Tick-Tock Tomorrow: A Tale of Procrastination

?Hola! fellow procrastinators and masters of the art of delayed productivity! Let's face it, we're all guilty of putting off tasks until the last minute, only to find ourselves in a caffeine-fueled, adrenaline-pumped race against the clock. Welcome to the Procrastination Club, where our motto is, "Why do today what you can put off until tomorrow?" If you're a seasoned procrastination pro or just getting started on your journey of delaying the inevitable, you're in good company. We will be looking at the following

• What is procrastination
• Types of procrastination
• Procrastination puzzle: quest for Productivity
• How to overcome procrastination
• It’s more than just laziness

Let's not set the reading aside for another day and proceed to it right now

What is procrastination??

Procrastination is the act of delaying tasks until the last minute or past their deadlines. Researchers describe it as a "form of self-regulation failure characterised by the irrational delay of tasks despite potentially negative consequences." Sound familiar?

Types of Procrastination

1. Passive Procrastinators: These individuals struggle to make decisions and act on them, leading to delays.
2. Active Procrastinators: They intentionally delay tasks because working under pressure motivates them.

Take Sanjay, for example. A dedicated professional in a prominent tech company, he often found himself sinking into distractions like scrolling through Instagram or binge-watching Netflix. Despite his aspirations, he would glance at the clock and realize how much time had slipped away.

Procrastination Puzzle: Quest for Productivity

As Sanjay reflected on his habits, he discovered a pattern: he tended to put off tasks with later deadlines. This led him to learn about Parkinson’s Law of Procrastination, which states that the more time you have to complete a task, the more you tend to delay it. Interestingly, the National Institutes of Health, “active procrastination is a self-regulating time-management strategy that allows working under pressure and meeting deadlines successfully.”

The Parkinson’s Law of Procrastination that’s tricking us into staying unproductive. This law says that the more time you have to complete a task, the more you delay doing it. Also being an? “Active Procrastinator”, According to

How To Overcome Procrastination?

• Make a to-do list: To help keep you on track, consider placing a due date next to each item.
• Take baby steps: Break down the items on your list into small, manageable steps so that your tasks don’t seem so overwhelming.
• Recognize the warning signs: Pay attention to any thoughts of procrastination and do your best to resist the urge.?
• Eliminate distraction: Ask yourself what pulls your attention away the most—whether it's Instagram, or the local news—and turn off those sources of distraction.
• Pat yourself on the back: When you finish an item on your to-do list on time, congratulate yourself and reward yourself by indulging in something you find fun.????

Sanjay knew the internet could distract him, so he tried his hands on the Pomodoro Technique.?

The Pomodoro Technique is a time management method based on 25-minute stretches of focused work broken by five-minute breaks. Longer breaks, typically 15 to 30 minutes, are taken after four consecutive work intervals.

He worked for 25 minutes, then took a 5-minute break. During those 25 minutes, he put his phone away and turned the notification to silent to avoid distraction. He also revised his approach on setting the goals for the day and stuck to the goals that are - SMART Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound goals. This helped in staying grounded and improved his efficiency seamlessly.

It's More Than Just Laziness

Sanjay also realised procrastination is not about laziness. It’s about how we feel about the work we have in hand and how we perceive our ability to get it done. Procrastination greatly impacts how much we get done. When we don't feel confident, we avoid taking charge or doing things we could be great at because we doubt ourselves, self-doubt stops us from starting new tasks.

We also want things to be perfect, which makes everyday tasks feel like a lot of pressure. It's strange that even though we want to do well, we can also be scared of actually succeeding. So, procrastination isn't just about waiting – it's about how we feel about ourselves and how that stops us from doing our best.

At work , Sanjay's story spread like a fire as his friends were still amazed at his consistent efforts turning fruitful, his story encouraged others to stop putting things off and to use their time wisely. Anyo can help you create routines and set goals and keep track of those goals and make room for errors.?

Check with Anyo for a DIY curated therapy for enhanced productivity to execute that action plan of yours. The journey evokes some thinking, determination, and simple tricks, even the toughest habits can be beaten.?