How to Overcome procrastination as a habit
Procrastination is a term used to describe the act of delaying or deferring tasks in a manner that has negative impacts on one's plans and target goals.
Some of the major causes of procrastination include indecision, perfectionism, not wanting to fail, poor time management, among other factors. Almost everyone had procrastinated at some point in life, but it may not always be a subject to bother about. Nonetheless, procrastination becomes a serious threat when it happens over and over again thereby becoming a habit.
The dangers of procrastination is enormous. It can lead to loss of opportunities, life regrets, delay in accomplishing one's goals, and can turn one into a lazy individual. You need to kick against procrastination and try to overcome it by all means, and this article gives you the direction on how to beat such habit.
Below are Ways to Combat the Habit of Procrastination
1. Stick to your set goals
In order to overcome the habit of procrastination, always ensure that your decisions align with your goals. By so doing, your goal will always keep you ahead of whatever might cause you to procrastinate. Once you are used to living by your goal and developing helpful goal setting habits, procrastination will become a thing of the past.
2. Become a strict timekeeper
Being strict to your timing is vital for you to be able to beat procrastination. What good time management skill does is making you meet your target goals at the right time. When you are a good timekeeper and adhere to strict time management techniques, overcoming procrastination will become an easy task. You can do this by creating a to-do list that align with uncompromising schedules as well as setting reminders to keep you lively.3. Don't try to be perfect
You can procrastinate because you want to be a perfectionist who does everything without faults. But you don't necessarily need to know it all before you begin.Whenever you want to take up a task, don't be scared of what people might say if you don't do it perfectly, instead bear in mind that practice makes perfect. If you begin, your experience along the way will make you do even better than you would imagine. With this in mind, you will easily overcome procrastination.
Distraction is a great enemy of time management, goal setting and one of the main causes of procrastination. The first thing you have to do is for you to identify what is distracting you. If it is someone in your life, then giving that individual some distance can help.
4. Get rid of distractions
Distraction is a great enemy of time management, goal setting and one of the main causes of procrastination. The first thing you have to do is for you to identify what is distracting you. If it is someone in your life, then giving that individual some distance can help.
Should certain habits in your life, such as watching movies, playing games or other activities make you get distracted from what you are supposed to do, then try as much as you can to avoid such distractions in order to overcome the habit of procrastination. It helps for you to build positive habits that can lead you to success.
5. Discipline yourself
Self-discipline is an important aspect of self-improvement and in this case, a major means to beat the habit of procrastination. This is because lack of self-discipline can make you fall to those things and people that can hinder you from doing the right thing at the right time. Therefore, you must try to discipline yourself against distractions and those lazy feelings that make you keep postponing things you should have done on time.6. Build self-confidence
One of the causes of procrastination is lack of self-confidence. You want to breathe first or give yourself some time because you do not think you can do it. No, build confidence in yourself and take up the task without a second thought. When you keep procrastinating, you are doing yourself more harm because delay can be dangerous and can alter your plans. Building confidence in yourself will help you take on anything thereby helping to overcome procrastination.7. Take every step with determination
Being determined in whatever decision you make can help you combat procrastination. Determination here means being prepared to take it on before you even begin the task. Always be ready to take on the challenge even when success is not feasible. When you are determined, the fear of failure that can make you procrastinate will vanish. When you feel reluctant about making that step and find yourself procrastinating, it is determination that can give you an edge.
8. Practice work-life balance techniques
When you are too occupied by work and other engagements, there can be continuous procrastination that interferes with other important tasks. That makes work-life balance a subject to consider while fighting to overcome procrastination. In this case, what you should do is apply effective work-life balance tips to lessen your workload while also meeting up with other activities on schedule.9. Accept the discomfort
Sometimes procrastination can result from lack of readiness to move away from the comfort zone. In this case, the only way to beat this habit is to change your environment and accept whatever discomfort your new decision might cause you. There are some things you cannot do in your current environment and you have to note if where you are is the reason for your procrastination. When you identify this, then you have no excuse to relocate.10. Learn how to manage stress
Excessive stress makes one feel tired and reluctant to engage in any activity. If you feel stressed, relieve yourself first before you make a step to engage in the next activity. Less stress can offer you the passion to do things when they are supposed to be done and also help you combat the habit of procrastinating.
11. See every moment as an opportunity
Procrastination comes from the feeling, "I'll do it tomorrow or next time" and that mindset can make you keep postponing what you should have done at the moment, thereby turning you into a habitual procrastinator. What you should do to beat such a habit is to always grasp every opportunity and take every moment of your life as the right time to get things done. The truth is that tomorrow is not always promising. That makes it vital for you to indulge in whatever activity you are into on time.12. Consider the danger of not doing it
Procrastination can lead to delay and loss of great opportunities. When you fail to do what you are supposed to do on time, you are losing the growth opportunity and wasting your time as well. If you feel like giving yourself another time before you can take that important step, consider that the more you postpone it, the more you lose what you would gain from it.Conclusion
You can overcome procrastination by merely engaging in a change in lifestyle and building habits that can make you proactive and ready to do things on time. Such positive habits that can help you overcome procrastination include being time-conscious through effective time management, embracing goalsetting principles, taking every moment as an opportunity, and other tips listed here. When you adjust and adhere to the support we offer through this content, procrastination will no longer be a word in your life.
You can overcome procrastination by merely engaging in a change in lifestyle and building habits that can make you proactive and ready to do things on time. Such positive habits that can help you overcome procrastination include being time-conscious through effective time management, embracing goalsetting principles, taking every moment as an opportunity, and other tips listed here. When you adjust and adhere to the support we offer through this content, procrastination will no longer be a word in your life.
Abas Obot
Abasiama Akpan (pen name: Abas Obot) is a creative writer who aims to inspire, inform and educate his audience. His major focus is on human capital development, forged by his educational background, passion, experience, and personal objectives. Founder: Inspired Scoop and Knowledge Trend Media. Social handle @Abasdgreat facebook twitter instagram linkedin email
