According to you, what is procrastination? Procrastination is generally used as a synonym for laziness. Lazy people simply don’t do anything and are just fine with it. Procrastinators, on the other hand, have the desire to actually do something but can’t force themselves to start. Procrastination is the trouble you face in persuading yourself to do the things you should do or would like to do. When you procrastinate, instead of working on important, meaningful tasks, you find yourself performing trivial activities.

Procrastination is one of the main barriers blocking you from getting up, making the right decisions and living the dream life you have thought of. Sometimes all our opportunities are on our fingertips, but we can’t seem to reach them. When you procrastinate, you waste time that you could be investing in something meaningful. If you can overcome this fierce enemy, you will be able to accomplish more and in doing something better and utilise the potential that life has to offer.

The number of opportunities that today’s world offers is staggering. Modern society idolises individual liberty in the belief that the freer people are, the happier they will be. So then why aren’t people today significantly happier than in the past? It’s because with more freedom to make our own decisions and to perform our actions, we have become easily confused about what is a priority, what is ascension and what is not, and what is right and wrong, and therefore we have become demotivated to do anything at all.

We need to set straight values and personal visions and to cultivate positive habits. This is the essential thing that can help us overcome not only procrastination but also all the other obstacles that life brings.

People often regret not doing a certain task in the given time this prolonged guilt leads to procrastination. So in order to overcome procrastination you must adopt a few anti-procrastination strategies such as –

• Forgive yourself for procrastinating in the past — Self forgiveness can help you feel more positive about yourself and reduce the likelihood of procrastination in future.
• Commit to the task — Focus on doing, not avoiding. Write down the task you need to complete and specify a time for doing them.
• Ask someone to keep check on you — Peer pressure works!
• Act as you go — Tackle tasks as soon as they arise, rather than letting them buildup over another day.
• Rephrase your internal dialogue — The phrases “need to” and “have to” for example, imply that you have no choice in what you do. This can make you feel disempowered. However, saying,”I choose to”, implies that you own the project, and can make you feel more in control of your workload.
• Minimise distractions — Turn off your email and social media, and shut down all the other gadgets while you work.
• Aim to “eat an elephant beetle” first thing, everyday– Get those tasks that you find least pleasant out of the way early. This will give you the rest of the day to concentrate on work that you find more enjoyable.