Eliminating Procrastination Through the Tools Already in YouPosted by Hosanna on February 27th, 2021 Oops - I did it again I mean, for those of us who procrastinate, we become our worst best enemies. I mean, think about it; I have a task to complete and all I have to do is accomplish it. There is no one standing in my way, but low-and-behold, the day goes by and I have not completed my task. I venture to bet that everyone of us has had these times of procrastination. And what do we get from it? Ill tell you what we get. Stress. Don't you feel stressed out when you know you must accomplish a task, you push it off, you make excuses, you expend energy on everything else, but the task. And sometime, procrastination can even cost us money. How many people miss that April 15th deadline for Uncle Sam? Yes, that dreaded tax day. I even know people who are getting a refund and yet they fail to complete and submit their taxes in a timely fashion. But, nope; days and weeks go by and the taxes are not done. Frankly, I don't see much value in procrastination, but all of us do it anyway. Hmmm. Do you remember Charlie Brown, ya, that block-head. He was good at procrastinating. As he is faced with his own loafing skills of procrastination he says, "If I start writing now... when I'm not really rested... it could upset my thinking which is not good at all... I'll get a fresh start tomorrow... and it's not due till Wednesday... so I'll... have all of Tuesday unless... something should happen... Why does this always happen... I should be outside playing... getting fresh air and sunshine... I work best under pressure and there'll be lots of pressure if I... wait till tomorrow... I should start writing now but if I... start writing now when I'm not really rested... it could upset my thinking... which is not good at all." I can relate. So here I am writing an article about how to reduce procrastination and I am admitting to procrastination. Yes, we all have the thoughts and the ability to put off what we should do today until tomorrow. Maybe this is just hard wired into us and we should just go with it? Ya, that's my reasoning. But you know, that's not good enough, bah-humbug to that. Well, procrastination does really have a biological foundation. 1. Procrastination affects some more than others. Some people are more predisposed to procrastinate than others. Omg, that does not sound too good, or maybe it does if we are looking for an excuse for our procrastination, but it sucks if we want to reduce our procrastination. So, whatever method or way that I try to reduce procrastination, I must get around this predisposition to procrastination; if after all, maybw I am one of those sorry people whose genes pour information into my brain to procrastinate. Let's laugh at those genes, heck I probably get my genes from K-mart anyway. Genetics, in this form are predispositions and not commands. With our frontal cortex and even a trained limbic system we can over-ride a predisposition. I will discuss this how in a bit. I don't think it's a clever idea to have scientific reason 1, and then a solution, scientific reason 2, and then a solution because we are systems, and it does not work that way. 2. Procrastination feels good. Until it doesn't. Us humans (and other species) have feel good chemicals that get released in our bodies and because these neurotransmitters; (who has not heard of serotonin and dopamine?) humans have this pain/pleasure mechanism. If an action creates pleasure, we tend to remember that pleasure and then return to it. When we feel pain, we tend to retract from it, so we do not feel it again. Ah, but here is the catch, sometimes the pleasure centers out weigh the pain centers and induce memories of the pleasure rather than of the pain. You can ask any overweight person who suffers pain and ill health because of being overweight and yet, bring out the cake. 3. The brains decision making process is a constantly a tug-of-war. Most of us wake up and then just want to go back to bed. Maybe we even hit the snooze several times. There is that struggle. I must go to work, but I want to stay home. And for most of us, the work wins. For those who stay home, the unemployment line is probably enough pain. Thus, there is a constant struggle in our brains to act or not act. In almost all decisions, in a fraction of a second the brain is working to have fun. Hmm. Have you seen cartoons or movies with the angel on one shoulder and the devil on the other? Yup, that is how the brain functions at times. Procrastination is much like that, we know we should do what we need too, but we have our mind chatter like good old Charlie Brown and at the days end, we have an emotional hangover. 4. Self-control. We all want it. But let's get down to the brass tacks. When we procrastinate we have a breakdown in our self-control. Or do we? Our self, our conscious self knows it should be behaving in a specific way, but our unconscious urges have us behave in a different way. And so, it seems we have no self-control, and in fact, we do lose our conscious self-control. 