WHAT IS PROCRASTINATION AND WHAT IS ITS TREATMENT? - ARTE - 2024

The procastinación is the tendency to procrastinate we have to do. Some are important and can have negative consequences in the short term (studying an exam, renewing the identity card, paying debts…) and others are less important although in the long term they can be inconvenient (washing dishes, doing laundry, doing exercise…).

Some symptoms of procrastination can be: leaving a pile of dishes unwashed, buying weights to exercise and always end up watching TV, intending to be on a diet but in the end end up eating in a hamburger restaurant, studying the exam the day before, delivering the I work a minute before the deadline.

As Napoleon Hill said:

Leaving things for tomorrow is related to the law of least effort and the pursuit of pleasure; We always look for what makes us feel good and avoid what makes us strive.

Nothing happens if you leave the dishes unwashed, if you don't go for a run, if you don't study or if you don't start the diet one day. The downside is if those tasks are put off for weeks, months, or even years.

How much could you have advanced in your goals if you had worked a little daily without putting off tasks? It is something that does not let you get everything you want.

As this phrase says:

Surely you have tried many ways to start to quit smoking, to start a diet, to go to the gym, to manage your time. But in the end, nothing works because the problem is that you are fighting against your instincts.

Therefore, a very important point is not to believe that you will not procrastinate. If you overestimate your ability to manage time or achieve your goals, you will fail, because you will not develop techniques or strategies to deal with your weaknesses.

Example with Ulysses in the Odyssey

Ulysses, whether he existed or not, is an example of someone who used a good strategy to stop procrastinating and not fall into impulsivity.

He did not underestimate his ability not to fall into temptation (mermaids), but was aware that in the future he would fall into temptation and that he had to use some strategy to be able to overcome it (tie himself to the pole of a candle and ask his companions ignore him).

Even if you think that in the future you will be able to do things or avoid temptation, you are probably not right, because in the future you will be in another state of mind.

The key is to accept that in the future you will fail and that therefore you have to carry out strategies of self-control, time management and finishing things.

To be more aware of your own thoughts and live more in the present, I recommend mindfulness.

Techniques to overcome procrastination

Actually the word treatment applies only to diseases, but can procrastination be considered a disease? In my opinion, if it is affecting your physical or mental health, yes.

Let's see the strategies to follow to start quitting this habit and encourage the tendency to do things in your behavior. These techniques will be the "supplement" to metacognition (thinking about your thoughts) and being aware that you need a strategy to overcome impulsivity and procrastination.

Prioritize

It is important that you know what things are the most important to finish and what to focus on.

For example, if you have to finish a report, wash the dishes and go to the gym, it is logical that the report should take precedence and you better finish it sooner. What tasks and their order will you do by planning.

To plan

Planning is strategically organizing what tasks you have to do to meet a goal. This planning can be annual, monthly, from day to day, even hours.

If you are planning your day, the planning will be guided in small steps that lead to a larger goal. One of the easiest, best, and most effective ways to plan is by making a list of tasks to complete.

For example:

• Check emails and reply.
• Send report.
• Write article for Juan.
• Call Maria.

Also and to make the best use of your time, I recommend that you make a list of the things you should not do. This will make you aware of it and remember them:

• Don't open facebook.
• Don't see whatsapp. Leave the smartphone away.

Divide big goals into small goals / steps

If you think about the 500-page report that you have to write, it will surely be heavy and difficult to start. But if you think about finishing the introduction or the first 10 pages it will be much easier.

In addition, it is recommended that you divide the big objectives into medium and short term objectives.

For example, the long-term goal is to lose 15 kilos:

• First steps: exercise this afternoon and start the diet.
• Short term (August 6): lose 2 kilos.
• Medium term (October 10): lose 8 kilos.
• Long-term (January 10): lose 15 kilos.

In addition, to meet that goal you will have to have a strategy and planning (diet, exercise, how to buy, what foods to avoid…).

Set limits to finish things

In this regard, I recommend that you read this article on Parkinson's Law. It is based on setting time limits to do what you have to do. For example, one hour to finish the report.

Get rewards

If you think that you will be working all day, it will be much heavier, however, if you have followed the previous point, you will have set a limit to finish your tasks.

In addition, it is recommended that you get a reward if you finish everything you had to do. That will make you aware that at the end of all the effort there will be something pleasant. It can be anything from watching a movie to going out for a walk or having a drink at a bar.

Phrases to stop procrastinating

If you have read another of my articles, you will know that I think there are phrases of personal motivation that convey what could be said in several paragraphs.

• "Plan only 4-5 hours of actual work each day." - David Heinemeier.
• “It is normal to have days when you cannot work and days when you will work 12 hours without stopping. Work harder when you're in that state. Relax when you are not. »- Alain Paquin.
• "Your time is worth $ 1,000 an hour and you need to act accordingly." - Jason Cohen.
• "We are always more focused and productive with time limits."
• “Working is the best way to start working. Start with small tasks to get the ball moving.
• "A thing done is much better than idealized perfection."
• "More hours worked does not mean more productivity."
• "Separate thinking and execution to execute faster and think better" -Sol Tanguay.
• Organize your meetings at the beginning of the day. The waiting time for meetings is wasted. '
• Keep the same project during the day. Switching from one project / client to another is unproductive ”.
• "A big goal is only achieved when every little thing you do each day brings you closer to that goal" -Maren Kate.
• 2 tasks are not of equal importance. Always prioritize. Be very careful with to-do lists.
• "Work on what has the greatest impact" -Jason Cohen.
• "If something can be done 80% by someone else, delegate" -John C. Maxwell.
• “Set time limits for everything. Don't let the tasks expand indefinitely.
• «Set completion dates for stressful tasks. Everything ends sometime.
• "Write down anything that distracts you and they will stop distracting you when you're productive" -Steven Corona.
• Take breaks from time to time.