Everyone occasionally postpones execution of a task. If, however, such a practice becomes chronic, you risk not only sanctions for not meeting your obligations: both your mental and physical health may be impaired. Procrastination is not just a problem of lazy people and workers who lack motivation or organisational skills; it often applies also to perfectionists who set too high expectations for themselves.
There are various reasons for procrastination. So if you want to get rid of this tendency, you must first understand why you are procrastinating. Only then can you choose appropriate solutions. Psych Central highlighted the following typical reasons for procrastination and the best solutions.
1. You don't like an activity
The task seems too boring or difficult to you. This is a very common reason for procrastination. How can you overcome it? Be aware of your negative thinking and consciously try to look at the positive side of the task. You can learn something new and, moreover, it will usually not take as much time as you think.
2. You can't organise your time
A basic rule of time management says you should do the most challenging task as the first of the day. It also helps when you set aside specific time frames for specific tasks. Use only one calendar and one to-do list. Give yourself a small reward for each completed task.
3. You have too many tasks
In this case, you should improve your ability to refuse tasks that need not be completed by you. You can also save time by putting together a plan on how to handle your tasks more quickly.
4. You don't believe in yourself
We often postpone tasks because we doubt our ability to fulfil them. If this is your problem, you should remind yourself of your past successes and focus on the process of the task, not just the expected result.
5. You get easily distracted
Try to spend one day mapping out what distracts you the most. Identify the most problematic disruptive elements and remove them. If it is not possible to remove them completely, at least make it as difficult as possible for yourself to start engaging in activities that divert your attention. For example, you can remove the batteries from your TV remote control or hide your mobile phone in a drawer.
6. You are a perfectionist
Perfectionists procrastinate because they are afraid of failure and criticism. They spend too much of their time trying to make things perfect but it often happens that they lose track of priorities and wallow in details. Only one thing can help here: consistently ask the question whether your tasks must be done absolutely perfectly. The answer will usually be no; it is enough just to be good.
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