Procrastination is an issue that plagues everyone, and we’d be better off if we chose to confront it now, rather than later, writes Jason Osborne
From schoolchildren who put off doing their homework for hours, to politicians who avoid addressing pressing issues and everyone in between, procrastination is an issue that affects us all. In college, I spent countless hours putting off essays that I’d have been better off just sitting down and doing. One particularly grim occasion comes to mind, which saw me sit down to do an essay in the evening, completing it only as the sun rose the next morning – and most of the intervening time was not spent writing.
Speaking in the context of procrastination, we have the misfortune to be born into a time when it’s easier than ever before to put things off, smartphones and laptops bringing more content to our fingertips than we could read, view or listen to in a million lifetimes or more. Of course, people always have and always will find ways to distract themselves from doing what needs to be done – but we have particularly efficient means of distracting ourselves these days, especially if our work necessitates our sitting at a laptop or computer all day.
Are we to abandon ourselves to procrastination? Writing it off as a necessary part of being human? While we will undoubtedly always live with it to some degree, being humans and not robots, there are ways to ensure it doesn’t waylay us too severely. But first, a line ought to be drawn between procrastination and plain, old laziness.
What is procrastination?
Procrastination is understood as an active process. It’s when you choose to do something else, knowing full well that you have a task to be doing. Laziness on the other hand, suggests inactivity or passivity. There is surely an element of this in procrastination – when you should be writing an essay but ‘fall into’ mindless browsing, say, seemingly against your will.
It’s important to recognise this, because procrastination makes our lives worse. It’s one of the clearest-cut examples of choosing to do the easy thing, and suffering in the long run because of it. Our baser instincts seem to push us towards the path of least resistance in life, and so we give in, scrolling social media and watching YouTube videos for instant gratification, when we should be doing our duties, the completion of which results in longer-term satisfaction, if only because we end up with more time with which to actually enjoy ourselves.
Enduring procrastination, therefore, can result in all sorts of guilt, shame and demotivation. Extreme cases could of course lead to poor grades or a job loss, and so it’s important to recognise it early on and make an active effort to cut it out. How are you to do that?
Recognise when you’re procrastinating
Procrastination can be a little insidious because we can make the choice to slip into it almost without noticing. The decision is always there, however. It’s as simple as clicking open a new tab and searching for a site you know might lead you down a rabbit hole, or sitting down to watch ‘just one episode’, when you know you have work to do.
However, procrastination can also be a less immediate experience. It can take less obvious forms, such as:
– Leaving certain tasks on the back-burner for prolonged periods of time.
– Filling your time with necessary, but unimportant tasks instead of getting on with the top priority.
– Waiting to be in the ‘right’ mood or waiting for the ‘right’ time before getting down to the job at hand.
These are a couple of the nearly unconscious ways that we choose to procrastinate. I say “nearly”, because at least in my case, there’s always that little choice not to do what you should be doing. Recognising these moments and those choices is the first step towards cutting them out.
Fight the urge to procrastinate
Procrastination is a habit like any other, and as such, it can be broken. It just takes time, and an active effort on your part. It’s tiring, but it’s worth it.
As far as is possible, aim to eliminate the things that can distract you”
As anyone who has ever escaped a bad habit can tell you, strategies and counter-habits are essential if you’re to break their hold over you:
– Implement rewards: We’re simple creatures, in some ways. One of the most advocated-for methods of habit-changing is rewarding yourself when you achieve the desired result. With regards to procrastination, this might take the form of a treat when you complete your task or manage to stick to a deadline.
– Minimise distractions: As far as is possible, aim to eliminate the things that can distract you. If it’s the TV, work in a room without one. If it’s a smartphone, put it away, out of easy reach. This step can be tricky if, as mentioned, your work requires constant internet access, but remove what distractions you can and take it from there.
– Embrace the interruption: While removing the distractions works for most, others (myself included) find it easier to get down to work if we (briefly) embrace the interruption procrastination has brought to our schedules. What do I mean? If I’m in a rut of procrastination at my laptop, continuing to sit there doesn’t usually do me much good. Instead, getting up for a short walk around the area is much more likely to see me sit down refreshed and ready to work.
– Start the day with accomplishments: If possible, start the day productively. Pray, exercise or read before your workday begins – whatever it takes to get you into a positive headspace going into the day’s tasks. It’s easier to get things done when you’re on a roll, rather than when you feel you’re at the end of your tether.
Change your environment
While we saw a recent return to workplaces, colleges and schools, many continue to work from home. As was identified during the depths of the pandemic, working from bed or lying prostrate on the couch is unlikely to result in a productive day.
This will make it easier to associate that location with work, making you less prone to procrastinate”
Instead, consider establishing a workspace at home, reserving that space solely for work. This will make it easier to associate that location with work, making you less prone to procrastinating. Similarly, getting out of the house entirely can be a good idea – a library or coffeeshop providing suitably studious environments for those who have the freedom to work from them, without the seductively comfortable trappings of home.
Just do it
Unfortunately, procrastination is one of those challenges that ultimately requires action. We sometimes procrastinate through putting anti-procrastination strategies into place, planning and hypothesising, feeling that if we only put the right measures in place, then we’ll get our work done.
At the end of the day, an act of the will is more valuable than anything else in this struggle. That alone will see us do what needs to be done.
