Procrastination is something everyone has experienced in life. It is important to know how to deal with procrastination as it could have a dire impact on your success in life if you do not deal with it head on.

According to Joseph Ferrari, a professor of psychology at DePaul University in Chicago and author of Still Procrastinating: The No Regret Guide to Getting It Done, around 20 percent of U.S. adults are chronic procrastinators.

It is usually much easier and convenient to engage in “fun” stuff than to focus on your work, business, school, paying that bill etc.

Today, I will highlight why we procrastinate and how to deal with procrastination.

Why Do You Procrastinate?

According to Tuckman, Abry, and Smith* there are 15 key reasons why people procrastinate:

1. Not knowing what needs to be done
2. Not knowing how to do something
3. Not wanting to do something
4. Not caring if it gets done or not
5. Not caring when something gets done
6. Not feeling in the mood to do it
7. Being in the habit of waiting until the last minute
8. Believing that you work better under pressure
9. Thinking that you can finish it at the last minute
10. Lacking the initiative to get started
11. Forgetting
12. Blaming sickness or poor health
13. Waiting for the right moment
14. Needing time to think about the task
15. Delaying one task in favor of working on another

Can you identify with any of these excusse  above? I sure can!

 What Are The Effects Of Procrastination?

Procrastination can impact on your health as you may begin to feel stressed and ill when deadlines at work suddenly appear or you realise you have so much to do with so little time to do it.

It could also affect your relationships as your family, friends, clients are not able to rely on you to come through at the right time, if you keep missing appointments or deadlines.

 How To Deal With Procrastination

1) Make A To Do List

Sometimes just thinking about the numerous tasks you have to do in your mind could prevent you from actually doing anything on your list. Hence leading to procrastination.

Write down everything you need to do and then create a prioritized to do list. This will bring more clarity to you and even ginger you to get some work down.

Click the link for a more detailed explanation on how to create a to do list.

 

2) Break complex tasks into smaller manageable tasks

When a task seems complex, you could feel intimidated by it. Determine what smaller steps or activities you need to take to enable you complete that huge task.

For example if you are planning a family event, what activities do you need to do and by when? What resources do you need?

Once you outline the process and the smaller tasks you need to do, you can start working on them bit by bit in order of priority.

 

3) Get rid of the  “Right frame of mind” Myth

Sometimes you tell yourself you have to be in the right frame of mind to work on a project or a task. That tends to happen to me sometimes as well.

However I have come to realize that when once I actually start a task, I find myself in the right frame of mind. I only need to start!

If you keep waiting to be in the right mood for work, it may never come and you will never get anything done.

Like Nike says- JUST DO IT.

 

4) Get rid of distractions

Distraction is a very good friend of procrastination. Some days you realize you spent most of your time, dealing with distractions as opposed to accomplishing your tasks.

Watching TV, emails, social media (facebook, twitter, pinterest) the telephone, etc. can get in our way if we allow them. This is where discipline and focus comes in.

Set an alarm and assign some time (recommended time is about 45 to 60 minutes before you get distracted) to focus on some quality work.

Put your phone on mute; turn off social media/internet, switch of the tv! Yes you can do it…Tell yourself you will not be distracted till you finish the task at hand.

It can be hard I know but practice makes perfect. With time you will be a pro at eliminating distractions and dealing with procrastination.

 

5) Reward Yourself

Once you have completed your task during the allocated time you gave yourself, it is important to reward yourself with something fun you enjoy doing:)

Personally, at the end of the day when I have accomplished my tasks, I reward myself with catching up on a tv programme I like.

You could also take regularly 5 to 10 minutes breaks during the day to catch up on emails, social media or returning that phone call.

 

6) Change Your Mindset

Dealing with procrastination involves you changing your mindset about your priorities and how you view the use of your time.

It may seem like no big deal but by procrastinating, you gradually lose out on success.

In conclusion, it may not be easy to totally eradicate procrastination but knowing the reasons WHY you procrastinate could help you deal with it effectively.

I hope the above points have helped shed some light on how to deal with procrastination at your work, business or home.

Are you a procrastinator? How have you dealt with procrastination in the past?

 

*References Tuckman, B.W., Abry, D.A, & Smith, D.R. (2008). Learning and motivation strategies: Your guide to success (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.