Procrastination - Why this blog is late...

Do you ever get really motivated to do something and you really get excited about it and when it’s time to get down and do it, you’re just like nah!? 
Well, that is exactly what happened to me this week. (arghh!) : procrastination!  A case in point, I should have written and posted this blog by Monday or Tuesday, but instead...

As I was trying to find a cure to this (yes, it's a disease!!) I researched on the topic. I learned that procrastination is a common phenomenon to many people especially when we have to deal with lots of projects or huge tasks. As a result, we put off things for a later time and it affects our productivity and our mood too. In an attempt to self medicate, I looked up the different ways to beat procrastination. 
As a recovered patient (for now☺), I thought I would share with you some tips that worked for me. 

Set One realistic goal to achieve
I am all about goals this year and as I was looking up my to do list, I was overwhelmed and just didn’t know where to start. As I learned procrastination can be a result of feeling overwhelmed with many projects, some with non-specific requirements or deadlines.  In such a case you will need to prioritize and focus on one single goal. In my case I decided to focus on one goal: the blog. I discovered that undertaking one project helps you focus your energy and provide you with the drive to do it. 

Think of many things, do one.” Portuguese Proverb

Force yourself to take action
This may sound strange. If you could just force yourself to do it, you would not procrastinate in the first place, right? Well, I was also surprised to read about this as a solution, but it works. Last week I attended an event discussing college requirements for my high school children at their school. During the Q&A session, one of the students asked how to beat procrastination which hinders her from completing assignments on time.  One of the presenter simply answered; "You just have to force yourself to do the assignments. Don’t overthink it, just do it."  That’s exactly what I did to write this post and complete it. I just forced myself to start writing even before I had decided about a specific subject. As I was writing down different thoughts - literally in the middle of that exercise - I thought about writing on procrastination. So, I did.  

"The way to start is to quit talking and start doing." Walt Disney

Break down tasks into smaller parts
Dealing with a huge project – like annual report writing, or a school assignment can seem overwhelming, especially if it to be done in one seating. It becomes more appealing or at least less daunting, when it is broken into small parts such as; finding a topic, research, outlining, drafting, writing, editing etc. Obviously the prerequisite for this would be to begin working on these small parts early enough rather than doing it few hours to the deadline. 

"The secret of getting ahead is getting started, the secret  of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one." Mark Twain

Don't drag your work till it's perfect 
Perfectionism is believed to be the excuse of procrastinators. Well, I don’t’ necessarily believe that, probably because I have fallen prey to it, yet I must admit it can be a hindrance. I used to think it was a quality, but it has let me down more often than not. The worst consequence has been missing a deadline because I was not happy with the final work – just yet. But sometimes missing a deadline is perceived as a lack of respect towards those who expect the work at a certain time, even if the work is splendid. So sometimes, you are better off doing your best work and handing it in rather than dragging it. 

"Perfectionism is the mother of Procrastination." Michael Hyatt

Reward yourself for completing tasks
This is one of my favorites. We tend to be too hard on ourselves when we fail to accomplish a task and it seems easier to blame ourselves for failure than to reward ourselves for success. This may be natural but it can also be detrimental if we want to fight procrastination and get back to our productive self. Personally, I work well with positive incentives than with the negatives especially when feeling low. According to some research it seems that even if your task is something you dislike, you can motivate yourself into doing it if you promise to treat yourself upon its completion. 
So next time you achieve that goal, especially on days when you beat temptation; do reward yourself - a homemade banana smoothie perhaps?

"Stop beating yourself up for what you've done wrong and start celebrating what you've done right!" Roz Fruchtman

Beat procrastination with prayer
This last tip is probably the strongest. Whenever procrastination starts creeping in, you may want to ask God to guide you by giving direction for the day, to help you prioritize and give you strength to act. Procrastination is considered in the word of God.  In Romans 13: 4 it is said: “The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied.” A sluggard means a lazy person (what a name!)
From the scriptures, it is clear that Christians are encouraged to be diligent and there is even a promise attached to it. Thus it is natural to reach out to God for help in our pursuit of diligence when we are falling short; and God is faithful. 
Well, I don't know about you, but I would not like to be called a sluggard!

That's been my story this week. If you ever find yourself in a similar situation, I hope you will find these tips useful. And if you have any experience beating procrastination, I would love to hear from you as well. 

Now, let's get some more work done. Did I say NOW?