Money loves speed. If you procratinate alot, you are bound to have financial problems.
Beyond financial difficulties, procrastination cause other problems… So of which are more serious.
For instance, chronic procrastination causes; stress, missed opportunities and the lack of fulfilment.
If you are looking for how to stop procratination, you are in the right place.
Why Do Humans Procrastinate?
The first step to finding any solution is the figure out why that problem exists in the first place.
So before you ask how can I stop procrastination, a better question to ask is WHY am I procrastinating?
This is very crucial when dealing with procrastination because it is only a symptom of much issues
From studies, people who procratinate have more deep rooted psychological issues, such as perfectionism, low self-esteem, fear of failure, or lack of motivation.
Being able to identify the right triggers, will help you address the root cause head-on.
Otherwise you’ll end up tackling a symptom, rather than treating the disease.
Biological Overview of Procrastination
I don’t want to introduce complex medical terminologies, so you don’t mistake me for a nerd, but the occasion allows it.
What we refer to as procrastination is simply a fight of flight mechanism in action.
This brain mechanism, known as the limbic system, is responsible for regulating our emotions and basic survival instincts.
So when faced with a task that your brain doesn’t find interesting, the limbic system pushes you to avoid the task.
Now, humans are able to self-regulate and make sound decisions, thanks to a part of the brain know as the prefrontal cortex.
Unfortunately, this part of the brain struggles to override the decisions of the fight-flight limbic system
In the end – You push the task forward.
Now, let’s look at the…
Common Triggers of Procrastination
- Fear: The fear of failure typically causes people to completely avoid an activity.
- Perfectionism: Setting unrealistically high standards can cause avoidance
- Overwhelm: Too many tasks may look insormountable, resulting in inaction
- Poor Time Management: Inability to prioritize activities leads to procaratination
- Lack of Motivation: It’s easy to put off task without a clear sense of purpose
Strategies To Stop Procrastination
Goal Setting
Procrastination is all about tasks and goals.
With practice you can master good goal setting principles that make it easy to achieve your goals
One of the main reasons why people don’t take action is the lack of clear goals.
A clear goal is one that is Specific, Measurable, Achieveable, Relevant and Time-bound.
If you have a goal to make passive income online, for example. That’s not a S.M.A.R.T goal
Not only is it ambigious, it is too broad.
Let’s make it better.
Make $100,000 from an online business 1 year.
Sound better right?
Whats more, we can specify the online business we intend to start.
As good as this goal sounds, if you’ve never earned a penny online… This goal will put you off.
Because it is may not look achieveable to you… and your brain will put it off.
So what should you do?
Break it down into smaller goals.
E.g.
GOAL: Make $100,000 In 1 Year By Selling Information products Online
SMALLER GOALS:
Create an information product that is in demand – 15 June 2024
Launch the product online – 20 June 2024
Use paid ads to drive traffic – 21 July 2024
Generate $1,000 sales – 30 June 2024
Scale sales to $5,000 – 30 July 2024
Scale sales to $10,000 – 30 August 2024
Maintain $10,000 for 10 Months
You see, by breaking down your goal into smaller task, you make it easier to achieve your goals.
Prioritize Goals
It is also helpful to prioritize your goals.
The Eisenhower Matrix is a great tool for prioritizing tasks based on their urgency and importance.
Split your task into four (4) categories:
- Urgent and Important: Do these tasks immediately.
- Important but Not Urgent: Schedule these tasks.
- Urgent but Not Important: Delegate these tasks if possible.
- Not Urgent and Not Important: Consider eliminating these tasks.
Three Task Rule
Always use a to-do list. I have used one since early childhood.
But to-do lists can cause you to procrastinate if you fill it with tasks.
My to-do list looks a lot different from what most people use.
I have 3 sections in mine.
The first section is called – DAILY ROUNTINE – here I list everything I do everyday. e.g. exercise, meditation, kids hygiene, etc.
The second section is titled – DYNAMIC TASK – As you’ve guessed, I include unique tasks I have for that day there.
The final section title – LATER TASK – Includes non-urgent tasks I would like to complete in the near future
With the exception of my DAILY ROUTINE list, I typically limit my DYNAMIC task list to the three (3) biggest tasks for the day.
To generate my 3 task, the night before, I ask myself – “What are the 3 biggest things that could make my tomorrow fulfiled?”
The answer to this question, helps me create my DYNAMIC TASK list.
With this I am able to go at my task with much energy the next morning.
Wrapping It Up!
There are many tips for dealing with procrastination, but what I’ve shared will help you the most.
You don’t have to follow my tips on how to stop procratination to the letter…
Rather, I hope what I’ve shared would help you observe yourself more and triangulate a solution that works best for your paticular situation.
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