Steeming Community Contest: My Ways To Avoid Procrastination

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A lot of people have, at one point in time been guilty of procrastination due to exhaustion, busy schedules or presence of distractions. Although some experience this more often than others, this is as a result of several factors which would be addressed as I proceed. But before I delve into the reasons why people procrastinate and ways in which I avoid procrastination, I would like for the reader to gain insight into this topic by posing the question...

What is Procrastination?
Procrastination is the act of moving or postponing tasks at hand to a later date or time.

We all know that school and work can be really stressful, especially when we have deadlines to meet up with. But regardless of this, we should endeavour to do what we have to do in time in order to avoid unnecessary pressure. A popular adage says "a stitch in time, saves nine". Carry out tasks immediately, do not wait until later so as to avoid the pressure of having to meet up with deadlines which may no longer be feasible.

I have also had a couple of challenges in the past as a result of procrastination but there was a particular incident that stood out and this made me promise myself to never again delay whatever I have to do, so as to avoid having regrets later on.

I had an assignment on a week that was relatively free for me, so I decided to take my time and kept on shifting the start date. I thought "even if I start a day to the deadline, I could still finish up and submit in time". But guess what? On the day I planned to commence(just a day to the deadline), I was given another assignment which was also due the following day. It was at this juncture I realised that I had made a costly mistake, it was just so overwhelming and I cried because I knew both assignments were of equal importance and that this problem could easily have been avoided if only I had started when I was supposed to. "Make hay while the sun shines" was all that came to mind at that point. I then made a promise that I was never again going to put myself in such difficult situation.

Reasons why people procrastinate

People procrastinate for a number of reasons, below are some of the reasons;

• Exhaustion
The reason why a lot of people procrastinate is as a result of being overworked by too many tasks which have to be performed almost at the same time. Productivity declines rapidly when a person lacks adequate rest. This affects the ability to deliver.

• Busy schedules
Another cause of procrastination is a busy schedule. Some tasks are prioritized over others and so, they have to be completed first before the others could be sorted.

• Strive for perfection
Some people are perfectionists and would always want their work to stand out amongst others. This could lead to procrastination as a result of the extra time which would go into research and making up their mind on little details like choice of words or arrangement of their entry.

• Presence of distractions
Procrastination could occur as a result of distractions around us. Social media today has a strong hold on virtually everyone. Hence, the need to constantly be up to date with happenings around the world, but this should not be to our own detriment. Having to be updated doesn't mean we should let it become an addiction, thereby allowing other aspect of our lives suffer. There is time for everything and the time for social activities should not consume our time for work.

Ways in which I avoid procrastination

Procrastination can be difficult to overcome but it takes determination, discipline and strong will to beat it. Here are ways in which I avoid procrastination;

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• Time management
How a person manages his/her time is very important as this could either make or mar the smooth running of our every day life. Proper arrangement of daily schedule and strict adherence to the time allotted to each task is a step in the right direction. This helps to know what to do at a particular time and there would be no need for procrastination as each task would be carried out at the designated time.

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• Getting rid of distractions
Social media, video games, movies etc could be distractions which pull us further away from achieving our short-term goals. Yes, social activities are important in our lives but it should not be in excess or be prioritized over other areas of life. Engaging in these social activities excessively could lead to procrastination and work would keep on being postponed. I make sure to do away with distractions such as these when I need to work. This enhances concentration and boosts productivity.

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• Reward oneself over little achievements during the work process
By rewarding oneself, there is always a motivation behind the completion of a particular task. This is a form of encouragement to keep you going throughout the course. Achievements could be seeing a movie after the completion of a task or taking time out to give yourself a little treat before going ahead to complete the next task. This is definitely a fun way to work.

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•Eliminate the idea of attaining absolute perfection

Human beings are not perfect, we are bound to make mistakes at one point or another. It's okay to crave excellent results but striving for absolute perfection is unrealistic. Seeking perfection is one of the causes of procrastination as perfectionists spend too much time on a task to ensure that their product is flawless. I try as much as possible to avoid seeking absolute perfection, so as to ensure that work is done and tendered in as and when due.

Thanks for reading and I hope this helps the reader beat procrastination.

I would like to invite a few friends to enjoy and participate in this contest
@spyrex @nore21 @ugoenyi