How often do you procrastinate? When you get stuck on something or don’t want to start working on something, do you always give in to the temptation to put off until tomorrow what should be done today?
If you’re guilty of procrastination, you’ve probably heard of the famous saying, “tomorrow never comes.” Most people delay things they don’t want or feel uncomfortable about. It is a common problem that affects everyone at some point.
The good news is that you can overcome it without having to suffer from it forever. Today, We have a seven-step guide from Virtue Map to help you overcome procrastination.
Know Why You’re Procrastinating
Before you start your anti-procrastination journey, ask yourself why you’re procrastinating. It’s not always easy to clearly understand why you are procrastinating. Once you know why you are procrastinating, you can tackle your work with a more positive and constructive approach. Here are some of the reasons From Virtue Map’s experts say why you may be procrastinating:
- You don’t know what to do.
- You don’t know where to start.
- You don’t know how to get started.
- You don’t know who to ask for help.
- You don’t know how to ask for help.
- You don’t have the motivation to start.
The root cause of procrastination is fear. Many people who procrastinate have experienced failure at some point in their lives. It causes them to feel like they don’t deserve success, and they may even believe that if they fail again, they won’t be able to recover from it. If this sounds familiar, you might consider taking action now instead of waiting until later.
Set Realistic Goals
Setting unrealistic goals will make you feel like you’re going through the motions rather than accomplishing something. Make sure that your goals are achievable. You can set realistic goals and then work towards them, which will help you achieve them faster than you think. The more you know about the goal, the more likely you will achieve it.
Do not set goals that are too high. You can always achieve them if you have a strong desire. However, if your goal is too lofty, you may constantly fail at achieving it. It will only cause you to lose motivation and eventually give up altogether. If you want to win a race, don’t aim to run a marathon; instead, focus on running a 5K.
Break Down The Task Into Smaller Pieces
Make sure you break down your task into smaller parts so that you can handle each one of them more quickly and effectively. These small pieces will help you focus on the task instead of the task itself. They will also help you complete your task and move on to the next step if you have a large task you must complete in a short amount of time.
It would help if you considered breaking it down into smaller pieces to help you complete it quickly. You will also be more likely to complete your task if you take the time to complete each smaller task at first. Five small tasks can be broken down into 3 or 4 tasks.
Reward Yourself For Successful Completion
You will also be more likely to complete the task if you reward yourself for successful completion. If you are trying to get through a task, reward yourself for succeeding at that task. You can reward yourself by doing something that you love or something that you want to do. Do you like to ski or play tennis or play chess?
You should feel motivated to complete a task when you get excited about it. You should also feel proud of yourself for accomplishing something important to you.
Don’t Be Afraid Of Failure
Don’t be afraid of failure. If you make a mistake, now that you have the task in hand, you will have to analyze it and try again. If you try very hard and fail, you should not feel ashamed of your failure. Failure is a normal part of learning and developing new skills.
For the most part, you should feel proud of your success. It would be best if you tried again, something new, something you have not done before. You should be able to learn from your mistakes and get better and better at your task.
Avoid Negative Self Talk
We all have negative self-talk. Some people repeatedly tell themselves that they aren’t good at something. They tell themselves they aren’t good at cleaning their room and driving a car. Negative self-talk can be very destructive. It can lead to unhappiness and depression. Be aware of negative self-talk and avoid it whenever possible.
It would help if you tried to replace it with positive self-talk. It would be best if you told yourself that you are a good person and capable of doing anything you put your mind to. It will be easier for you to get started when you tell yourself that you are capable of doing something.
Find Support
With a support system, it is easier to stay on track and face challenges in your life. Foundational to the formation of a support system is friendship. A support system is simply a group of people who can support you when needed. Friends can talk through your challenges, offer advice, and provide a safety net when you feel overwhelmed.
Friendship is a support system. Friends can offer ongoing support, advice, and comfort and are also a great source of information regarding finding support. Friendship can also provide an outlet for expressing negative thoughts, emotions, and feelings that you might not have other ways of communicating. It can also help you overcome shyness and improve your self-esteem.
Conclusion
In the end, you can choose to do what you want, and you are in complete control of your decisions. It is also important to remember that you are more than capable of doing anything you put your mind to. Procrastination may be troubling you, but you can overcome it. Especially if you follow these steps provided by the experts from Virtue Map, tell us in the comments below if you have any other tips for overcoming procrastination. We would love to hear from you!
