Do you know the real reasons behind procrastination? Have you been very optimistic about your ability to complete a task on a seemingly lax deadline and you think “There’s plenty of time!” so there’s no need to start immediately? When you’re lulled by that false sense of security, time passes and suddenly, you realize that there isn’t enough time after all! It’s not uncommon if this sounds familiar – many of us procrastinate without realizing it. Our rationale is that we work better under pressure when in fact we’re only progressing because we don’t have many choices. Simply because our procrastinated work is rewarded positively through acceptance, this acceptance acts as a positive reinforcement for procrastination and thus, contributes more to continued procrastination. There are several reasons for procrastination.
Of course, it’s difficult to neglect other characteristics that often lead to procrastination. Low self-confidence and the perception that he or she is too busy are very common characteristics. Of course, we cannot neglect using procrastination as an expression of stubbornness or even an inability to cope with pressure.
Once you overcome procrastination, you will realize that there is a feeling of peace of mind, strength, and purpose. This take-charge attitude to combat procrastination can make you feel strong, competent and capable and at the end of the day, less burnt out.
There are several real reasons behind procrastination.
- Difficult – The task seems too difficult to start and we end up avoiding the more complicated tasks in favor of simpler ones. At the end of the day, we’re backlogged with many difficult tasks and no time.
- Time-Consuming – If a task is too time-consuming and takes up large blocks of time, we often push it to the weekend where large blocks of time are usually more available. Counter this by breaking your project or task into smaller chunks to fit into tighter schedules during weekdays.
- Lack of knowledge or skills – because you don’t want to make mistakes, you wait till the very last minute to learn how before you start. Wrong move. If you don’t know how to do something, learn it as soon as possible.
- Fears – Combined with low self-esteem, fear of failing can be attributed to procrastination. Procrastination is a perfect excuse for failing and at the end of the day, the procrastinator doesn’t try too hard.
The simplest cure is to do everything the opposite. Motivate yourself by telling yourself that what you’re doing isn’t too hard, it won’t take too much time and you can learn while you’re working on it. You’ll be surprised – a little bit of self-persuasion can go a long way.
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