What is Procrastination and How to Combat it
Introduction
Procrastination is the act of delaying or postponing a task or set of tasks. Procrastination is a common trait that affects many, especially those who are in school. Procrastination is not a phenomenon, but at some point, everyone has put off an assignment, or a chore that should be done when possible. While it is easy to conclude that those who procrastinate are lazy and lack discipline, there are several reasons why some will procrastinate. Fortunately, students can overcome procrastination if the root cause is addressed, and proper strategies are put into place.
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What is Procrastination?
Procrastination is the act of delaying or postponing a task or set of tasks, often to the point of putting them off until the last minute or beyond the deadline. Procrastination also involves delaying tasks despite knowing how important they are; especially when those tasks involve schoolwork or work responsibilities.
What is the Root Cause of Procrastination?
Procrastination is not only limited to students, but it affects people of all ages. Some people procrastinate because they don’t know what their responsibilities are, others do it because they’re afraid of failure, and some just find it easier to put things off until the last minute. Regardless of why you do it, procrastination can be both a good and bad thing.
When someone procrastinates frequently it can lead to problems such as stress levels increasing due to lack of productivity within work environments, along with poor grades due too much time spent worrying about getting things done rather than actually doing them.
How to Combat Procrastination
- Get organized.
- Use the single minute rule.
- Think about motivation.
1. Get Organized
- Get organized – make a to-do list and stick with it by scheduling in your tasks throughout the day instead of trying to squeeze them all in at the end.
- Don’t put off tasks until the last minute, or try to fit too much into a day (ex: cramming for an exam). This will only stress you out and make things worse.
- Don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it.
2. Use the Single Minute Rule
The single minute rule is a simple idea that has been proven effective in helping people combat procrastination and get things done. The concept behind this method is that if you have an assignment or project that will take longer than 90 seconds to complete, then you should start work on it right away instead of putting that task off until later when you may not get around to doing it at all!
To use this technique effectively, focus only on the task at hand–don’t worry about what else needs to be completed or what your boss might think if he/she saw your unfinished work.
3. Think About Motivation
Motivation is important to keep in mind when working on any task. It can be easy to procrastinate when you’re overwhelmed by a project or have trouble seeing the end goal. Think about what will happen if you don’t get your work done on time as well as what would happen if you did get it done on time. Think about which would result in better outcomes for both yourself and others around you who rely upon your work being finished promptly.
Conclusion
Procrastination is not only limited to students, but it affects people of all ages. Some people procrastinate because they are unaware of their responsibilities. Others do it because they’re afraid of failure, and some just find it easier to put things off until the last minute. Regardless of why you do it, procrastination should be avoided when possible.