Do you consider yourself lazy because you often delay tasks and projects until the deadline is close? Do you struggle to focus on an assignment and switch to another task that looks more appealing to you? Then you may not necessarily be lazy. Instead, you might be a serial procrastinator.
When a task seems challenging, it’s natural to delay it until the last moment. You may hesitate in taking the first step and put it off. And when you begin working, you may get distracted and switch to another task that would otherwise seem boring such as performing home chores.
But this doesn’t mean you are lazy. After all, you aren’t wasting time. Rather, you are finishing another task that was due for quite long.
There’s a clear difference between pure laziness and serial procrastination. So, let’s find out why people procrastinate and how to stop procrastination.
Why People Procrastinate
Procrastination doesn’t only cause you to delay important tasks. It also affects your physical and mental health. You constantly feel anxious due to deadline pressure. It ruins your productivity and makes it difficult to achieve personal and professional goals.
So, if it is this bad, why do people still procrastinate?
Lack of motivation is a common factor. When you don’t feel particularly positive about the task, you may avoid it.
A lack of clear goals also leads to procrastination. For instance, you may want to learn a new skill to boost your career. But not specifying details makes it difficult to achieve the goal. Also, when you’re not sure if that particular goal can actually improve your quality of life, then you are likely to delay it.
When you set goals, you may feel overwhelmed at times. And it makes perfect sense! You may think the task is too much for you. It’s natural to feel anxious or afraid when you have a big goal. But this fear of failure can make it difficult to begin the task.
Perfectionists often become serial procrastinators too. When you are a perfectionist, you want to produce the best results. You may continue working in an attempt to give even better results. This habit can make it challenging to finish tasks on time.
People with ADHD find it hard to focus on a single task. So, they often switch from one task to another. This leads to procrastination when the task gets boring.
What Happens When You Procrastinate?
Procrastination isn’t good for health. Also, it affects your performance. So, successful people always talk about leaving this habit behind and building a positive mindset.
Here are some dangers of procrastination:
- Procrastination in the workplace makes it difficult to achieve professional goals
- Frequent failure to achieve goals can ruin your reputation
- It can lead to a drop in your salary
- It reduces your earning potential when you are self-employed
- You may develop stress and anxiety
- It affects interpersonal relationships
- When you waste time, you end up missing valuable opportunities
- Also, procrastination lowers your self-esteem
- It makes you unhappy
How to Give Up on Being a Serial Procrastinator
Now that you know its reasons and effects, don’t you want to stop procrastination? Here’s how you can resolve this problem and work towards achieving goals on time:
Prioritize Tasks
It’s easier to get distracted when you don’t have a clear plan of action. So, start with creating a to-do list. Prioritize more urgent tasks. Then give secondary importance to less urgent tasks.
Even if those urgent tasks are difficult or boring, finish them first. This will relieve your mind and you can better focus on finishing the rest of your list.
Be Clear About Your Goals
A common reason why a serial procrastinator delays tasks is that they don’t have clear goals. Thus, you should know why you need to achieve a goal or finish a task. When you understand how a specific goal can positively impact your life, you get a motivation boost.
Set SMART goals for yourself!
For example, if you want to learn how to become a better investor, then set clear goals accordingly. Carefully choose courses or resources you’d need to consult during the learning process. Decide how much time you should spend on learning every day. Also, decide on how to implement the strategies you will learn.
Divide a Goal into Milestones
When your goals seem too big to achieve, you are likely to procrastinate. You may get overwhelmed and delay the task indefinitely. So, make things easier for yourself by breaking down big goals into smaller chunks.
Determine what steps you need to take to achieve this goal. Then work towards them every day. Discipline is the key to staying on schedule for finishing urgent tasks.
Create a Reward System
Whether you are a student or professional, you can face procrastination problem. But work from home procrastination is very much real when you have no supervision.
At such times, you need discipline and motivation to avoid procrastination. Also, appreciate your own efforts. When you achieve a milestone, reward yourself. Even a bar of chocolate can make you happy and promote a positive mindset which is essential to overcoming procrastination.
Remember the Big Picture
When you set long-term goals, you often lose sight of results. If outcomes are too far in the future, you may gradually become a serial procrastinator.
To overcome this challenge, set your eyes on the big picture. Remind yourself about the long-term positive impacts of achieving the goal.
For instance, when you are building a side hustle, you may want to delay certain tasks. This is when you should think about the legacy you can establish with your business. And how it can help you create generational wealth.
Keep Distractions at Bay
When you begin working on an important task, it’s crucial to stay focused. Otherwise, you may procrastinate and engage in another activity that seems more appealing.
For instance, you may spend hours browsing social media sites or checking emails. So, when working or studying, put away distractions to stay focused.
Turn your phone off or keep it away from the work desk. Turning off email tones or social media notifications can also do wonders. Don’t sit close to the television while working. Else you’d feel the urge to tune in to interesting programs.
Accountability is a Must
When you are an independent worker, you often work on your own. While it’s easier to focus when working in seclusion, you are also privy to procrastination.
So, you need a system of accountability even if you work without supervision. Develop a support system for this purpose. Whether you’re a freelancer or have a full-time job, you’d find this approach highly effective.
Ask your close friends or family members to check your progress. They may ask you about your to-do list once a day. This accountability can work as an internal motivation to focus on due projects.
Don’t Be Too Hard on Yourself
It’s fine to procrastinate sometimes. Don’t be too harsh and stop berating yourself. Learn to forgive your mistake of procrastinating in the past.
Accept your mistake and use it as a learning step. Further, encourage yourself to be more punctual and promise not to repeat the same mistake down the road.
It’s okay to take breaks. When things get too difficult, take rest. Engage in another fun activity to refresh your mind. Then you can focus on the important task with a fresh mindset.
Conclusion
Procrastination is a problem that affects your performance and makes it difficult to achieve personal, professional, and financial goals. It ruins your physical and mental health and you can become a serial procrastinator by entering into a never-ending cycle.
So, break this procrastination cycle with your positive mindset. Accept your mistake and grow from it. With a clear and effective strategy, you can give up on procrastination and work towards your goals.