Procrastination

This is a topic all of us can relate to. When someone tells you not to procrastinate, sometimes it can be easier said than done. Looking at what the word means, we are talking about postponing decisions or actions that we know need to be made. We can have a list of ten things to accomplish for the day, and then something less important comes along and snatches our attention. We are left with not accomplishing what we set out to. It does not mean that we are lazy; we are not focusing our energy on what is important.

What Drives Procrastination

Discipline and motivation play a huge role in staying on task. Discipline is simply self-control and enforcing obedience. Knowing I need to lose ten pounds, discipline is not drinking alcohol or skipping desserts. Motivation is also a factor when it comes to procrastination. Internal motivation comes into play when the task at hand is something you enjoy. External motivation is the goal attainment that you receive from accomplishing the task. Sometimes, you need to hype yourself up to perform or reach a goal. If you are not motivated to do something, you are less likely to do it.

How am I feeling? How is my environment affecting me in reaching my goals? If my goal is to finish a college assignment and I have worked nine hours today, it may be unrealistic. You may be exhausted from working, making dinner, or dealing with the kids. This may lead to putting it off for another time, knowing it needs to be done. This is procrastination. Self-care is also an important thing to factor in procrastination. Are you sleeping well, are you eating healthy, or are you stressed?

How Do We Combat Procrastinate?

Ask yourself if the goal you are trying to attain is really for you? Are you doing this for yourself, your family, or because someone else is doing it? Once you have identified this answer, identify what factors lead to your procrastination: time management, lack of focus, or other distractors.

After a little analysis and data collecting, it is time to come up with a plan. What am I going to do to work towards my goal, and what will I do when I identify that I am procrastinating? It would help if you also had a check-in plan. Going back to finishing college, it may be unrealistic to complete a paper at eight at night, but completing a few paragraphs a night may be the compromise. On a Friday or Sunday, look at your check-in sheet and identify what you could accomplish and what areas you procrastinated in. Was there a day you spent an hour scrolling on social media when you could have been productive? These are the hard questions to ask and corrections to be made.

Guess what? We all procrastinate at some point. The main thing is to identify it, combat it, and overcome it. The overall end state is to reach your goal. There are ups and downs during our journey, but we all have a vision.