Overcoming Procrastination: 3 Unique Ways To Conquer Procrastination And Get Things Done

Most of us have been on this road before. We procrastinate and end up having only a few days left to do something that we were given a month to finish. If we’re lucky, we manage to submit something half-decent and then, we tell ourselves that we have learned our lesson. We tell ourselves that from this day on, with our disappointed boss as our witness, we will begin overcoming procrastination.

As heavy with conviction as this declaration sounds, do we really stick to it? Isn’t it only a matter of days before we find ourselves putting off another important task in favor of other less important responsibilities and distractions?

Overcoming procrastination - is that even possible? Unfortunately, there is no rehab for procrastination. It is something you have to conquer yourself. But you won’t have to be on your own right away. For now, here are some suggestions to guide you on your journey to self-improvement.

Make Procrastination Work For You.

Here’s one way of overcoming procrastination that I bet you haven’t tried yet. It’s called “structured procrastination.” It means making your bad habit work for you.

This unconventional solution is commonly attributed to Professor John Perry from Stanford. In his essay entitled “Structured Procrastination,” he shares how he is able to get things done, despite his tendency to ignore the more important tasks for the less important ones.

The idea is quite genius, really, and stems from the basic definition of what a procrastinator is all about. Even though you put off the important tasks on your list, you’re not necessarily doing nothing either.

In your tendency to escape those on top of the list, you are actually productively fulfilling the rest of the items below. Of course, the items on the very top of your list will soon be dethroned by other more important tasks and being the procrastinator that you are, you end up being pushed to deal with them finally.

Of course, this isn’t exactly a permanent way of overcoming procrastination; but if you learn how to make smarter lists that suit your deadlines well, then you’ve done a well enough job for yourself.

Get to the Source of Procrastination.

Procrastination is often a reaction to an underlying issue. You might be prone to procrastination because you have fears of failure, or because you doubt yourself.

In order to avoid dwelling on such problems, you put things off so you don’t have to think about the task until the last minute. And sometimes, you end up not doing anything at all. It’s a vicious cycle and one that eats at your self-confidence even more.

If you want to overcome procrastination, you have to understand where it’s coming from. Naturally, every person has a different story. Take a good look at yourself and the emotions that run through you whenever you think of starting on a particular important project.

When the emotions come rushing, don’t run away or focus your attention elsewhere. You need to accept what you’re feeling - all the fears, self-doubts, and the burden of responsibilities. Only then, can you actually work on the cause of these anxieties and overcome your need to procrastinate.

Other experts recommend putting your thoughts into words to help everything sink in. Write down your doubts, your fears or worries on paper; then analyze what you can do to resolve these issues.

Think of the worst-case scenarios that might happen, and think of ways to deal with them if they occur. In most situations, they’re not as daunting as you initially thought. This would then build up your confidence and motivate you to accomplish the task.

Give Yourself Time.

A time limit, that is. A lot of procrastinators like to avoid the important things in favor of less important and more amusing tasks.

However, who’s to say that going through a business file is dragging or boring? You might find that it’s not as boring as you thought once you get started. After all, the key here is actually getting started, isn’t it? One way of overcoming procrastination is giving yourself a definite amount of time to do a specific task.

For example, you have to read a report on business tactics. It’s high up on your list of important things to do, but you find yourself gravitating towards the other items on your list such as shopping for a new wardrobe or preparing dinner.

To get started, give yourself say fifteen minutes of reading. Fifteen minutes isn’t a long time and it will compel you to give that business report a chance. Once you’ve made it past the fifteen minute mark, you can either stop or choose to go on. Those who choose to stop will at least have covered part of their task already. Those who choose to go on do so, because it’s really a hassle to pull yourself away from what you’ve already started doing. Once you begin something, the momentum builds up and you might even find yourself breezing through the task. Before you know it, you’ve already crossed this item off your list! Good for you, then!

Overcoming procrastination is something that anyone, especially those with a goal or objective, should give top priority to. One solution doesn’t always work for everybody. However, these less conventional strategies could help you become more receptive to change. You yourself hold the key to defeating this habit. Strategies are, after all, only as good as the person who uses them.