Overcoming Procrastination

All about procrastination and its negative impact on your life. Overcoming procrastination is important for your self improvement and success.

What is procrastination?

• Putting off
• delaying
• postponing
• deferring
  ....an action to a later date. On that later date, it is possible, you may put it off again.

Causes of Procrastination-Why does one do it?

The first step in overcoming procrastination is: knowing the cause.

In the early days of my career, my boss gave a copy of the technical specification of an equipment. "This product has great potential," he told, "it involves latest technology and some futuristic features as well. Go through it, we can discuss exactly after two days."

His statement of 'latest and futuristic' made me uncomfortable. Added to that, it had 30 pages. Supposing I go through and the project gets the sanctions, can I handle the design? Can we complete it with in the time frame? Will it get the customer's approval?

I was unnerved. I kept on postponing reading it until my boss called for discussion. He understood what was happening inside my mind. He was an effective leader and knew how to deal with such situations.

I was worried, uneasy and nervous about the beginning as well as the end. I was imagining only negative outcome. That made me put off reading the document. I was procrastinating.

Concentrating on the negative outcome- this is what makes people procrastinate. It is counterproductive and results in unnecessary delays.

There are other reasons for procrastination:

• The task is not exciting or challenging.

• You may not enjoy doing the task or not comfortable doing it.

• More enjoyable activities are pulling you.

• Improper judgment of importance and outcome of the task.

• You feel that there is plenty of time and can be attended later.

• You are not confident of proper outcome and feel 'anyway, it is going to fail' it will be waste of time.

• The task is difficult or takes more time.

• Lack of the required infrastructure.

• Lack of defined goals, priorities and objectives.

• Unrealistic schedules or expectations.

• Fear of making mistakes since you don't have the skills.

• Fear of failure/success.

• Waiting for the right mood.

• Over stressed, if you accepted many tasks.

• Personal problems.

• Feel lazy if you have health problems.

Each time the reason may be different.

What are the negative effects of procrastination?

Surprisingly, knowing its negative effects will make you become more serious in overcoming procrastination.

Referring to my own example I gave above, if the project were to be shelved or entrusted to someone else, what would have happened?

• I would have carried a sense of guilt.

• I would have lost an opportunity to prove my capabilities.

• If the project was shelved, the company would have lost a good product and revenue.

• My group would have lost opportunity to work on new technology.

• Disapproval of everybody concerned.

• I would have lost my credibility.

In addition to all this, Procrastination results in-

• Not fulfilling your responsibilities.

• Slipping on your commitments. This can have serial effect on many other schedules.

• Creation of crisis.

• Creation of tension for yourself and others.

• Loss of credibility and possibility of revenue loss.

• All these negative effects promote further procrastination.

Overcoming Procrastination- How do you get rid of it?

• The most important thing is to be aware that you are procrastinating. Carefully observe your activities and know exactly when and under what reasons you are procrastinating.

• Even though procrastination and time management are related, both are not same. Set priorities properly. Recognize the difference between important and urgent. Use proper time management techniques.

• List out your tasks in four quadrants of a rectangle:
  1. Urgent & Important
  2. Important but not Urgent
  3. Urgent but not Important
  4. Not urgent & not Important

  Quadrant1 is the most stressful and all firefighting takes place here where as Quadrant2 is the most useful in the long run. Taking care of Q2 makes your life easy and tension free. By postponing or neglecting tasks of Q2, they get shifted to Q1 and you are asking for stress and tension.

• If you concentrate on Q3 tasks, you will not have time for more important ones. Try to shift or delegate Q3 tasks.

• If your work is not interesting or challenging, you may have to change your career path. If you have to live with it, force yourself into doing it by-

  • thinking of the consequences of not doing the task.

  • Thinking of the salary you are drawing and how you are delivering the money value.

• If the task seems to too big or time consuming, break it into smaller and more manageable tasks. Draw an action plan to tackle each small task at a time. Set realistic schedules. Don't get upset and stop if a particular task goes beyond schedule.

• Don't stress yourself by accepting more tasks than what you can manage.

• If lack of infrastructure or any other resource is holding you back, arrange for the minimum requirement to start. Educate yourself to get the required skills. Take the help of peers and mentors. If you can't manage the skills, delegate or transfer the task to somebody with the relevant skills.

• Don't attempt to be perfect. Perfection is endless. Do a good job today instead of waiting to do a perfect job, you don't know when.

• Don't be afraid of failure. All successful people failed before tasting success. Learn from mistakes.

• Don't think you are incapable. Most of the times you don't know your true capability until you start working. Remind yourself of your abilities and previous accomplishments.

• Give self appreciation when you complete even a small task. It boosts your morale and injects fresh energy.

And the most important point that will help you indirectly in overcoming procrastination:

• Remove laziness from your body and mind. Eat healthy food, exercise and take sufficient rest. Maintain good health by adopting natural health tips.

• Create a relaxing atmosphere to reduce stress.

These tips help you in overcoming procrastination.

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