Hi,
I’m Lami, and I am was well seasoned in procrastination.
I’m glad to announce that I have been able to curb the habit of procrastination so much so that it now rarely interferes with my daily activities. See how I did it.
I thought it would be a grand idea to dedicate a whole post to “The Art of Procrastination” because, you know, it’s kinda my thing. What is more? It is was my favourite bad habit.
Procrastination keeps my skin fresh and my mind free of present worries. These crappy things called deadlines, expectations, responsibilities… and “life” *bored face, hinder me from procrastinating peacefully. These things keep lingering at the back of my mind and no matter how hard I try, I can never make them totally disappear. They are the bane to my procrastination!
The Merriam Webster Dictionary says that “to procrastinate” means,
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, e.t.c.
That definition is for some of us who might still be unsure of what ‘procrastination’ really is.
In simpler terms, it’s when you know you should TOTALLY get something done, but you TOTALLY ignore what you need to do for something else that may or may not be important. As a pro, therefore, I can identify many items (AKA: excuses) that uphold procrastination.
1. Fear. Uncertainty. Doubt
I can boldly tell you that more often than not, procrastinators like myself procrastinate because we are afraid. Afraid of what exactly? I can mention a few things.
Not getting it right.
This is a huge one for me because I happen to love perfection. I like when everything is in place, has a high standard, and is ready for use. For example, before I begin an article, I create an outline. While this is good, it also facilitates the likelihood of me wasting my own time. So, if the outline isn’t “just right”, I would not start till I get everything in place (plus reference materials, and the likes). This has held me off completing or even starting a lot of things.
However, now that I have grown in so much wisdom and knowledge (I’m cringing too), I know that things don’t have to be perfect before I do them or put them before the public. As Nike says, “just do it”. For writers and creators of any kind of art, “just start”. The rest of you can go and get your motivation from me (you didn’t expect this). Nevertheless, as simple as the words, “just do it” or “just start” sound, they actually work. I’ve adopted them on different occasions and found myself doing really well and achieving the perfection I desired.
The eyes of the world.
The shakes of heads. The piercing stares. I am very aware of judgments (especially the silent ones). I think a lot about what people would think about me. This is quite silly because I know that I can’t control other people’s thoughts of me. Nevertheless, I still allow myself to be constantly held back by people’s judgment, or rather, my assumptions of people’s judgment. The fear of judgment (especially the silent ones) haunt me in advance, and I just postpone what I am supposed to do for so long until it becomes inevitable that I do it or until time runs out.
Starting this blog is an example of my habit of procrastination. It took me about a month to muster up the courage to just start. I used to think it was shyness, but I found out recently that it might be anxiety. To tackle this, I sometimes do shocking and weird things just to put myself out there and work myself through all my assumptions of judgment. You can try that, but it’s kinda pointless. Just be yourself…even if you think you’re weird.
The fear of nothing.
This is a real thing, ladies and gentlelads. It IS REAL. So, how can you get rid of this? Tell yourself that there is nothing to fear and take the nose dive.
2. There’s always enough time. The next hour? Next day? The next year? Next century?
There’s always enough time. This is the mind-set of ‘we procrastinators’ have. News flash, my fellow procrastinators: THERE IS NO TIME! There really isn’t. Time flies. In the blink of an eye, ten hours will come and go, the next day will pass by, and a whole week will poof by. Time waits for no human, folks. Also, don’t let your quest for the “perfect time” to do something slow you down.
3. Being Whelmed, Overwhelmed, and ‘Underwhelmed’.
Sometimes when I have so many things to do, I feel so pressured that I become confused about what to even start with. I then try to take some moment to catch my breath, and that moment could end up lasting for 1 minute to 2 years. I prioritize my intended activities to tackle this. However, like with the outline for my articles, I spend too much time on this still (sometimes). It is always better to prioritize a day’s task the night before. Also, acknowledge that you are not a superhuman that can do 1001 things in a day. Do the little you can, and leave the rest for some other time.
Conversely, I usually feel underwhelmed too. This happens when I don’t have or can’t think of what to do. In such cases, I feel relaxed and neglect the things I’m supposed to do because I’m not in the mood. Being underwhelmed could also be a result of not having a focus or being disinterested in the task ahead of me. (Aside: Let me switch the second person pronoun. I feel like I’m talking too much about myself). You can combat this by doing things that interest you. In cases where you’re stuck with uninteresting things, think about fulfilling your duties, being a good person by keeping your words (if you promised to help someone with something), or how impactful the end result would be.
4. Social media. Other important stuff. Food. Sleep.
Distraction comes in all shapes and sizes. It ranges from all kinds of important to unimportant things. Distractions can be difficult to banish.
Knowing all these reasons for procrastination would help you determine how to tackle procrastination from different angles. What are the reasons you procrastinate? Dear readers, the main thing procrastination does is to waste your time.
Don’t fall for it. Do it now, do it anyhow, just start, just do it!
Tips to help you overcome procrastination.
However, there isn’t really a hard and fast rule to overcoming procrastination.
Be determined to stop procrastinating.
In truth, this is all you need; a restructured mind-set. Is unproductivity not tiring?
Be accountable to yourself.
You could achieve this by starting a to-do list, a time journal, or an achievement book. You could also go digital! Use applications that reward you for completing your tasks. Habitica is a good one.
Be accountable to someone else.
Sometimes, we ‘whine’ ourselves. LOL. Who are you deceiving? Anyway, having someone else to report to would dissuade you from procrastination. Guys, please let the person be someone who has your best interest at heart, not someone who is looking for a partner-in-crime.
Don’t multitask.
Doing more than one or two things at once is really just you shooting yourself in the leg. If you get distracted easily, it is worse. I’m an example. I get super confused and overwhelmed when I have to focus on too many things at once. I tackle this by doing and completing one or two things at a time. Also, I time myself so I would not waste too much time on one thing.
Make your tasks interesting.
For me, I don’t enjoy doing laundry. I make this less of a burden for me by sorting my clothes by color and texture. I also listen to some music, and in no time, I would be done.
Don’t be afraid.
Don’t let fear, uncertainty, distractions, and other vices keep you from doing all that you need to do. Keep in mind that no one will do it for you. Also, the more you allow yourself to procrastinate, the harder it becomes to resist it. Take charge of your life now and be the best you can be.
Fun fact
I procrastinated a thousand and five million times before I completed this article. I must have mentioned before that my articles are as much for me as they are for you, so I read them now and then to improve on myself (if I haven’t said that before, I am saying it now).
Sooooo, I hope you learn/t from this.
TTYL,
Lami.
I feel like “gist” is a Yoruba word. Do you?
POV: This article was written in 2018 and was posted on my old blog