Every person is familiar with laziness, but not everyone knows the phenomenon of procrastination. Procrastination is not synonymous with laziness, but it is a close relative. Postponing an unwanted case for later, being carried away by secondary things instead of important ones are the main manifestations of procrastination.
What is procrastination
Psychology has been studying the phenomenon since the 20th century. The term entered scientific use in 1977. However, the first mentions of procrastination are found in the writings of Cicero. This is approximately 106-43 BC.
The term consists of two Latin concepts and literally means “tomorrow”, “on”. It turns out that procrastination is putting off things until tomorrow. But people forget that they exist only today, and tomorrow never comes.
Procrastination is the delay in doing unpleasant things. “I don’t even want to think about it,” the person shouts, and instead of an important but unpleasant business, he is engaged in pleasant or simply filling the void. The person stubbornly has fun or finds supposedly urgent tasks.
As a rule, the individual is aware of the danger of such behavior. The closer the deadline is, the stronger the anxiety. The procrastinator suppresses unpleasant feelings with a double dose of entertainment.
If the deadline for completion is not determined, for example, it is a personal plan for reconciliation with a relative, change of profession, then the matter remains unfinished. Gradually unfinished projects accumulate. Together with them, the passivity of the individual grows. A fear is formed that the formidable cloud of unrealized plans will become even larger.
Procrastinators postpone not only deeds, but also making decisions, thinking about the problem. They also muffle unpleasant thoughts and feelings, planning to deal with them sometime later.
Procrastination causes stress, guilt, shame, and deteriorating relationships with colleagues and family. The accumulated mountain of cases shackles hands, causing a decrease in performance.
Reasons for procrastination
People procrastinate with the delivery of a work project, finding a job, changing a vacancy, exiting a relationship, buying or renting a house, losing weight, writing a diploma, learning a foreign language. For some, procrastination is becoming the norm, a way to maintain their comfort zone. But unlike laziness, procrastination makes you suffer, anxious, afraid, and experience negative emotions and feelings.
What causes procrastination:
- fear of failure in doing business;
- difficulty of execution, lack of knowledge, skills, skills;
- lack of motivation, a sense of the meaninglessness of actions;
- unpleasant experience, memories associated with the object of procrastination;
- fear of leaving your comfort zone;
- uncertainty of the result;
- lack of a plan and algorithm for performing work;
- delayed results;
- lack of interest in the task;
- self-doubt;
- overestimated requirements of the situation;
- “Slagging” of the brain;
- indecision, fear of responsibility, cowardice;
- fatigue, burnout;
- perfectionism;
- fears and complexes, psychological trauma, requiring work with a psychologist.
The situation is complemented by such personality traits as indiscipline, distraction, irresponsibility, distraction of attention.
How to fight
Eliminate distractions, turn off your cell phone or internet, if possible. Set a time limit for which you must complete the task. Determine the penalty for not following the plan.
Improve self-organization. Make a schedule of the day, plan for the month. However, it is more of a helper method. The solution to the problem lies deeper.
Do a written analysis of the situation:
- purpose of implementation;
- moral, material, personal, social results;
- funds required for execution.
Now assess for yourself the significance of the results, the availability of the necessary tools. Can you do it right now? If so, do it. If not, then make a plan to extract the missing skills. Prioritize the importance of tasks in advance.
Take a piece of paper and a pen, make a list right now. It will take a few minutes. Take the first step against procrastination. Schedule tasks, specify them, mark the start date and the estimated end. If you do not see the point in working, then think about removing the undertaking from the general list.
It is easier for the brain to analyze specific points than to look at the total mass of tasks. In the first case, a chain of actions is built, in the second, panic arises and an even greater reluctance to rake the blockage.
In addition, the randomness gives rise to the idea of a larger number of tasks. You will see, in practice there are fewer of them than in the head. It is possible that some task has lost its relevance, and a ghost is kept in my head.
You can increase self-confidence only by actions, situations of success. What’s next on your to-do list?
Paradoxically, getting rid of procrastination requires completing tasks. Start small. The same list. This is so small, but you will find that you can cope with other similar tasks. In addition, the productive use of personality potential causes the brain to release dopamine, the hormone of pleasure. Take action, capture emotions and mood swings.
Treat the list like a game. One task – one level. Determine the intermediate and final awards yourself. Choose something valuable and desirable.
I do not want, but I must
The issue of the fulfillment of duties stands apart. Unfortunately, you can’t escape the “must”. Make a separate list, narrow it down as much as possible. Think about what you can erase from life, whether it is realistic to change your job, environment. How to bring “want” and “need” as close as possible?
If you can’t avoid and love, then treat duty like medicine. We did it quickly – we started doing what we loved. Do these things first. Option one – to force, motivating with further enjoyment from a sense of self-satisfaction, favorite work, quiet rest. To do this, develop willpower.
Procrastination is an indicator of a lack of intrinsic motivation, an inconsistency between the case and the needs of the individual. See procrastination as a symptom of disharmony. Think about what your problem is. Find meaning, then procrastination will disappear from your life.
