How to get out of habitual procrastination
Procrastination can be a life long habit. It is bad if it becomes a way of life. It upsets the life to no end and makes you miss many opportunities as you would get into the habit of postponing all important decisions or duties. This habit is at its peak in early adulthood when all vital decisions need to be taken. It will be on the rise again after 55-60 years.You would be fooling yourself if you wait for mood to do some work, or think that you have all the time in the world that you can postpone it for a day, “tomorrow is another day!” You would be perfecting the art of procrastination if you think that you have many other things to do that you do not have to attend to a particular work.
Steps
If you sincerely want to come out the habit. First tell yourself that you will do certain jobs depending on the urgency. Make a list of the jobs to be done and let it be as long as possible.
short list the important ones that need immediate attention. give priorities to the tasks by marking them a,b,c or 1,2,3.Break a task into two or three bits if it is a bigger one so that you get a sense of achievement which urges you to go forward.
review your list by night and see whether you have completed the tasks set for the day. it may not be very encouraging in the beginning, but slowly you will find that you are able to put off the habit.
take the help of family members, friends and colleagues in reminding you to get out of the habit. You can even try writing in bold letters on a white board as and when you complete a task successfully. It is like patting yourself on your back and it pushes you forward. you can even try rewarding yourself for an important achievement.
Tips
- There is a type called ‘worriers’ in habitual procrastinators.
- They think that if they fail, it will have disastrous consequences. They also fear that if they succeed they will have to maintain higher standards.
- There is another type who try to dodge discomfort. They feel that attending to a task is cumbersome and find an easy way out by postponing.
- Few think that by procrastinating they would be allowing the problem to solve by itself.
- Find out as to which group you belong and try to overcome the habit.
Caution
- Do not expect miracles overnight. Rome was not built in a day !
- Do not be disheartened if you have not completed the list of set tasks for the day. Stumbling and regaining balance is the part of the game.
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