PROCRASTINATION

PROCRASTINATION

Procrastination is the irrational postponement of tasks. There are times when using or even otherwise, one makes appropriate decisions to delay tasks. Many of us, however, postpone projects for irrational reasons and without strong justification – this is procrastination. You can feel it when you do, and it feels awful. But if it feels so bad, why do you continue to do it? It is a behavior pattern that can have emotional roots and may result from one or all of the following reasons:

1. Poor time management skills that make it difficult to have the appropriate amount of time to devote to the task at hand.
2. Low tolerance for the hurdles that you may have to overcome to complete the task.
3. Hostility towards others, which may affect your ability to embrace the task whole heartedly.
4. Low self-esteem created by past unrealistic goals that could not be met.
5. Displaced blame which occurs when an individual puts off a task until the last minute so that he/she can blame others for flimsy reasons to protect his/her ego.

Procrastination carries many consequences, some of which include guilt, stress, anxiety, incomplete work, inferior results, and failure. The most consistent result is that incomplete tasks accumulate, leading to more procrastination, more unfinished tasks, and more stress.

What causes us to Procrastinate?

1. Over-Aversion to Discomfort. Much of the work needs effort to get started and can be demoralizing difficult to complete. It is as though you are never breaking through the "pain barrier" to the comfort beyond.
2. Lack of Self-Confidence. Facing up to a complex task or to a pile of demanding revision is never easy.
3. Getting Overwhelmed. You may get more and more overwhelmed until you put off starting the work altogether. Similarly if you have got all your work in a muddle, you may not know how to start getting it back in order.
4. Unrealistic Expectations. Unrealistic ideals can lead us to shy away from the completion of the task and leaving everything to the last moment we can keep alive the hope that we really could get in everything if we just got started.
5. Resentment. In situations where we feel wronged or let down or coerced but we cannot clearly see who is to blame, it is natural for us to express our resentment by not doing the work which is asked of us. It is a sophisticated form of sulking.
6. Habituation and Lifestyle. If you have become totally used to putting things off, it can be immensely difficult to take the first step towards breaking the habit.
7. Depression. Inability to concentrate and lack of motivation can be a symptom of depression like sleeping problems, lack of energy and appetite, and weepiness.

Five Tips for Combating Specific Roots of Procrastination:

1. If you have Poor time management skills always break down large tasks into smaller ones. Be sure to acknowledge your strengths and limitations and be realistic when setting these goals, which may help you to alleviate or avoid unnecessary anxiety. Finally, use any unplanned events to re-evaluate your goals and objectives. Shifting goals requires less effort than avoiding them.
2. If you have Low tolerances; remember that your short-term struggles make up your long-term goals. You may have a low tolerance for commuting from one place to other to do the task on a work day but not on Saturday. Focus on the big picture!
3. If you have Hostility; focus on the learning. You are simply not going to like every situation but you can always learn something from it.
4. If you have Low self-esteem; remember that habits are hard to break. Procrastination stems from habit. New habits will be needed, and these take time and commitment to develop. Don’t set yourself up for failure by assuming you can change a habit overnight. Forget about past procrastination lapses and focus on completing one task on time and without procrastination stress. Confidence gained through each completed task will allow you to complete additional tasks. Remember it usually takes two weeks to make or break most habits.
5. If you have displaced blame; remember success have little or nothing to do with happiness and should be treated as such, and not as a measuring stick of your worth as a person. A key factor in coping with procrastination is directing attention off you and on to the task at hand.

Five Tips for Combating Procrastination in General:

1. Just start reading B.B or other AA literature; Read one paragraph/page. Work for five minutes and accomplish as much as you can. Use any small intervals of time to read through passages or to complete small tasks or parts of tasks. But once you’ve begun it, there’s suddenly less to finish.
2. Enlist a study partner to participate in your work. Designate a specific time each week for meeting your partner so that it becomes part of your routine.
3. Do not remain silent. Tell other people your deadlines and encourage them to check up on you. Peer pressure in this instance is a good thing.
4. Learn techniques to enhance learning skills or any other skills that may need improvement. The learning of Time Management also provides information on strategies to enhance your learning and maximize your time.
5. Reinforce your objectives and goals. Develop a clear mental picture of the completed task and remind yourself how good you’ll feel when you’re finished.

Procrastination is our enemy, we can be who we want to be if we know then we must show that we are part of a tomorrow.

Probably every one of us has tried to avoid some unpalatable task at some time - it is a natural human reaction. We all have our own preferred way of working. If letting the tension build up a bit before you get started works well for you, then there is no reason you should change. However if you get increasingly behind with your work and end up feeling wretched about yourself the, of your course the problem needs addressing.

Sign and Symptoms of procrastination:

1. Difficulty in making a start on a piece of work or revision.
2. Craving diversion, Are you easily distracted from your work by friends and social opportunities?
3. Ineffective working.
4. Last minute rushing .Is all your work finally done at a breakneck speed the night before the final deadline or the exam?
5. Missed deadlines. Do you feel you are always requesting extensions and making excuses?
6. Nagging guilt. Is your social and relaxation time spoilt by the continual feeling that you ought to be working?
7. Disappointment and self-reproach. Do you feel you are letting yourself down by putting things off? Do you think of yourself as lazy? Do you compare yourself unfavorably with others because of your procrastinating? If you answer yes to many of these questions, you may well have developed the habit of putting things off.

Breaking the Habit of Procrastinating:

Visualize what you could achieve. Imagine having all your work done before the deadlines without a guilty conscience, and without panic. Does it seem like an improvement you would welcome? Try and work out what particular thing stops you working; then try any of the following which seem appropriate.

Do Something ... Anything ... Now. Do not wait for the moment to be right before you start work. Learning to get started without ceremony is one of the main skills of time management.

Don't Stop Because Something Is Difficult. If you come up against an obstacle, look for a way round it. It is important not to just put everything on hold when you meet a problem since the problem will then never be solved.

Make a List and a Timetable. List what you have to do and estimate how long it will take. Then draw up a plan to represent the next few weeks, mark the deadlines and fit everything in.

Arrange your Work in an Achievable Way. Give yourself generous time off in your timetable. This can be a reward if you do well and can be used to complete work if a totally unexpected event has thrown you off course.

Don't Aim for the Impossible. Work out realistically what standard you can achieve and start working towards that.

Consider your Lifestyle. It is difficult to work in an organized way if you tend to sleep in an unplanned way and so cannot predict when your day will start. Staying up late then sleeping late becomes a difficult cycle to break. Alcohol or drug use are simply slowing you down. Aim to Get More Organized. The more you can focus your mind, the better you will perform.

Take Action about anything you really cannot stand especially:

            a) Do not procrastinate to attend a meeting.

            b) Do not procrastinate to do the steps especially 4th step.

            c) Do not procrastinate to look for a sponsor.

Find Help if Needed