Isn’t it ironic to write about national procrastination week a week after it took place? It amuses me as, like most of us, I can also procrastinate certain tasks and am actually quite good at that at times. Even now, I’m procrastinating. Being home alone, I can watch “The Peanuts Movie”. Yes, I hear you. I should either watch the film or write the post. Focusing on one thing is quicker than working on 2 activities at the same time. Sometime, I too have to revert to doing two things at once. And so procrastination starts.

Why do we procrastinate?

It’s easy! Often, we are overwhelmed, are anxious and don’t know where to start or how to proceed with the next step.  Instead of doing something, we do nothing. Procrastinating is easier than making a wrong move.

Eat that frog.

These are the unpleasant tasks we just don’t want to address. By working on (and, if possible, completing) your most important activity for the day, you are aligned to your priority (notice how I don’t use priorities) and you’ll get that great feeling of achievement. You’ve done it! You’ve taking the first step and every other activity you’ll pursue on that day can only be easier.

Commit.

Does procrastination come from a fear of commitment? I don’t think so, however, it’s easier to commit to doing something for 25 minutes when you following the Pomodoro Method like Jeannel King from Big Picture Solutions confirms. Scheduling 4 hours for a task seems daunting and we’re back at “why do we procrastinate?”

Make a decision.

Procrastination and not making a decision go hand in hand. We avoid opting for a specific decision. Not to choose the wrong option, we’ll remain in “decision limbo”. Our indecisiveness and consequent procrastination is estimated to cost us 15-20% of our annual budget. Isn’t that worth making a decision?

Evaluate how long tasks take.

We often under or overestimate how long the different activities take. Keep a log where you note down the time for each activity. You can then review how much time you had planned and the actual time needed. This will help you when planning your day and scheduling time to work on the various tasks more realistically.

Keep your action list visible.

Writing down all the things you need to do and keeping it visible prevents you from ignoring these undesirable tasks. The constant reminder will eat into your guilt and conscience. The feeling of achievement and seeing the progress will keep you motivated and ready for more.

In the end, I’ve decided I enjoy the Peanuts too much and gave them by full attention. They’re too cute after all!

I’d love to hear for your reasons to procrastinate. What stops you from tackling your tasks and projects? How do you get yourself motivated to focus on unpleasant tasks? Share with me and other reasons what’s working out for you. I’m looking forward to reading your comments!

Until next time,
Agni