Many people claim that they never
procrastinate, yet the tell-
tale signs indicate otherwise. They may turn up late for
meetings because they leave their workstations late and blame
the delay on the slow elevators. They pay their bills at the last
minute or only when they receive reminders. They settle their
parking and speeding tickets only when warrants are issued.
They mow the lawn or fix a light bulb because they have had
enough of their wives' nagging. They rush to shop for gifts on
Christmas eve. They start packing their luggage an hour before
leaving for the airport.
Amazingly, procrastinators can yield results just as good as non-
procrastinators. Kids in school can be playing their PSP or Xbox
games up till a month before the major exams. That is when they
start to flip their books and begin their revision. The learning
curve is so steep that within a month, they are at their peak form
and pass their exams with flying colors. At work, we see how
some staff prefer to start their engines running just days before
project deadlines. They burn midnight oil, manage to boost their
adrenaline rush, and are able to deliver outstanding work right
on time.
These people are not lazy. Their strategy to running a 1500m
race is to enjoy a slow comfortable pace throughout and sprinting
the last 400m stretch upon hearing the bell. A long period of slow
or non-activity followed by a short burst of hyperactivity.
There are of course the procrastinators who do not even deliver
results. They sit on things for a long time, hoping that they will
someday disappear. This is the type of motivational problem that
is most worrying. We often hear the myth that it has to do with
genes, a like-father-like-son syndrome. However, psychologists
think that the causes have to do with:-
1. Not knowing how to do the job and giving himself more time
to figure out how.
2. Not wanting to be blamed for making a lousy decision and if a
last-minute decision turns out bad, he feels exonerated since the
decision had to be made in such a short time.
3. Feeling bored or unexcited about the work.
4. Being forced to do something against the will (e.g. filing income
tax returns).
5. Having too long a time to complete the assignment.
6. Making the task more challenging and feeling a sense of
achievement if it can be done within a shorter time-frame.
7. Fearing failure, and he would rather postpone it than do it
and fail.
8. Wanting to be perfect and paying attention to too many details
before submitting the final piece of work.
9. Being truly busy and not managing the time well.
10. Facing personal problems and distractions that take the mind
away from the work at hand.
If left unchecked, procrastination can be potentially harmful to
our health and self-esteem. It was widely thought that
procrastination was the cause for anxiety, tension, stress,
depression, guilt, insomnia, drinking and smoking problems and
emotional outbursts. We can control or even overcome our
procrastination problem and here are some pointers on how we
can do that:-
Break it down
If you are not doing the task because it is too huge and onerous,
break it into smaller and manageable parts. It is easier to see
immediate success in small tasks and this helps motivate you to
do the next task.
Set priorities
Set your priorities right. Not everything is of a high priority. Do
what is urgent rather than do only what is convenient.
Minimize distractions
Minimize or remove distractions – switch off the TV or cellphone,
close the door, draw the blinds, adjust the lighting, do not read
emails. If you are prone to falling asleep on a comfy chair, switch
to a hard stool. Concentrate on getting the job done.
Clean desk
Start with having a clean environment. Tidy up the mess on your
desktop or in office; put everything in neat order.
Do it for yourself
Sometimes you may dislike the person who handed you the task
and choose to drag your feet. Do not see yourself as doing the
job for your boss or your parents; do it for yourself. You have a
reputation to keep, a personal challenge to meet. Completing
the job is an accomplishment added to your belt; you did it,
not them.
Set goals
Be realistic about your goals. Do not expect too much in
yourself by setting unattainable goals. Too much of a
perfectionist and nothing will be done.
Think of consequences
What if the job is not done? Think of the consequences. Will
you still have to do it? Will you or somebody close to you be
penalized? Often, knowing that you will have to eventually do
the job makes you want to dispose of it sooner than later.
Reward yourself
Treat yourself to some rewards whenever a task, small or big,
is completed. Do something to make you feel good and remind
yourself of the task you have accomplished.
