Understanding Habitual Procrastination: “I Will Do It Tomorrow”
Procrastination: ‘the act of delaying something that must be done because it is unpleasant or boring’. More than often, it leads us to say, “I will do it tomorrow”.
There is little research on why we procrastinate; often, it is wrongly associated with poor time management. However, it seems more likely that procrastination stems from associating the tasks in front of us with boredom and anxiety. For example, we may fear something to be too challenging. Thus, we delay it. Alternatively, if our motivation and mood are low, doing something we enjoy instead is much more appealing.
While navigating my journey from A-levels to university, I have particularly struggled with procrastination. Underlined by a sense of imposter syndrome, I often fear my work will be inadequate. As a result, I can open my assignment and suddenly have the urge to begin a new hobby or watch that new series on Netflix. However, over time, I have learnt that delaying something due to the anxieties I may associate with it can only hold me back.
Instead, procrastination brings me more anxiety because I have a growing list of tasks I must complete. Thus, I sought to find a solution – something I have found helpful is breaking up a big task into smaller tasks. For example, dividing an essay I must complete into research, planning, writing and proofreading. Setting realistic goals for achieving each step and planning downtime to avoid burnout is also very important.
Additionally, rewards may help. When I procrastinate, I try to find something more rewarding or fun than the initial task. Thus, putting rewards in place for completing each step or goal can be a good motivator and prevent procrastination. For example, planning a movie night with friends after studying.
Combined with this, I remind myself of my ‘why’. What is the long-term outcome of this task? I wish to become a lawyer; thus, getting my degree will be an important milestone in working towards that. To aid this, you could make a mood board or write little reminders around your workspace.
Finally, if you say, “I will do it tomorrow,” more often than not, remind yourself how far you have already come. Forgive yourself when you procrastinate; remember, it is okay to ask for help if you find something particularly challenging.
Do you have any tips to share that prevent you from saying, “I will do it tomorrow”?
Sources:
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/procrastination
https://www.bps.org.uk/research-digest/episode-10-how-stop-procrastinating
https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20210310-why-we-procrastinate-on-the-tiniest-of-tasks
Featured image courtesy of Christin Hume on Unsplash. Image license found here. No changes were made to this image.
