Definition of Procrastination
The dictionary definition of the verb “procrastinate” is “to postpone, put off, prolong.” The word comes from the joining of two Latin words: pro, meaning “forward,” and crastinus, which means “belonging to tomorrow.” Forward it to tomorrow, otherwise known as “I’ll do it later.”
Why Do We Procrastinate?
-To have a long series of obligations that cannot be met.
-To be unrealistic about time.
-To be vague about your goals and values.
-To be indecisive and afraid of making a mistake.
-To have low self-esteem and lack of assertiveness holding you back from becoming productive.
Tips to overcome Procrastination
1). Choosing important tasks
Often we procrastinate on the big tasks by doing small tasks. That helps us feel productive, but in reality we can get a million little things done and have nothing important done.
2). Finding the best time
Some times of day are better for getting your important tasks done than others. It is found that earlier in the day works out best, because as the day goes on things tend to come up that are urgent or that interrupt our plans, and then the important tasks get pushed back further and further, until you put it off to the next day.
3). Single-tasking Best Practices
The best way to do an important task is to single-task.
Close all programs; make sure no tabs or windows are open other than the one you absolutely need.
Turn off all notifications.
Turn off the Internet, or best yet, go to a place where there is no Internet
Have a very important task to do.
Clear your desk.
4). Beating Your Fears
The biggest reason people procrastinate is because of some hidden fear. So, in order to beat procrastination, beat fear here is a list of fears disturb us:
- Fear of the unknown
- Fear of being overwhelmed
- Fear of too much work
- Fear of failure
- Fear of looking stupid
- Fear of too much choice.
References:
Fiore,N.(1989). Overcoming Procrastination:Practice the Now Habit and Guilt-Free Play. MJF BOOKS, NEW YORK
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