FEMY WAHYUNY

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How Can We Stop Procrastinating?

“Don’t Wait for Opportunity, Create It!”
Procrastination is natural for all of us, but it turns out it's wreaking havoc
on our lives. From lost money to poor health, procrastination steals our time and
peace. I spoke with some of our favorite psychologists and procrastination experts
to learn why it's time to stop procrastinating and where to start.

How can we stop procrastinating?

 Workout why you’re procrastinating

You should know the reasons why you are procrastinating before
you can begin to tackle it. Poor organization can lead to procrastination.
Organized people successfully overcome it because they use
prioritized To-Do Lists and create effective schedules . These tools help
you to organize your tasks by priority and deadline. Even if you're
organized, you can still feel overwhelmed by a task. Perhaps you have
doubts about your ability and are worried about failing , so you put it off
and seek comfort in doing work that you know that you're capable of
completing.
 Recognize that you’re procrastinating

You might be putting off a task because you've had to re-prioritize

your workload. If you're briefly delaying an important task for a genuinely
good reason, then you aren't necessarily procrastinating. However, if you
start to put things off indefinitely, or switch focus because you want to
avoid doing something, then you probably are.
 Adopt anti-procrastination strategies

Procrastination is a deeply ingrained pattern of behavior. This

means that you probably can't break it overnight. Habits only stop being
habits when you avoid practicing them, so try as many of the strategies,
below:

1. Self-forgiveness can help you to feel more positive about yourself and
reduce the likelihood of procrastination in the future;
2. Write down the tasks that you need to complete, and specify a time for
doing them. This will help you to proactively tackle your work;
3. If you complete a difficult task on time, reward yourself with a treat,
such as a slice of cake or a coffee from your favorite coffee shop;
4. If you don't have anyone to ask, an online tool such as Procraster can
help you to self-monitor;
5. Tackle tasks as soon as they arise, rather than letting them build up
over another day;
6. Saying, "I choose to," implies that you own a project, and can make
you feel more in control of your workload;
7. Turn off your email and social media, and avoid sitting anywhere near
a television while you work; and
8. Get those tasks that you find least pleasant out of the way early. This
will give you the rest of the day to concentrate on work that you find
more enjoyable.
 Make the rewards of taking action more immediate
“Only do thing you love while doing thing you procrastinate on.” If
you can find a way to make the benefits of long-term choices more
immediate, then it becomes easier to avoid procrastination. One of the best
ways to bring future rewards into the present moment is with a strategy
known as temptation bundling.
 Design your future action

For example, you can curb your future eating habits by purchasing
food in individual packages rather than in the bulk size. You can stop
wasting time on your phone by deleting games or social media apps. You
can reduce the likelihood of mindless channel surfing by hiding your TV
in a closet and only taking it out on big game days. You can voluntarily
ask to be added to the banned list at casinos and online gambling sites to
prevent future gambling sprees. You can build an emergency fund by
setting up an automatic transfer of funds to your savings account. These
are all examples of commitment devices that help reduce the odds of
procrastination.
 Make the task more achievable

One of ways to make habits easier is to use The 2-Minute Rule,

which states, “When you start a new habit, it should take less than two
minutes to do.” The idea is to make it as easy as possible to get started and
then trust that momentum will carry you further into the task after you
begin. Once you start doing something, it’s easier to continue doing it. The
2–Minute Rule overcomes procrastination and laziness by making it so
easy to start taking action that you can’t say no.