Remember that one task that you are putting off for hours? weeks? months? That one task seems like a burden now? We are going to talk about it today.
Ignoring or delaying a task for a long time is called Procrastination.
Why do we procrastinate?
1. Maybe you aren’t interested- Notice why do you want to do the task in the first place. Are you genuinely interested in doing it? Maybe you don’t want to and that’s why you keep delaying it.
2. Fear of consequences or outcomes- Is the task or decision you are putting off risky? Are there any bad outcomes in your mind that you think will probably happen and prevents you from doing it?
3. Lack of motivation- What keeps you motivated? Is there any lack of motivation in your life recently? Focus on what is stopping you from getting motivated.
4. Lack of clarity- Are you clear about what you are going to do? If not, then it could be a reason for putting it off for the time being.
5. You are overworked- Sometimes people are overworked and they don’t even realize it. They start avoiding doing things subconsciously because they are tired at different levels.
6. Distraction- There could be too much on your plate making you distracted.
7. You lack planning- Lack of planning leads to chaos. In order to avoid chaos, we sometimes avoid everything altogether.
8. Mental Health Issues- Procrastination isn’t a symptom of laziness, sometimes a person is having mental health issues like depression which makes them avoid doing things. If you feel mentally and physically exhausted then get yourself checked by a medical professional and seek therapy.
Procrastination could be a symptom of an underlying problem like depression.
How to combat procrastination.
- Find the root cause of procrastination- Is it depression? Is it being overworked? Find the root cause and solve the problems before deciding on something else.
- Proper planning and implementation- Plan your day a night before, start carrying a planner, it will help.
- Self-motivation- Motivate yourself through positive thinking and by doing things that you love.
- Keeping a progress report- Keeping a progress report is one of the best ways to stay planned and motivated. When you tick off the accomplished tasks you instantly feel better.
- Create a clarity – Be clear about what you want, what you want to do, why do you want to do, etc.
Remember, there is no such thing as laziness, it’s either distraction or a problem piling up since a long time waiting to be solved by you.
You can sort and organize everything by taking baby steps. Be gentle on yourself while being disciplined.
