I don't know if you're anything like me but I am the master of procrastination. If something needs to be done & it's something that doesn't provide immediate enjoyment or results then I have trouble getting it done or even started! If I have no pressure to do something then I don't want to do it! I have been this way since I was a kid!
What is Procrastination? When we replace high priority actions with tasks of lower importance for short term enjoyment & satisfaction & delaying the important tasks to a later time. Why do we do this? People naturally want to put off important tasks that are associated with stress or anxiety or being we simply find the task boring or we don't have confidence in being able to complete the task due to lack of skills or knowledge. We put off the tasks for temporary enjoyment.
Procrastination may result in stress, self disappointment, sense of guilt, crisis, disapproval of others & severe loss of productivity which leads to further procrastination. It's a vicious cycle!
How do we manage it? With structure - setting goals & planning, commitment & rewarding yourself on completion of tasks. For example: If I finish retouching photos for clients I will reward myself with something I want to do like relaxing while watching a movie or heading out for a coffee & I keep that in mind to keep me motivated to get my retouching completed. If you have something that needs to be done & you just look at it as a whole it seems "too hard" or "unachievable" - break it up into sections so it doesn't seem so hard to accomplish. Just starting something is the hardest part! Sometimes I think we just need to stop thinking about things too much & just get things done!
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