How to Overcome Procrastination
Not being able to overcome procrastination is the biggest setback anyone can face. Procrastinating directly results in not achieving his or her goals. If procrastination is the only thing that’s preventing you from doing what you love, I suggest you put an end to it now. You do not want it to turn into regret later.
Why do we Procrastinate?
Laziness. The first thing that comes to mind when I think of procrastination is a lazy person. You know the person that keeps on putting things off until tomorrow but tomorrow never comes. Maybe that person isn’t lazy, they just deferring doing certain things… certain things they dislike doing like taking out garbage.
Fear. Another reason why someone might delay doing something is out of fear. For example, I put off putting together my resume and cover letter to apply for a new position (the position I currently have). Even though wanted a new challenge for months, I was afraid to be rejected but other employers. The funny thing is that the first job I interviewed for is the job I have now, so I wasn’t rejected. However, I was afraid to quit because I really liked my old job. I actually procrastinated and delayed the process by a day.
Overwhelmed. This is the main reason why I procrastinate doing things, mainly because I do not know where to begin. When a task has too many steps or when there’s missing pieces to the puzzle it can seem overwhelming, therefore, you procrastinate doing it all together. I often get overwhelmed when I sign up for a new course or take on a new project at work.
How to Overcome Procrastination
When I want to overcome procrastination I ask myself why am I deferring the task at hand. Once I identify the problem, the solution is easy.
If I’m feeling lazy, I will try again the next day or a week later, especially if I am low in energy. I also realize that you have to do chorus you hate to make way for the things you love. For example, I really like a clean house because it makes me feel organized and gives me the feeling that I can accomplish anything. I am just not crazy about the process of cleaning. I try to do a little bit each day since I hate doing a large clean-up.
If I am procrastinating out of fear I try to identify what it is that I’m exactly afraid of. Most of us are hesitant towards change or trying something new. There’s also fear of rejection that can be hard on the ego. However, if I am not able to overcome the fear and keep on delaying the action I may put that goal on hold for a while. I’m probably not emotionally or physically ready for it in my life right now.
The best way to defeat the feeling of being overwhelmed is to break down the goal into smaller and more management tasks. Hence, the premise of smart goals for success. The best way to illustrate this is when I was training for my first half marathon in 2009. Obviously I couldn’t go from running 5K to running 21K in day, so I set for myself weekly or bi-weekly goals. I also used this as a measuring stick to mark my progress. You can also use this method to take on any project. This happens to me all the time at work. I break it down by assigning myself daily goals to achieve and before I know it the project has been completed.
How do you overcome procrastination?
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