To procrastinate is to postpone, leave for later those tasks that we do not feel like or that we dislike, but that are important. It is always finding something better to do or not do to avoid doing what we do not want to do.
How many times have we not picked up our cell phone before doing a task or have we said: “I’ll do it tomorrow!” The truth is that procrastinating makes everything cost more when it comes to getting started, that we do it with reluctance or that we have what we feel we should do all the time stuck in our thoughts, not to mention the times when we are at the limit and have to do it quickly and poorly. And the more we procrastinate, the more it costs us, this is the reality.
It’s okay to prioritize, there are times when we have many tasks and we decide which ones we think are most important to do first, but prioritizing and procrastinating are not the same. What happens when procrastinating becomes a habit? On many occasions this habit becomes a problem that can affect our work and our personal and social lives.
What do I gain if I don’t postpone what I have to do? This is the question we don’t usually ask ourselves. Well, we gain time, peace of mind and psychological well-being, because nothing feels better than seeing the result of a well-executed effort.
But… Why do we procrastinate? There are different causes for procrastination. The most common is lack of motivation, perhaps that task does not attract us or we do not consider it important. Many times we don’t do things because we don’t know how to do them and we are afraid of facing that situation or not doing it well. On other occasions, procrastination has more to do with self-concept or the idea we have of ourselves in relation to that task, this or that is not good for me and facing it means facing a part of me that I don’t like or that scares me.
Tips for procrastination
Today I propose some ideas that can be helpful in those moments when the task seems heavy and we don’t have much motivation to get on with it.
1. When you have decided that you are going to do something, really decide it.
Plan how and when and communicate your decision to another person or people to make that commitment stronger.
2. Identify what you do when you procrastinate
Maybe you look at your cell phone, you get caught up in one of the social networks, you watch a series or movie… If you can identify what you use to procrastinate and you can avoid doing it or have it in front of you, you will be closer to achieving it.
When we see the whole, the feeling can be overwhelming, but if we manage to divide the task into small tasks, the feeling of overwhelm decreases and your feeling of capacity increases to achieve it and also your motivation.
4. Hold the first two minutes
These are usually the most complicated, but if you can stay focused on the task during this first moment everything will be easier and you will see that you can achieve it If I’ve lasted two minutes… Why not five more?
5. Take a break from those small tasks if you need it
Exhaustion is not a friend of good results and you will be able to gain strength for the next task.
6. Reinforce what you have achieved
If when you finish the task you give yourself a small reward, you encourage yourself or perhaps you look for something to do that pleases you more, the effort will be worth it and your motivation towards her will be greater next time
7. Evaluate your progress
When you finish, ask yourself and observe How do you feel having achieved something that you initially thought you couldn’t do? or you felt like you didn’t feel like it.
You know, they say it’s all about getting started and you will discover that you have more free time, more peace of mind, that you are more capable than you think and you will find ways to feel better about yourself and what surrounds you.
