No More Procrastination: Learn to Overcome It!

Hello, my faithful reader. Are you a procrastinator?

Humans have the tendency to postpone important tasks. As Edward Young, an 18th-century English poet and playwright, once said, "Procrastination is the thief of time."

Let me know if some or all these examples resonate with you:

You are about to start an important report, but you notice that your desk is a bit messy. Suddenly, you find yourself organizing drawers, cleaning the keyboard, and polishing the computer screen. Before you realize it, two hours have passed, and you still haven’t started the report. I call this: The Perfect Workspace Cleaning.

How about this one; you need to research a small detail for a project you have been dreading. However, this simple search turns into an endless journey through articles, videos, and related links. What should have been a five-minute search turns into a curiosity marathon. I call this The Deep Google Dive.

This is one of my favorites; In preparation for an important work presentation, you suddenly feel the urge to cook something elaborate. You start with a sandwich but end up preparing a feast worthy of a gourmet chef, all to avoid sitting down and facing the task. I call this one The Emerging Chef.

Everyone goes through this. Whoever says they don’t is lying. We all have a dreadful to-do list that seems to grow by the minute while we find increasingly creative ways to delay the inevitable. But what can we do to overcome this bad habit?

The first step is to identify the moments of procrastination: Ask yourself: When do you find yourself procrastinating the most? Are there specific times of day, certain types of tasks, or situations where procrastination becomes a bigger problem?

Generally, we procrastinate on things we consider tedious or difficult. I hate doing financial reports. So, I find myself doing the craziest things to avoid them, like washing dishes or organizing drawers, but this happens unconsciously. The key is to overcome this impasse. Once I get past it and start, I can get it done.

Procrastination can also happen when it's tied to emotional issues. For example, the death of a loved one. When my father passed away, it took me several months to go through his closet. I had to overcome my grief before dealing with his belongings because the emotional burden made the task unbearable.

Not that I consider myself an expert on the subject, but I will share with you what has worked for me.

I break tasks into smaller parts. Big tasks can overwhelm me. I like to divide them into smaller, more manageable steps. This makes the task less intimidating and helps me build momentum.

I like to set deadlines. Even if the work doesn’t have an immediate deadline, I create one for myself, which helps me focus. I put it on my calendar and treat it like a serious commitment.

I use techniques like Pomodoro. I work for 25 minutes and take a 5-minute break. These breaks help keep my mind fresh, focused, and increase my productivity.

Finally, I reward myself when I finish a task. I personally try not to reward myself with food to avoid gaining weight, but maybe with a foot massage, or watching a show. The important thing is to reward myself for the accomplishment.

Here is the thing: Procrastination is a common challenge for all of us. But with the right strategies, it’s possible to overcome this bad habit. So, start today by identifying when you procrastinate, understanding why, and trying different techniques to beat this habit.

Until the next time!

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