PROCRASTINATION: A LOOMING DANGER AND HOW TO STOP IT EFFECTIVELY
Have you ever wanted to do something and suddenly remembered a million other things you had to do? Next thing, it’s the end of the day and your important tasks still remains unfinished.
It’s been said often that “Procrastination is the killer of time.” How is this so and how can we stop it?
Today, we’ll be talking about the dangers of procrastination, what causes it and how it can effectively be stopped.
Procrastination is simply the act of unnecessarily delaying or postponing something, even knowing that there will be negative consequences for doing so.
When we procrastinate, we simply waste the time we are supposed to use in doing something better or invest in something better, doing nothing or less important things. Sometimes, we have thoughts and plans but they end up unfulfilled because we procrastinate. We give excuses in our head. Excuses like “I’m too busy now, I’ll do this later.” Or “There’s all the time in the world for this” and at the end of the day, we end up not not being able to do it.
Personally, I think procrastination is evil and very dangerous. It’s not just laziness or lack of proper time management. It’s knowing you have important things to do which you actually want to do, but for some reasons end up undone. Procrastinators are not just okay with doing nothing, which is why procrastination is different from laziness. Procrastinators want to do important tasks but for some reason, end up doing the less important tasks first.
Time waits for no man and life actually slips away in that little time we tell ourselves, “I’ll do that later”.
Procrastination happens in the unconscious mind, and we might not even realize that yet again, we’ve pushed another task to the future. Procrastination is a barrier, blocking you from doing what you want to do, right there and then.
You might be wondering, even after knowing all these, why do people still procrastinate?
This first reason, which is from my personal perspective is one which has affected me in more than one way and it is Fear of Failure. The fear of failing a task, the fear of doing something and not being good enough at it is a very big reason for procrastination. It can be connected to perfectionism, which is an unwillingness to settle for anything less than perfection. You constantly second guess yourself and ask questions like “what if I do it and it ends up not good enough?”, “What if I do it and I’m not satisfied with the results?” And many other “What ifs” and we end up pushing and postponing such tasks till the perfect moment, which sadly, never arrives.
Willpower, has also been said to be one of the strongest causes of procrastination. Willpower is the unwavering strength of will to carry out one’s wishes. Hence, we must plan to and actually work towards stopping the act of putting things off, try to get that strength, to pull it in when we find out that we lack the strength to do what needs to be done.
Another factor that causes procrastination is not knowing the value of time. People say “Time waits for nobody” a Nigerian singer even used that line in his song once. He said “Time waits for nobody, àsìkò nì gbogbo nkán” which simply means Time waits for no one, time is everything. Show me truer words. Time is really everything and when we continue to put off the important things we have to do, time slowly, yet speedily passes away.
An important way to overcome this particular factor is to keep in mind that Life is Finite and every second wasted is gone forever. Even the Bible in Ecclesiastes chapter 3 stresses on the importance of time. Ecclesiastes 3:1 says “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven” and it goes on and on to verse 9. This just shows us further, that there is a time for everything, so when the time comes for a particular task, it’s best to do it and let it go.
Moving on, we need to set our priorities straight if we effectively want to stop procrastination. Not having a clear view on what your priorities are can make everything seem jumbled up, making us do everything and nothing at the same time.
We need to set our values right, priorities and what not. We need to know what is essential and what is not and filter out what is not. This will help give a clear vision on what’s really important and needs to be done quick.
To overcome procrastination, first, you have to acknowledge and realize that you’re dealing with it.
Having done that, the following steps are steps I follow that work excellently well for me, I believe they would work for you, too.
The first is to know that perfection is impossible to achieve, so do not aim for perfection at all means so as not to set yourself up for unrealistic expectations. You should aim for excellence instead. Do what needs to be done and keep in mind that if you make mistakes, you’ll learn from them and be better. You’d know you made an attempt, you’ve therefore broken the barrier of procrastination over you.
Another important step to take in breaking procrastination is to Build Confidence in yourself. Lots of us have struggled with low self esteem which is why we keep putting off important things to the perfect moment which as I’ve stated above, doesn’t exist.
Be confident in yourself, believe you can do it and start trying to do it, start doing it. Heal from whatever past trauma that’s stopping you from getting it right and regain your self worth. You’re definitely coming out strong.
Procrastinators tend to worry about what other people would say or do, they mostly depend on the validation and approval of other people. Today, surround yourself with positive people and always have a positive mindset. Train your brain to push through the barriers stopping you from doing what you want to. Ignore naysayers, build an optimistic and positive mindset and you’re well on your way to excellence.
This next step, is one I’m guilty of and I want you to pay attention so as not to fall victim. Don’t wait till the last minute! Do it now! Many a time, I’ve deceived myself with the “I work better under pressure” phrase and I’ve pushed important tasks till the last minute when I’ll be overwhelmed and too tired to do anything and again, procrastination strikes leaving the task to the piling stack of “to do later”.
A great way to break this pattern is to Choose priority, set a timer for this, start and after a while, take a short break and go back to it, repeat this and I tell you, it works like magic.
If you’re the type that doesn’t do well with distractions and have been postponing important tasks, start to reduce distractions around you to help you fulfil your dreams. First, set up a quiet workspace around you, reduce your phone notifications or volume or turn off the phone if you won’t be needing it, you can also check out task management apps and do what needs to be done. Don’t forget to take breaks within.
Before I end this, I want you to always avoid negative emotions, avoid having negative mindset and outlook towards your doings. Believe you can do it and work towards it. Set a small portion of time each day or week– whichever works better for you– and work towards what you want to achieve.
The above methods are absolutely tested and trusted. Having seen the dangers of procrastination, make the decision and work towards stopping today.
I wish you all the best life has to offer, and more.
Grace Malik.
