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 29 Apr. 2019, www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/04/27/why-you-cant-help-read-this-article-about-procrastination-instead-of-doing-your-job/.
Clear, James. “Procrastination: A Brief Guide on How to Stop Procrastinating.” James Clear, 12 Feb. 2019, jamesclear.com/procrastination.
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