Overcoming Procrastination.

Procrastination is Opportunity's Natural Assassin - Victor Kiam

A long time ago, I came across a lengthy but rather interesting article on procrastination. After reading the article, I took comfort in the fact that I am not alone! Many people also struggle with procrastination beyond my imagination. Whilst some people are in denial others (like me hehe) are brave enough to admit it.

I recently spoke to someone very close to my heart and he told me about a habit he needs to overcome, 'Procrastinating'. I was shocked as he didn't strike me as someone who procrastinates. Alas I decided it's time I blog about it.
Procrastinating is a habit I picked up and perfected in University, being the only girl in the family my mother is always worried about this habit of mine. I remember revising entire courses two days before an exam and turning up to exams looking like a prisoner of war or writing a whole 5000 words essay a day to submission. Upon leaving university it became apparent that procrastinating had bled into other areas of my life. Fast forward to age 25 and I’m over-qualified to teach a course on ‘How to Procrastinate’.

(See what I did and how I overcame it here).

So….
I decided to change.

 

Not because I 'wanted' to change but I knew I 'needed' and have to. The pangs of guilt I felt every night when I realized I’d accomplished nothing were bad for my health (I know I’m a drama queen). More importantly, I needed to change to become a better daughter/ sister / niece /aunt / wife /mother /friend /wearer of fabulous shoes. And the less I procrastinate, the better I become at all of those roles.

I realized I needed to learn new habits and critically unlearn old ones, so I started reading extensively on the topic and seeking help and advice from anyone willing to give it. Much to my surprise over the past few years there’s been a significant improvement. I am better at getting things done almost immediately rather than pile them on my to-do list. I’m not there yet, I must admit 80% better.

Now let me share some tips which helped in my journey towards overcoming procrastination. It’d be great if you left some of your tips and experiences in the comments section. The more I learn, the better :)
Here it goes.....

 

How to Overcoming Procrastination.

 

1) Re-assess Your Life.

 

Someone once said to me that ‘Anyone that constantly defers everything they need to do is probably living someone else's life' and I do think they have a point.
A lot of people fill their lives with things done to fulfill others expectations, rather than things that align to their core. So they constantly defer plans playing the 'I'll do it tomorrow' game, because they don't really want to do those things at all. The question we need to ask is 'Why do I do what I do?’ and 'Am I meant to be doing what I do?' The more you fill your life with the things you love, the easier ‘work’ becomes. As the saying goes 'do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life’.

2) Have a Reasonable To Do List.

A lot of procrastination stems from the fact we’re too ambitious when formulating our ‘to do list’.
Long ‘to do lists’ are overrated. It's better to work smart than work hard. Extensive periods of hard work will result in diminishing returns and your work becomes more and more mediocre with each step you take. Contrarily, if your ‘to do list’ is too short, you may gain displaced confidence as a result of doing very little. So keep it reasonable.

 

3) Prioritize.

Prioritize: Placing the most strenuous and important tasks at the top of pile. When you do the hard stuff first, everything else will feel easy. The more I encounter people obsessed with seeming busy, the more I realize people don’t understand the concept of ‘high priority’.
If everything on your 'to do list' is ‘high priority’ it’s either....
a) Your life is so hectic you're heading towards a heart attack or…
b) You don’t know what ‘high’, ‘urgent’ or ‘priority’ is.

 

 

4) De-clutter.

De-cluttering is stripping your life down to its necessary components.
So De-clutter…
Your workspace
Your head
Your ‘friends’
Your diet
Then…
De-clutter your 'to do list' (again).

5) Be Accountable.

Don’t we all need checks and balances? Trust me we all do.  Find someone to be accountable to.

6) Find a Routine

 

For me, this has been the hardest rule to implement simply because I personally tend to thrive off the unexpected. However a foundation and routine is needed to hold up the superstructure of our lives.

7) Be Flexible

I had to learn the 'flexibility rule' the hard way. Part of overcoming procrastination is differentiating procrastination from a creative block. If you’re genuinely trying to get a task done and it’s not working, move on. Some barriers aren’t meant to be overcome at that moment in time. We must respect our creative blocks, because they have their place. Be flexible and know when to walk away.

8) Choose Not to Live Each Day Like Your Last.

We all know the saying ‘Live each day like your last’? Well I hate it. It’s just stupid advice. Why on earth people subscribe to it, I do not know. If it’s our last day on earth, tomorrow doesn't matter because we won't be here to see it unfold!

On the other hand if we live each day in order to make our tomorrow better (and easier); it’s an incentive to get on with things. When I’m losing interest in doing something I think (aloud) ‘If you leave it till tomorrow, it’ll only be harder and more to do tomorrow” And because I feel embarrassed that I’m talking to myself, I start to get on with it.

9) JUST DO IT!

I've left the most important tip for last. The bottom line is ‘Just Do It”. If you don’t do it, rules 1-8 are inconsequential. You weren’t born to procrastinate get that out of your head now. Just do it and do your best.

Love Life

Olori Amope

xxx