Get started
However contradictory this sounds, try to get started on
something. If you are doing a written assignment, write
whatever that comes into your mind. Once the thoughts are on
paper, it is easier to edit or re-write. There is seldom a right time
or right mood to do things, so take a first step and see where it
leads you.
tale signs indicate otherwise. They may turn up late for
meetings because they leave their workstations late and blame
the delay on the slow elevators. They pay their bills at the last
minute or only when they receive reminders. They settle their
parking and speeding tickets only when warrants are issued.
They mow the lawn or fix a light bulb because they have had
enough of their wives' nagging. They rush to shop for gifts on
Christmas eve. They start packing their luggage an hour before
leaving for the airport.
Amazingly, procrastinators can yield results just as good as non-
procrastinators. Kids in school can be playing their PSP or Xbox
games up till a month before the major exams. That is when they
start to flip their books and begin their revision. The learning
curve is so steep that within a month, they are at their peak form
and pass their exams with flying colors. At work, we see how
some staff prefer to start their engines running just days before
project deadlines. They burn midnight oil, manage to boost their
adrenaline rush, and are able to deliver outstanding work right
on time.
These people are not lazy. Their strategy to running a 1500m
race is to enjoy a slow comfortable pace throughout and sprinting
the last 400m stretch upon hearing the bell. A long period of slow
or non-activity followed by a short burst of hyperactivity.
There are of course the procrastinators who do not even deliver
results. They sit on things for a long time, hoping that they will
someday disappear. This is the type of motivational problem that
is most worrying. We often hear the myth that it has to do with
genes, a like-father-like-son syndrome. However, psychologists
think that the causes have to do with:-
1. Not knowing how to do the job and giving himself more time
to figure out how.
2. Not wanting to be blamed for making a lousy decision and if a
last-minute decision turns out bad, he feels exonerated since the
decision had to be made in such a short time.
3. Feeling bored or unexcited about the work.
4. Being forced to do something against the will (e.g. filing income
tax returns).
5. Having too long a time to complete the assignment.
6. Making the task more challenging and feeling a sense of
achievement if it can be done within a shorter time-frame.
7. Fearing failure, and he would rather postpone it than do it
and fail.
8. Wanting to be perfect and paying attention to too many details
before submitting the final piece of work.
9. Being truly busy and not managing the time well.
10. Facing personal problems and distractions that take the mind
away from the work at hand.
If left unchecked, procrastination can be potentially harmful to
our health and self-esteem. It was widely thought that
procrastination was the cause for anxiety, tension, stress,
depression, guilt, insomnia, drinking and smoking problems and
emotional outbursts. We can control or even overcome our
procrastination problem and here are some pointers on how we
can do that:-
Break it down
If you are not doing the task because it is too huge and onerous,
break it into smaller and manageable parts. It is easier to see
immediate success in small tasks and this helps motivate you to
do the next task.
Set priorities
Set your priorities right. Not everything is of a high priority. Do
what is urgent rather than do only what is convenient.
Minimize distractions
Minimize or remove distractions – switch off the TV or cellphone,
close the door, draw the blinds, adjust the lighting, do not read
emails. If you are prone to falling asleep on a comfy chair, switch
to a hard stool. Concentrate on getting the job done.
Clean desk
Start with having a clean environment. Tidy up the mess on your
desktop or in office; put everything in neat order.
Do it for yourself
Sometimes you may dislike the person who handed you the task
and choose to drag your feet. Do not see yourself as doing the
job for your boss or your parents; do it for yourself. You have a
reputation to keep, a personal challenge to meet. Completing
the job is an accomplishment added to your belt; you did it,
not them.
Set goals
Be realistic about your goals. Do not expect too much in
yourself by setting unattainable goals. Too much of a
perfectionist and nothing will be done.
Think of consequences
What if the job is not done? Think of the consequences. Will
you still have to do it? Will you or somebody close to you be
penalized? Often, knowing that you will have to eventually do
the job makes you want to dispose of it sooner than later.
Reward yourself
Treat yourself to some rewards whenever a task, small or big,
is completed. Do something to make you feel good and remind
yourself of the task you have accomplished.
Get started
However contradictory this sounds, try to get started on
something. If you are doing a written assignment, write
whatever that comes into your mind. Once the thoughts are on
paper, it is easier to edit or re-write. There is seldom a right time
or right mood to do things, so take a first step and see where it
leads you.
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