It's one habit that we all fall victim to, some more than others. Maybe you find yourself always leaving assignments or deadlines to the very last day, or maybe you wait until the very last minute to get up out of bed. We all do it but are you finding yourself procrastinating with most tasks that you do?
Maybe I'm the wrong person to write about this as I can be the queen of procrastinating at times, or maybe I'm just the person as I know the habits and causes so well. The worst part in my experience is knowing quite well that putting off that task will only make it worse. But you willingly choose the easier option of procrastinating at that moment as it seems the easier choice.
Now, there are different types of procrastinators, and figuring out which type you are or gravitate towards is crucial to helping you fix it.
The "I work better under pressure type"
Ah yes this old chestnut, I think this was my motto in high school and university as I truly believed I came up with better ideas when I was under the pump to finish something in a short deadline. The real reason was I genuinely thought that no matter if I did something early or did it later I would still get the same results because even if I did do it earlier I would rush it and try and get it done in one sitting. Sometimes that was correct but if I just started earlier I could research more, go back and edit my mistakes and get it proofread before submitting. Instead, I would stay up late at night before it was due and smash out the whole assignment or finish the rest of it in one go, most of the time finishing at 2 or 3 am.
Tip:
If you're this person you have trouble starting tasks and leave them to the very end, instead try setting small goals of when to have certain parts finished. Or what I ended up doing and what I still do to this day with bills and work tasks is put the due date in my calendar for a few days before the real due date is. That way I simply try to finish it or pay it before that date when in reality it's early and on time. I even have time to go back over my notes or my work if it's very early.
"I just have no energy/tired" person
This is typical in people who work a lot or who have a lot on their plate whether it be social life, work-life, or family. I know it can be hard to come home after a long day at work and to get started on those pesky tasks like the laundry, cooking dinner, or even just general housekeeping tasks but it will need to be done eventually is the main goal to remember. By putting it off we are just telling ourselves, "not today, I'll do it tomorrow", and I am so so guilty of this.
Tip:
I like to tell myself that this is just going on the long list of other tasks I will need to do tomorrow and it's better to just get it done now. Most of the time though I will just cave and put the task aside and get in this bad cycle of putting it off until everything piles up. I found that when I come home from a big day going for a walk or doing something relaxing for a bit helps me unwind for a bit before I do my tasks. Recharge and then continue with your tasks.
The "Can't stay focused on one task at a time" person
Put your hand up if this is you. Do you often find yourself starting new tasks before the old ones have been finished? Or you get bored easily and need to busy yourself with a different task to keep yourself interested (hello Tik Tok anyone)? This is common in people who have trouble focusing, fidget, and get bored easily. This is also very common in people who have ADHD (both mild and extreme) but that's for another future blog (plenty to discuss with this one trust me).
Tip:
This can be a hard one to combat if you are constantly finding yourself bored and uninterested with tasks but what I try to do is to focus on one thing and creating a checklist. Every time I tick something off I feel like I have achieved something. My main tip though is using something as your connector to tasks, for example; music. I find I need music to work or to complete a lot of tasks as it gets me in a better headspace and I'm not distracted by other surrounding elements like people, my phone, or noises. For other people, it may just be writing down reminders to complete one task at a time, or if it's not a great project that isn't going anywhere completely bin it and move on to the next.
The "Overwhelmed and not knowing where to start" type
Very common in people that over-extend themselves and often end up burning out because of it. It's so important to take a step back and assess what are the most important tasks or projects to do first and set yourself small goals. If you feel like all you can think about is the next task whilst you're already doing one it may be time to slow things down
Tip:
I find that if I have a million tasks to complete at work or at home I will create a list and place it in the level of importance and date due, then I move everything else to another list or out of sight so it doesn't affect my current task or list. This way I only see the one task in front of me and it doesn't seem so daunting when I only see the one task at a time. Perfect for the people that always get everything done but feel like they need to do it all at once. Stop, step back, and instead focus on one thing at a time
Obviously, these are just a few of the types of procrastinators out there, but if you can find out why you procrastinate you can help yourself find the real root of the problem and do your best to fix it. These are just tips that have worked for me personally and what I have been researching before writing this. If you have any of your own methods in combating bad procrastinating I would love to know, so please send me a message on here or any of my socials.
T, xx
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