It is rightly said about Procrastination that it is like a credit card; it is lot of fun until you get the bill. Procrastinating is the kind of behaviour where we push the work to be done to a later date till it is too late. It is the behaviour where people avoid doing the daunting task and choose to do the easy task over it. All of us have procrastinated one time or another but for some people it becomes a behaviour pattern. People who are perpetual procrastinators risks a lot of things, the most important thing being losing their credibility by always missing the deadline of the task, there is also the risk of ruining one’s career if this behaviour persists and as these people, they tend to make decisions at the last moment; this affects the quality of the decision taken at the eleventh hour are not usually well thought through decisions.

Why do people procrastinate? One of the reasons for people procrastinating is because they are not motivated enough to get the things done. Fear of failing the task is another common cause for procrastination, it is easy to procrastinate rather than working on the task given which they ‘think’ they will fail even before they started the work. Habitual procrastinators usually are not that focussed while doing their work, they get easily distracted or their focus is shifted to less appropriate things at that moment like taking a call or playing some mindless games on their phone etc.

It is not like people cannot fight procrastination and there are certain ways which can prove as a push factor for people to stop procrastinating

Being Accountable:

Declare the task to be done publicly. As everyone knows that you are responsible for completing the task you will become accountable and you are more conscious and work towards achieving the goal on time.

Staying organised

Organise the tasks to be done. Maintain a simple and doable to-do list which will make your work easy.  Avoid making a really long to-list, this would make you feel that you have too much in the plate and your focus would be shifted too soon. Prioritise your work to be done and make sure to stick to it.

Break down the tasks

Instead of doing big project at one go, break down the project into smaller tasks which would ultimately lead to the completion of the actual task in hand. In doing so this would not only help in giving out a good quality product but also make one feel that reaching the actual goal is fairly easy.

Take frequent breaks

Avoid sitting at one place for a long time as this affects productivity. Make it a habit to take frequent small breaks from your work, you can set a routine, that after every 30-45 minutes you will move away from work for 5-7 minutes and then resume it again. There are many apps which would help in keeping track of it. By taking regular break more work can be done as these breaks allows us to regain our focus and energy.

Getting rid of the online temptation

Although we are dependent on technology but this has also become a big source of distraction while doing work. The constant notifications from social media, emails and calls make one lose their focus from what they are doing. It is advisable to stay away from these distractions at least while completing the task in hand`

Procrastination is a self-destructive behaviour one will require patience and perseverance in order to overcome this sabotaging habit one has cultivated over a period of time.