Get
Over Procrastination and Start Living Your
Life
So you have recognized that you have a problem, finally.
Procrastination has taken over your life, and you want it
back. As difficult and impossible as it may seem, it is
achievable. Approach a counsellor or a therapist for help,
and don’t forget that the best person to help you is
yourself.
First, you need to identify the cause of your
procrastination. Is there a reason why you are not turning in
your assignments on time? Or perhaps there is a reason why
you are always late for work, and your projects are always
not as good as they could have been? More often than not,
people procrastinate not because they are lazy, but because
of some other reasons. For example, a student could be afraid
to work hard because they failed an assignment they slogged a
month for. This could lead to the fear that they are simply
not good enough, and they reason that if they don’t put in
the effort, they will not find out if they are dumb.
Similarly you could be dreading work due to emotions of
anger. Perhaps your previous project was well done, but your
manager stole the credit for it completely. This could lead
to feelings of resentment and unwillingness to put in your
best effort.
Once you have identified the reasons behind your bad habit,
you have to confront these fears before you can overcome
them. Speaking to a counsellor or a therapist can help you to
uncover the underlying reasons for your procrastination, and
help you to improve your self confidence. They can also
provide you with the best suited method or possible pitfalls
you may face to help you overcome procrastination and gett on
with your life.
Secondly, you need to take action. It is not enough to
recognize you have a problem, and identify what it is. Now
that you know, you have to take steps. If you find yourself
often forgetting appointments and deadlines, get a notebook
or a diary and jot down all the important dates and tasks as
they take place everyday. Make this a permanent habit, and
ensure that you check it everyday to ensure that you are well
on schedule to completing your work in time.
Do not give in to the temptation to place the responsibility
on the diary or planner. It is there to help you remember, it
is not a cure all. In other words, owning a diary is not
going to help you suddenly remember or complete your task.
The onus is on you. Avoid buying multiple notebooks or
planners, as this will cause you unnecessary confusion. It is
also a good excuse to “forget” because you looked in the
wrong planner.
There are many reasons why people start to procrastinate, and
once you have identified the cause, you should work with your
counsellor to draw up a reasonable plan to overcome your
problem. If your issue is with poor time management, learn to
plan your day realistically to complete tasks. If on the
other hand you issue is with prioritization, or the lack
thereof, that is not going to help you. You will need to
segregate your tasks based on their level of importance and
do what is important first.
Be realistic with your expectations and your solutions, and
persevere! Just like habit takes time to build up, it also
takes time to overcome.
Greg Frost is a positive coach and believes in taking action.
As the founder of http://www.Stop-Procrastination.org
, he helps people in
finding their true self and stop procrastination. Take action
today and change your life.