Introduction
When I was in school, years ago, the first thing I was asked when I came home from school was, “Is your homework finished?” At the time, it was stressful because I knew that my parents knew I had homework, but that I was exhausted from the day and needed a mental break. But now, looking back, I understand what the point of the question was… don’t procrastinate and don’t wait until the last minute to do your homework – get it done now and you won’t have to worry about it later. They were having me practice overcoming procrastination.
This small, but yet, huge moment in my life has had a lasting effect that can’t be understated. It has helped me in every aspect of my life. I want to share in detail what I have learned about overcoming procrastination.
Practice & Discipline
It has been said that “Practice makes perfect”. No, you will never be perfect, but that doesn’t mean we don’t need to strive to be better. Practice helps make everything become natural. Once something becomes routine, you don’t have to worry about it getting done and it will be a weight lifted off your shoulders.
It’s a mindset.
Stopping procrastination is a mindset. You have to be willing to change your thought process and set small goals to help you get there.
Just do it.
Go ahead and get it done so you don’t have to worry about it. When I procrastinate, the more it feels like whatever I need to complete is a burden. This forces me to procrastinate more because there is a negative connotation on it. Whereas, if I just go ahead and complete the task, I don’t have to have it hanging over my head.
Things will go wrong.
If you wait until the last minute, things always seem to go wrong. From uploading an assignment and your internet crashes, if you are a student, to forgetting a tiny piece of paper when going to get your taxes done; these are just tiny examples that do happen and are not fun to deal with – that could have been prevented.
Reminders, reminders, reminders.
One of the ways that I have utilized to stop my procrastination is setting multiple reminders. Eventually, I get annoyed and do it.
Accountability partners are life-saving.
I don’t know about you, but I am extremely competitive and want to do better than someone else. (Sounds harsh, but it is the truth.) This is a tip that I have used in the past and it works. Having someone to keep you on your toes and tell you what they have accomplished gets you motivated to work on it yourself.
This could also be in the non-competitive form, in that, someone could be on your side to help you finish your task. They could be a positive influence and give you encouragement to keep going toward your goal.
Either way, having someone be there for you is important.
Other ways.
I don’t have all the answers of overcoming procrastination, so I would love for you to comment and let me know how you have been successful in creating a productive environment.
