Procrastination

Presentation by Jegan Sekar

Procrastination – What is it?

Voluntarily delay a course of action despite expecting to be worse off for the delay.

Put off intentionally and habitually the doing of something that should be done.

Someone who knows what she or he wants to do, in some sense can do it, is trying to do it – yet doesn’t do it.

Prevalence

Procrastination afflicts millions of people and almost always has negative effects on productivity and sense of well-being.

60% of people are moderate procrastinators

6% of people are frequent procrastinators 95% of those surveyed indicate that they

procrastinate occasionally

Excuses

I’m waiting for divine inspiration I have to be ready I’ll do it tomorrow If I wait, it might go away I have no control – the cards are stacked

against me I work best under pressure I can’t do it now – my desk is messy

Why overcome procrastination? Putting things off to the last minute

almost always reduces your ability to perform at your best

Procrastinators often never perform the required or desired task (they wait until it is too late)

Procrastination leads to stress and/or decreased sense of well-being and/or self-esteem

Causes

Stress and anxiety – Too overwhelmed and worried to even being working on tasks

Rebellion – I don’t want to do it. You can’t make me do it

Difficulty concentrating – Noisy, phone is ringing, desk is cluttered, etc.

Fear of failure – If I don’t achieve a certain mark, am a failure.

Causes

Lack of enjoyment – I don’t like this task. So, I turn to more enjoyable immediate activities.

Unrealistic expectations/perfectionism – I must always achieve ‘A’.

Poor time management – Uncertain of your priorities, goals & objectives.

Preoccupation with personal problems – Focusing on personal problems like financial difficulty, relationship issues, etc.

Cures for procrastination - 1

Replace ‘should’ & ‘fear’ with ‘want’ & ‘need’

If a task is based on what you truly want or need, you’re likely to be more motivated

Don’t sabotage your own want/need just because others also think you should accomplish something

Cures for procrastination - 2

Break down the task into smaller ones

When confronted with a task of reading 150 pages, we feel overwhelmed. Instead, if we decide to take up 50 pages at a time, we can endure.

The most significant barrier in procrastination is getting started.

Cures for procrastination - 3

Set up a reward-punishment system

If I finish this task, I can take a coffee break.

If I don’t, I need to skip the break. These rewards and punishments only

matter if we consistently implement them.

Cures for procrastination - 4

Modify your goals to include these 4 characteristics

1. Short term 2. Specific 3. Attainable 4. Measurable

Change your negative thinking Remind yourself of the skills & abilities you

possess Stop focusing on faults & flaws. Remember

that ‘failure’ is an opportunity to learn from your mistakes

Cures for procrastination - 5

Reduce stress Stress leads to procrastination which in turn

leads to stress. This is a vicious cycle. Maintain stress in the optimum area which

will improve performance.

Reduce distractions Work in an organized environment Be prepared – have everything at your

fingertips

Conclusion

Procrastination leads to stress & reduce one’s performance. It can be overcome by following these steps:

Replace ‘should’ & ‘fear’ with ‘want’ & ‘need’

Break down the task into smaller ones Set up a reward-punishment system Modify your goals Change your negative thinking Reduce stress Reduce distractions

Thank You