Procrastination is risky.
Whether it results from fear, laziness, or a medical condition, you have a deadline fast approaching and somehow you find yourself doing unnecessary things like checking social media, checking your mail, or watching a movie while you should be working.
Sometimes you know you should be working but you find you are just not in the mood to do anything.
That is procrastination at work.
What is procrastination?
The phrase “procrastination” refers to routinely delaying or putting off tasks. In the words of Edward Young, procrastination “is the thief of time; it steals year after year until all have departed.”
The thing about procrastination is that it leaves you with so much to do and so little time to do them. You end up being pressured to meet deadlines.
Abraham Lincoln said, “You can’t avoid tomorrow’s responsibilities by avoiding them now.”
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Different types of procrastinators
There are different types of procrastinators, determined by their reasons for procrastinating:
The Perfectionist
Perfectionists procrastinate because they pay attention to the weirdest and tiniest details. They are afraid to start because they obsess over every detail.
The Dreamer
Dreamers enjoy making plans rather than taking action. They can sit for hours concocting plans, but they drag their feet when it’s time to work.
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The Avoider/Self-Saboteur
The avoiders love to just avoid tasks. It’s in the name. Sometimes, it’s out of laziness, and other times, because they are unsure of their ability to carry out the task.
The Panic Maker
These ones enjoy the thrill of a deadline. They would rather put tasks off till the last minute, just so they can get the rush. They believe they work best under pressure and so they would rather wait till pressing is pressing their necks.
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The Busy Bee
This type of procrastinator are people who easily get overwhelmed. They have issues prioritizing tasks, therefore things pile up for them to do. And in the end, they just postpone making decisions or ignore them completely.
How to beat procrastination
The good thing though, is that there are ways to break the cycle of procrastination and meet deadlines. Keep reading to find out.
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Break your work into little steps
One of the reasons we procrastinate is that we subconsciously find work overwhelming. A task will look like a lot if you do not break it down.
Think about what you need to do; if possible, write it down. Then break the work into smaller parts and focus on one thing at a time. You’ll find that you are checking off processes as opposed to doing the whole chunk of work at once.
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Reduce the number of decisions you need to make
This is such a pro tip to fight procrastination.
Having to make decisions takes a lot of energy whether we know it or not. And it subconsciously gives our already lazy brain a reason to say ‘nope, I’m tired today’.
And we don’t want that.
Reduce the number of decisions you have to make during a given day. Better yet, make those decisions ahead of time.
Another way to defeat this is by creating habits around certain areas of your life to boost your effectiveness. This will prevent you from draining your energy by thinking about whether to do them or not.
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Finish your day before it starts
This is a build-up from the last point.
One great way to escape the clutches of procrastination is to plan your day ahead. Every night before you go to bed, itemize your tasks for the next day. This will do two things.
One, you get to drain yourself right before going to bed, which will make you sleep deeper. Two, you wake up the next day ready to jump into the day since you already know what you want for the day.
Stop complicating things
If you are the type to overthink, then you probably tend to procrastinate as well. Let me explain.
As an overthinker, you are waiting for the perfect moment, the perfect platform, and the hows and whys of everything. Apart from this being draining, there is NEVER a perfect time.
So stop complicating things and get to your work.
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Time yourself
Set a timer. Especially if you are the type who gets easily distracted or you have a short attention span.
Timing yourself will help you know that you are not doing the task forever. You know you will stop soon and that will motivate you to focus and get things done.
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Reward yourself
Once you get a part of your work done, reward yourself.
You can get a light snack, or ten minutes of social media – please don’t stay there. Or just rest your brain for a bit.
Then set another timer and go again.
Take breaks
All work and no play make you a very grumpy person.
Take breaks between your work. When your timer goes off, take time to rest. Breaks can also be something to look forward to for those with a short attention span.
Get a motivation buddy
Accountability is important.
Get someone who has their own set of goals and is willing to be accountable to you as well. You don’t have to have the same goals; sometimes it might be better to have different goals so you are not bored and you have different priorities to focus on.
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Conclusion on how to beat procrastination
At the end of the day, beating procrastination to meet deadlines is all about taking action. You need to be able and willing to work on yourself and do the work.
Identify the type of procrastinator you are and incorporate ways to help you boost productivity in your routine. Choose techniques that work for you and employ them to be more productive at work.
In no time, you’ll find that you are constantly meeting deadlines.
