How to stop procrastination and start taking action
How many times do you procrastinate in a single day? I know some of you can’t even count it and some don’t even realize that they do it. It’s like procrastination is a part of your life and this is how you do all your stuff. You do everything like that without even realizing it.
Do you know why? It’s because you have developed a habit of procrastination and your subconscious mind is responsible for it. It does it without you even noticing it.
Did you know? Your subconscious mind doesn’t have the power to think on its own, it only follows the instructions given by your conscious mind. And like we perform all the sensory activities such as breathing, watching, and listening without realizing and still doing it; similarly, you procrastinate without even realizing it.
But here is a good thing, like every bad habit, you can change this habit too. You can change your habit of procrastination and make yourself do what you meant to be doing instead of pushing it for tomorrow.
Here’s the reason why you procrastinate
The human brain has 2 levels: Conscious and Subconscious.
The conscious mind is responsible for thinking, feeling, and intuitions at a particular moment whereas the subconscious mind is responsible for storing the data and responding the way it is programmed. It only focuses on things that are stored within there and works accordingly.
A conscious mind is like that strict parent who wants their kids to do what they want and follow rules and regulations. And the subconscious mind is like that poor little kid who can do nothing but listen to what their parents are saying.
There are hidden powers within your subconscious mind and you can do wonders if you learn how to use them. You can’t rely on your conscious mind which just focuses on your everyday rut.
Your conscious mind focuses on your survival and comfort only. It has nothing to do with any of your dreams and goals. That’s why every time you think about completing a task and trying harder than you can or working on something that matters, it just starts to give you thoughts like ‘you are tired; you need rest, so let’s do it tomorrow.’ And you know what, that ‘tomorrow’ never comes.
Types of procrastinators
1. The one with a lack of Self-discipline
Everyone likes lying down on the sofa, eating popcorn, and watching Netflix all day. But that’s not what achievers do.
A person with a lack of self-discipline usually doesn’t know how to manage their time. They keep themselves busy doing unimportant tasks and waste their time, and at the end of the day, they say things like, “Oh, I couldn’t make it today, so let’s do it tomorrow”. And the other day, they do similar things and procrastinate like a Pro.
Doing what’s important first is what makes you more productive and gives you the confidence to keep going. So, learn how to manage your time properly, it’s a skill that will help you in every aspect of your life.
2. The one who has decision paralysis
One decision can make a massive impact on what your future is going to be. I guess, no one will deny this. But when it comes to making a decision, many people fail at it. Sometimes they are confused, sometimes they get attached to one thing so much. They procrastinate and keep on delaying and pushing it for the other day.
Making the right decision at the right time makes a huge difference between where you are and where you want to be. So screw everything and make that damn decision that is still pending in your head.
3. The one who doesn’t take action
Oftentimes you procrastinate in taking action because something is stopping you from doing what you want to do. There can be several reasons why you do that, you might be scared of what others will think about you, or maybe you are thinking you are not ready yet; excuses are endless.
But only thinking and not taking any action is worthless. It’s not going to make any difference. If you want something to be done, then stop procrastinating and take action.
3 steps that will help you stop procrastination
1. Setting a goal
The first step that will help you stop procrastination is to set a goal for yourself. Setting a goal is like putting a destination in Google Maps, without which you can’t decide which route to take.
Your goal can be learning a new skill, starting working out, studying at night, learning a new language, or anything else. Whatever your goal, write it down on a piece of paper. According to research, when you write down your goals on paper, you are more likely to take action and achieve your goals.
Write down briefly what you want to achieve and make an action plan for it. The action plan should contain small but achievable tasks. Create imaginary deadlines for yourself and stick to them. Follow the plan and the deadlines sincerely to achieve your goals.
2. Break a task into small chunks
Can you have a whole large pizza in one go? I guess no one can. That’s why they slice it down into several pieces so that you can have it easily and enjoy it.
Then why do you think that you can get everything done in just one go? Why do you want every task to be completed in one sitting? It can never be done that way. When you try to do everything simultaneously, you can’t focus on one thing altogether, leading to nothing but dissatisfaction.
Stop being a multi-tasking person and focus on one thing at a time. When you focus on one thing at one time, productivity increases and you are more likely to complete that particular task in lesser time.
Try to break a task into small pieces of work and focus on one thing at a given period of time and then move on to other. This way it will be easier for you to analyze your progress for a particular task and you can make the right decision at right time.
3. Reward yourself
We humans always crave appreciation and rewards in any form we can get. We love it when someone appreciates and praises us for our work. If you look closely at what you do and why you do it, there is always a reward waiting in the end.
The work you do is directly proportional to the craving you have.
If you work hard at the office, there is a craving for raise in salary or a promotion. If you work out in the gym every day that’s because you want to be in shape. These are all cravings and there are a lot of examples if you look closely in your life. So, why not use this human psychology to help you stop procrastinating?
Always give a reward to yourself when you set a goal and accomplish them. The reward should be something that you love; for example, a chocolate chip ice cream or your favorite pizza or watching your favorite Netflix series, it can be anything.
Set a goal and follow all the rules you set for yourself. After accomplishing your goal, gift yourself something you love. But the gift is valid only if you follow all the rules and if you would be able to make it up till the end.
You can set a goal for a week and after accomplishing it, gift yourself a date night on the weekend with your favorite Netflix series. This technique makes you work even harder to accomplish your goals as there is a craving attached to it.
Conclusion
If you want to achieve your goals then you must change your habit of procrastination.
A habit of pushing things on tomorrow. And you know what’s an exciting truth about tomorrow, that it never comes and when it comes, it becomes today.
Change your habit of procrastination and develop a habit of taking action because that’s what it takes to accomplish any goal you have in your life.
So what type of procrastinator are you? And what are the steps that you are going to take to move ahead? Tell me in the comments below.
