Procrastination: procrastination means putting off,
delaying or deferring an action to a later time. Many of the human being had
this problem. In this world many people postpone their works means they are
suffering from procrastination.
You’ve got so many things to do and yet you find yourself doing pretty much anything but the task at hand!
You’ve got so many things to do and yet you find yourself doing pretty much anything but the task at hand!
I don’t know about you, but I’ve done many mundane things
that usually don’t get the time of day – all due to procrastination! I’ve
cleaned the entire house from top to bottom, cleared out my email folders,
cleared out the wardrobe, all things that aren’t really that urgent or
important in my life – they just serve as a distraction so I don’t have to get
on with those big tasks I’m avoiding.
How
to overcome it
There really is nothing more debilitating than being
caught in the grips of procrastination. It stops us from focusing on what’s
truly important to us, which can for many, lead to an unhappy, unproductive
life.
To beat procrastination, first we must understand what
the triggers are – and why we bother to procrastinate at all. There are a few
common errors people make that can lead them down a destructive path of
procrastination.
Have a look at the below list to see if any of the errors
sound familiar to you. Fear not — there are also some tips for overcoming these
errors, so read on…
Here are some Procrastination Errors follow the steps to
overcome them.
If we fear that there’s a chance we may fail at
something, it’s common for us to put off even trying. Yet what we don’t realise
is that failure is a good thing! It provides us wiht valuable feedback so we
can move on and learn from our mistakes. All the greats have learned to love
failure. It’s important to spend some time changing your attitude to failure so
this no longer affects your goals. (read also Is fear of Failure is dangerous)
2.
Feeling overwhelmed about a situation
This is related to ‘fear of failure’. If we feel that a
task is just too big or too overwhelming then again, we will make up excuses to
try and avoid tackling it. One thing you can do is to break down big tasks into
‘bite size chunks’. By tackling a big task, one step at a time you will feel
less overwhelm.
3.
Too busy with other things
Often we are unrealistic about what’s achievable. We can
take on too many things yet plan a really big goal that ultimately needs more
time than is available. We need to make sure we have enough time & energy
before we take on a new task. This may mean we need to remove other smaller,
insignificant tasks form our list to make room.
4. Lack
of confidence in the task at hand
If at some level we don’t really believe we can do the
task, we will put it off. This links to the first point; fear of failure is
really the biggest trigger for procrastination. If you have any doubt in your
mind then it’s highly likely you will find other things to do! Make sure you
have built up your confidence before attempting a goal!
5.
How important is the task?
This is a big one. Many people will set themselves a goal
– but it turns out they’re not really that bothered about it. It’s essential
you get clear about why you have set yourself goals and what the benefit is for
you to complete them! If at a subconscious level you’re not really sure why
you’re doing something, your brain will just decide for its self that it’s not
that important and therefore demote it to the bottom of your priorities. The
best thing you can do is prioritise your goals and then cross off those items
that aren’t that important. This will free you up to focus on the goals that
really matter.
6.
Is the task really for you or for someone else?
When we are young we pick up certain behaviours and
attitudes form our parents. It can be common when we reach adulthood to carry
these attitudes with us – yet they are not ours and they are not really
important to us. So, when we set a goal – sometimes it can be someone else’s
goal. This makes it very hard to achieve because on some level we don’t really
want it. You see this with young adults who have taken a career path into law
because their father was a great lawyer. They are doing it for their father and
not themselves and at some stage they end up sabotaging the career. Make sure
your goals are your goalsand no one else’s.
7.
Lack of Focus
If you surround yourself with distractions then the temptation
to procrastinate is much higher! It’s essential you remove ALL unwanted
distractions so you have the space to focus on the task at hand! Yes — this
means no television, no Facebook, no mobile phone and no emails — unless these
things help you to focus. Believe me, the world will not end if you ‘turn
everything off’ for an hour so you can focus!
Image Source: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/776289
Image Source: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/776289
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