5. Now the good news. Scientifically and experimentally we can beat back the forces of procrastination. If we couldn't, I guess me writing this article would be a complete buffoonery act. So, the gist of this article, well I guess the whole of this article is that we can do something about procrastination. I feel trapped in my own promises! If you are interested, you can read more depth to the science of procrastination. But, I have learned, more information does not always bring about different actions. It is though, when one learns how to use information to bring about change; that is when the miracle happens. OK. There are as many methods to reduce or eliminate procrastination as there those who write about. The good thing to remember though, for the articles, like mine that are written like this one, you at least know that the authors have some semblance of veracity because if they could not have overcome their procrastination to write, they would not have written the article; they are proof in the pudding. As mentioned, there are many ways and methods developed and proposed by different people. I will add one more voice. Here is the challenge. Procrastination can be deep rooted in an individual's life. It can be hardwired, and our brains can actually drive this behavior. It may bring a good feeling to procrastinate at times, like not mowing the lawn but putting it off, but in the end, now you have snakes in the grass. So, no matter what you do, the first thing you need to recognize, mentally, as you are trying to get things done, this is a mind game. You don't play chess without strategy. You don't cook a meal without a recipe; even if the recipe is in your head. You don't get a college education without going to college. You will find that overcoming procrastination, even in the moment will take some, but not much, mental exertion and energy. I can't give you a magic spell or voodoo touch, but I can give you a tool that is reasonable and that factors in human biology and human psychology. It is possible to overcome procrastination and finally have a life where the ego, the 'you' in the body is in control and the demon of procrastination whimpering and trying to find another home. Lists, goals, plans, arg. Who has time for them? The real question is, who does not? We all plan in our heads. Some people just put these plans to paper. We all implicitly choose what we will do first, second third, etc. We just don't write it down. Ah, and that is part of the failure we experience when we procrastinate. The thing, or action that we put off, may be in our minds the first item of duty, but we can convince ourselves that it can be the 10th and then it does not get done at all. So, how do we take all these seeming hindrances to action and change those into accomplishments? When it comes to the brass tacks, we must be convinced that we really want to create action. There must be a psychic change. We get sick and tired of being sick and tired of our procrastination. Its time for a change. There is no ritual you must follow to bring about this change, just a wiliness and an honest look at the problem. Are you sick and tired of procrastination and are you willing to just do a little thing, a little behavioral modification? I mean, it sure would be nice to brag "I don't procrastinate" no one will believe you of course, but you have a tool, a method you use. Let's get back to goals and lists. Sometimes its important to write them down, I don't know if you have heard the jingle, the saw, if you 'fail to plan, you plan to fail'. For this tool, you don't have to write anything down, you can do it in your head, but I write mine down, so I can look at them and thus they are not only ghosts in my mind, but mental pictures to my visual system. Writing my goals down just strengthens and reinforces what I am going to do, and because I am taking this seriously, I must be serious. We are almost done, yes it seems like I am rambling, I even feel I am. Here we go, most of us have a few fun things, things that bring pleasure to us throughout the day. Even eating brings pleasure. Do you remember when you were younger your parents used a strategy on you. "Johnnie, you can't go to Billie's until you clean your room". Most of us, if you really wanted to go to Billie's, you cleaned your room. Your parents have held the key to reducing or even eliminating procrastination all along. What if your parent's simply said, clean your room. Off went dad and mom to work (or play) and when they got home, the room probably wasn't clean because you were at Billie's instead. But when we grow up, we change or eliminate that strategy. That strategy was successful about 90% of the time, it was a strategy that worked. Yet when we got older and on our own, we switched to a strategy that works about 30% of the time. Let's go back to our parent's strategy; it worked, and it will work for you. When you start your day and have your written or mental list, 'you can't go to Billie's until you make the bed'. Billie's stands for any pleasurable activity, including even eating. In fact, some parents went as far to state "you can't have ice cream or even lunch until you take out the trash". It worked. Now use that same ideology, that same technique in your life. The things that you procrastinate to do, must be accomplished before the things you would never procrastinate. Eating, TV, Sports, after work activities, etc. Those items that must be accomplished but be accomplished first. Nothing should be accomplished before those things. You can't go to Billie's until you remove that item from you list that causes this procrastination. You may even want to hear mom or dads voice in your head. You can't have lunch, or you can't go golfing until you clean your room, or until you cut the lawn. Make this a lifestyle change, and in about a month, that will be your pattern of behavior. Before I let you go, are you going to immediately put this into action or wait until tomorrow? You can start NOW. I don't know if you are reading this in the am, mid-day, or pm. But what is it right now that you have procrastinated with? Whatever pleasure awaits you by days end, put into action this plan, and if you have heard mom or dad say, "you can't x until you do y", then go do y. I hoped this article helped you in your journey of life and helped you with that lingering badger of procrastination. It is possible to eliminate procrastination, your parents guaranteed that in your early years, the baton is now yours, you carry it for yourself. Dealing With Procrastination: Eliminating The Thief Of Time |
