Have you ever promised to work on a project and find yourself aimlessly scrolling through social media, watching random videos, or wagering on premier iGaming platforms like spin.city? If that’s the case then you have a procrastination problem. And so do millions of Canadians and other people across the globe. The concept of putting things off for a later time might seem like a personal problem, and it may be attributed to laziness, but neither of these is true. Dithering on tasks isn’t a simple concept that can be solved just by doing the thing you set out to do. Rather, it is a problem that is embedded in the human psyche and has been a conundrum for scientists for eons. Before we set out on the solutions for this problem, let’s just make sure we’re acclimatized to it and its underlying causes, then move on to the solution.
The Concept of Procrastination
The concept of putting things off for later is far from being a modern problem; it has a long-standing history. Great philosophers from the once mighty Ancient Greek empire, such as Socrates and Aristotle, studied this phenomenon at great lengths and even gave a name for it: “akrasia”.
This phenomenon describes the paradox of acting against one’s better judgment. It essentially entails going for short-term enjoyment at the expense of executing long-term goals and responsibilities. In practice, this is the moment when you should be finishing up your thesis defense, for example, but you find yourself binge-watching a series. Often, your mind convinces you that one more episode will suffice, leading you to either poorly complete your task or abandon it altogether.
In essence, procrastination is the act of deferring tasks despite being aware of the potential consequences of not carrying out the task you need to do. But why do we do this? And how best can we break this vicious cycle that has delayed dreams and quite often killed many dreams altogether? Stick around to find out!
The Science Behind the Struggle
To truly understand the concept of task avoidance, we have to take a deep dive into behavioral psychology. Previous studies have come up with the “why” to this problem. Here’s a detailed look at what we uncovered:
- The role of “Time Inconsistency”: At the core of this habit is a phenomenon called time inconsistency which refers to our tendency to prioritize short-term benefits over future rewards.
- The raging battle between our present and future selves: Your future self sets ambitious goals designed to improve your life. However, it is the present self that must take the necessary actions to achieve those goals. Often, when it’s time to act, the present self tends to seek short-term comfort instead.
- Seeking instant gratification: Our brains are wired to look for instant rewards. While these provide relief in the immediate term, the consequences in the long term are often harsh.
All in all, the constant battle between immediate and long-term aspirations is why we often procrastinate. Having gotten to the root cause of this phenomenon, we can now use science-backed solutions to tackle it head-on.
So, How Do You Stop?
There are a lot of books, websites, motivational speakers, and so many other sources that claim to have the magic pill to help you overcome your bad habit of deferring actions. However, we’ve come up with a pretty solid action plan that’s based on scientific studies to help you beat this disease:
- Make Rewards Immediate: Pair a task you often put off with something enjoyable. For example, you can take your morning run while listening to your favorite music;
- Make Dithering Costly: While we’re always aware of the consequences of putting off tasks, we tend to overlook the fact that these repercussions do not occur immediately. As such, it is time to make those consequences immediate. For example, you can schedule a study session with a college. If you fail to show up, it not only disrupts your plans but also leaves you looking untrustworthy;
- Fully Commit to Future Actions: To overcome this problem, you must be 100% committed to taking action. Establish good habits, such as deleting distracting apps or automating your saving progress;
- Make Your Tasks Achievable: One of the reasons we tend to procrastinate is the way we view a task. If a task feels overwhelming, we are more likely to choose the easier option of putting it off. To combat this, you can use strategies to break the task down into manageable parts. One effective approach is the two-minute rule, where you start with a task that takes less than two minutes to complete. Additionally, breaking larger tasks into smaller milestones can help you achieve quick wins and maintain motivation;
- Create a good productivity system: A great system goes a long way towards helping you beat this problem. You can use the Ivy Lee method for instance, where you can prioritize six tasks daily and make sure you complete them in order. There are lots of other systems that you can employ out there, like the Pomodoro technique among others.
Take Action Today!
If you’ve been facing the procrastinating challenge, this is your first real test in recovery. Do not put it off for later. Take solid steps today to get you on the recovery path. It’s not about waiting for motivation, rather, it’s all about starting small and staying consistent in the long haul. The best time to take control is now. Take action today, and let’s beat procrastination!