Ready to conquer procrastination for good? Here’s what you need to know.
From Chronic Procrastinator to Productivity Master
Imagine you have an important report due for work that you’ve been putting off for weeks now. You know you need to get it done, but somehow, every time you sit down to work on it, you find yourself scrolling through social media, watching TV, or doing anything but working on the report.
Days turn into weeks, and you still haven’t made any progress. You keep telling yourself that you’ll start tomorrow, you need a break first, or you work better under pressure. But deep down, you know you’re just procrastinating.
As the deadline approaches, you feel a knot form in your stomach. You know you can’t put it off any longer, but you also feel overwhelmed and anxious about how much work you have left to do. And so, you spend the entire night working on the report, fueled by caffeine and sheer willpower.
But even after hours of hard work, you’re still not satisfied with the results. The report isn’t as polished or well-written as you know it could have been if you had started earlier. You turn it in the next day with a sense of disappointment and regret.
You can’t help but think about all the time you wasted scrolling through social media, watching TV, or doing other unimportant things instead of working on the report. You realize that you let yourself and your colleagues down by not giving it your all.
The weight of this realization is heavy on your mind. You feel sad, stressed, and frustrated with yourself for not starting earlier. You wish you could turn back time and use that wasted time to create a better report.
Procrastination is something that many of us struggle with, whether it’s at work, school, or in our personal lives. We all have important tasks that we need to complete, but sometimes we just can’t seem to find the motivation to get started. It can be caused by a variety of factors, such as fear of failure, perfectionism, or simply a lack of motivation
Research shows that 80 percent of students and 25 percent of adults admit to being chronic procrastinators.
I also have struggled with procrastination in the past.
I used to set my alarm early to go for a run or hit the gym, but the thought of leaving my cozy bed seemed impossible. I would hit snooze and spend hours scrolling through my phone, wasting precious time that I could have spent working out.
This is why I never had enough time to go to the gym in the morning. It felt like an impossible task. But then, I decided to make a change. Instead of wasting time on my phone and hitting snooze, I set my alarm an hour earlier and sprang into action.
I started with simple tasks like making my bed and drinking a glass of water before moving on to more demanding activities like exercising. And you know what? It worked!
The momentum I gained from completing those small tasks carried me forward. I no longer had to spend hours trying to motivate myself to exercise because I was already in motion. This simple change in my routine gave me remarkable results. Not only did I start waking up early, but it also energized me throughout the day.
From this instance, I learned a valuable lesson:
I realized that waking up early wasn’t the hard part, it was resisting the temptation to hit snooze.
Similarly, submitting a report wasn’t difficult in itself, but sitting down to start it was a challenge.
What I discovered was that the main reason we tend to procrastinate is because of the overthinking we do before starting our work. We get so caught up in worrying about the process that we forget about the result.
So the next time you find yourself procrastinating, try shifting your focus to the end result — the sense of accomplishment and pride you’ll feel after completing your task. Visualize yourself finishing the task and relish in the satisfaction of a job well done. It’s a powerful motivator that can help you overcome even the strongest procrastination tendencies.
Then begin your work with smaller and more manageable steps. This approach can help you avoid feeling overwhelmed and build momentum.
Let’s say you want to hit the gym but are struggling to find the motivation to go. Instead of dwelling on the challenge of getting there, focus on the incredible result. Picture yourself shedding pounds, feeling great, and looking your best.
And to build momentum, begin with a manageable routine, set achievable goals, create a workout schedule that suits you, celebrate small successes, and switch up your routine occasionally.
This mental shift will motivate you to hit the gym.
When your mind starts to overthink or fear the task at hand, don’t let those negative thoughts hold you back. Instead, focus on the positive outcomes that await you. You’ll be amazed at how this simple shift in perspective can help you overcome even the toughest procrastination habits.
By the way, if you’re interested in learning more about eliminating procrastination, you might want to check out the ‘3 Keys To Eliminating Procrastination’ (Note: this is an affiliate link) program by NeuroGym.
Remember, the power to overcome procrastination is within your grasp — all it takes is a little bit of effort and a willingness to change your perspective.
