Procrastination is a habit that we all have to some extent, but some much more than others! For people that like to get things done in a timely fashion, procrastination can seem like a lazy, unhelpful alternative so let’s take a look at it.
According to Wikipedia, “Procrastination is the action of unnecessarily and voluntarily delaying or postponing something despite knowing that there will be negative consequences for doing so.”. This is very different to laziness. When someone is being lazy they do not want to act on anything, they want to do nothing. When someone is procrastinating they do so by doing other tasks of a lower priority – that is they are still doing things. This is a very important point to remember when dealing with procrastinators! It is one that I am trying to take note of.
There are many websites and books dedicated to this very issue so it is obviously not that easy to change, nor can it be done overnight. But one website I did particularly like was How to Stop Procrastinating by Mind Tools. In it they discuss 3 steps, as follows:
Step 1: Recognize That You’re Procrastinating
Step 2: Work Out WHY You’re Procrastinating
Step 3: Adopt Anti-Procrastination Strategies
There are some really helpful explanations under each step, and in Step 3 two of the strategies I really like are to promise yourself a reward and to ask someone to check up on you. These seem the most practical to try out on my young daughter!
Now, I wanted to finish this blog with a success story, and yet it was not to be! My daughter always procrastinates when it comes to having a shower. Even if she is given 2 hours’ notice of when she has to finish by, she leaves it to the very last minute and often runs late. So this week I decided to sit down with her and discuss the pros and cons of having an earlier or later shower. She saw the best solution was to have an earlier shower, and eagerly agreed to do so, however, it didn’t eventuate. Somehow she got distracted again and ended up running late, resulting in no afternoon tea. If you have any suggestions please leave a comment below!!!
Procrastination is a habit that cannot be changed overnight, but with effort, time and practice it can be improved upon which can affect many facets of your life. Of course not all procrastination is bad and it is something we all do in some area of our lives. For me it can be when my perfectionism is getting in the way. What about you?
About the Author
Sally is a home organisation and budgeting expert with a passion for helping families take the stress out of everyday tasks by creating simple, efficient and cost-effective processes. Her strategies can result in more time and energy being available to spend time doing what you love. Sally is a quiet budgeting queen, home organisation specialist, wife, mother, animal-loving mathematician and so much more.
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