Procrastination the Enemy of Career Success.
“Procrastination is the most common form of resistance.” source unknown
There is a high possibility that at this moment you are procrastinating on something. Maybe you are reading this article to do so.
According to Jenny Yip, a clinical psychologist and executive director of the Los Angeles-based Little Thinkers Center. Laziness usually isn’t the reason behind procrastination.
Time: If you examine how you spend your time, it will be clear to you, you will know whether you procrastinate or not. Most people procrastinate more than they know. Keep a log of your daily activity, write a journal to keep track of how you spend your time, you will know how long you spend putting off tasks.
Why we procrastinate: First thing you need to know is that it is a human condition. 95% of people admit to putting off work, according to Piers Steel, author of The Procrastination Equation.
As for the phenomenon of putting stuff off, it’s “a purely visceral, emotional reaction to something we don’t want to do,” says Tim Pychyl, author of Solving the Procrastination Puzzle. The more averse you find a task, the more likely you are to procrastinate.
Sounds Familiar? These are some of the characteristics that make a task procrastination-worthy according to Tim Pychyl.
- Boring
- Frustrating
- Difficult
- Ambiguous
- Unstructured
- Not intrinsically rewarding (i.e., you don’t find the process fun)
- Lacking in personal meaning
On a neurological level, procrastination is not the slightest bit logical — it’s the result of the emotional part of your brain, your limbic system, strong-arming the reasonable, rational part of your brain, your prefrontal cortex. The logical part of your brain surrenders the moment you choose Facebook over work, or decide to binge another episode of House of Cards when you get home.
Here are 4 Tactics to Help You to Stop Procrastinating.
- Think differently about tasks, make the idea of completing more fun and attractive.
- Reward yourself for completing tasks, think about the reward.
- Know what procrastinating could cost you.
- Disconnect from Social media during the period you are working.
Stopping Procrastination: When you notice an approaching showdown between logic and emotion, resist the impulse to procrastinate.
When you begin to notice the urge to procrastinate, do something to get started. Getting started is always the hardest, just do anything to start.
