5 Practical Ways to Overcome Procrastination
According to statistics, 80%–95% of college students procrastinate at some level, while 50% consider it to be a problem.
Another study shows that 53% of high school students, 53% of undergraduate students, and 61% of graduate students are frequent procrastinators.
Procrastination is a huge factor that prevents you from getting the life you deserve. It's commonly found in the younger generation.
In this post, I will go into more detail about Procrastination and ways to overcome it.
Let's get started.
What is Procrastination?
Merriam-Webster defines procrastination as, "To be slow or late about doing something that should be done: to delay doing something until a later time because you do not want to do it, because you are lazy, etc".
Here's a simpler definition:
"Trouble persuading yourself to do the things you should do or would like to do."
When you struggle to do something you're supposed to do, then there's a high tendency to procrastinate. Everyone procrastinates.
For some people, procrastination occurs when they are stressed or overworked and decides to postpone their task. While others struggle with starting a task, so they always fall back to doing nothing.
Either way, procrastination is a big barrier. It makes you leave out the important things for meaningless things. This can lead to feelings of regret and guilt.
Reasons to Stop Procrastinating
Here are some of the reasons why you should try to overcome procrastination.
Procrastination ruins your productivity.
It leads to poor mental and physical health.
It damages your decision-making capacity.
It negatively affects your performance.
It leads to stress and anxiety.
Now that you're aware of the negative implications of procrastinating. Let's look at the 5 ways you can overcome it.
Ways to Overcome Procrastination
1. Manage your time wisely
I guess you are familiar with these popular quotes:
"Time is money" "Time waits for no one" and "Lost time is never found again."
Time is priceless. It is the most valuable commodity on earth. Using your time for irrelevant things when you have important things to do is a very bad decision to make.
When you use your time wisely, you can get more things done, and stay energized, and you will also have time left to have fun or do the things you enjoy.
Learn to manage your time wisely. Do the important things first. Don't overwhelm yourself with a long list of tasks to do. One technique I use is, picking the 3 most important tasks to accomplish for the day.
I stick to accomplishing them, and when I do, I give room for something else. Get a time management technique that works for you and stick to it.
2. Be disciplined
If you want to stop procrastinating, then you have to be disciplined. You need a lot of self-discipline to fight this. I've not seen anyone that overcame procrastination without self-discipline. It won't work.
If you've set aside some tasks to accomplish for a day, be disciplined enough to block out anything that will stop you.
Remember the reason why you need to finish that project, assignment, or any other important task. Don't succumb to making excuses, rather let self-discipline help you make the right choices.
Say No to excuses and distractions!
3. Plan your day
Always plan your day. Before you go to bed, write down everything you'll do the next day. Have a to-do list of all your tasks for the day. Remember, don't overwhelm yourself with a long list. Having a long list might cause you to procrastinate. Avoid it.
Organize your day. Schedule your tasks accordingly, and put the most important ones first. Set an alarm if possible to remind you of the time to start a particular task.
Don't fall for the temptation to use the snooze button. This is where having discipline comes into play. Make your day always count.
4. Have an Accountability Partner
Having an accountability partner will help you stay accountable. Your accountability partner can be your friend (procrastinators like you preferably), or even a close family member.
I mentioned having a friend who is also a procrastinator because you both will have to fight this together and stay accountable to each other. You can study together, discuss what you've done for the day, and also reward yourselves together. You'll end up enjoying yourselves in the process.
5. Reward Yourself
When you complete a task, reward yourself no matter how little. Buy something, watch a movie, go for a walk, etc. Do something you enjoy doing.
Here's a little secret; rewarding yourself is an opportunity to do those things that you love.
When you complete a task, you can reward yourself with either replying to messages on social media, watching a movie, buying yourself an ice cream or whatever it is that you enjoy. All you need to do is pick ONE reward for every completed task.
Got it? Great!
Let's recap
Procrastination is the reason you leave out the important things you want to accomplish to the irrelevant ones.
Here are the 5 ways you can overcome procrastination:
Manage your time wisely
Be disciplined
Plan your day
Have an accountability partner
Reward yourself
If you're a chronic procrastinator or you procrastinate a lot, don't beat yourself for it. Be nice to yourself and go get started now!