getting naked with procrastination
Procrastination is a universal struggle. Often blown off as laziness or a lack of giving a fuck. For whatever reason deemed we all do this detrimental cycle in one form of another.
Dictionary definition:
pro-cras-ti-na-tion |prəˌkrastəˈnāSHən, prō-|
noun
the action of delaying or postponing something: your first tip is to avoid procrastination.
In all honesty I don’t procrastinate. I go the other extreme and smash it out as quick and messy as possible to leave as much room for pleasure as I can. I think the term for this is “pre-crastination”.
But isn’t this just a inverse form of procrastination? Or maybe I’m just trying to be a part of the procrastinators team. If I’m being honest I’ve never procrastinated bad. The worst recent one was that I procrastinated taking my 4 library books back to the library for 2 whole days. That’s a $2 late fee. Yep, I’m out of control. I might not be a serial procrastinator or really understand what this is all about but I do see the people I around me do it and I was intrigued. So I’ve done my research.
The Science Behind Procrastination:
As Amy Spencer explores, there is legitimate science behind procrastination. The human brain is actually wired for procrastination. It makes sense. We’re wired for pleasure and to avoid suffering. Procrastination is such a relatable, universal thing.
The lymbic system in the brain is the unconcious part that includes the pleasure centre. The prefrontal cortex is the internal planner. Procrastination is the product of the fight between the two.
The Limbic system is stronger and older than the prefrontal cortex. It is also on automatic. It tells you to, say, pull your hand away from a flame — and also to flee from unpleasant tasks. In other words, it directs you to opt for “immediate mood repair,” (1)
The prefrontal cortex is a feebler and newer part of the brain. This is where decisiveness occurs and information is integrated. Another interesting fact is that “This is the part of the brain that really separates humans from animals, who are just controlled by stimulus,” (1)
The habit is not cured by simply understanding why one procrastinates. The way to beat procrastination is often to trick yourself into it.
Other Brilliant Articles:
Tim Urban does a really interesting Ted Talk (link below) on procrastination where he talks about 3 characters in the brains of procrastinators and how these 3 interplay. One of these is the instant gratification monkey. This is the guy that is responsible for weird youtube spirals.
Adam Grant wrote an article for the New York Times called “Why I taught myself to procrastinate”. He talks about procrastination being a virtue for creativity. This article is where I learnt the term pre-crastination. He reveals that procrastination encourages divergent thinking. The ending rules.
Here’s our video on Procrastination: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPxnPQPGCNrRVlNLcgZoz0A
Tips to Beat Procrastination:
1. Choose ONE THING and commit to it.
2. Do the worst thing first.
Like when you were a kid and used to eat the broccoli before the good stuff. Why? People’s willpower source is limited and needs recharging. Use your strength on the toughest parts.
3. Cut the tasks into pieces.
Being overwhelmed by a big task is often the reason we put something off to the very last moment. The best way to beat this overwhelm is to divide the task up into tiny do-able pieces and attack them one by one.
4. Make yourself accountable to someone.
It’s easy to get sucked into letting yourself down. But letting someone else down is harder.
5. Do a power hour
It’s just an hour. Smash it out. Get it over with. You will be awed by how much you can get down in a power hour. A power hour is a way of framing time up differently.
6. Be self aware — what are you affraid of?
Procrastination is often a result of unconscious fear. Fear of failing, of not understanding the task, of making a fool of yourself. Figure it our. Expose it.
7. Take breaks
But time yourself. Have a snack. Get outside. Breathe. And return to productivity.
8. Use pleasure as an incentive, not an escape.
Pick something you love to do only once finished. This can be a great motivator.
Note that you’re not in it alone. Humans are master procrastinators. We’re all doing it in one way or another. Be aware. Alter you behaviour. Trick yourself. And get shit done.
April Porter X
For more information visit the links below:
Adam Grant — http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/17/opinion/sunday/why-i-taught-myself-to-procrastinate.html?_r=0
Amy Spencer — http://www.realsimple.com/work-life/life-strategies/time-management/procrastination
Tim Urban — http://waitbutwhy.com/2013/10/why-procrastinators-procrastinate.html(Ted Talk below)
