Article Treasures | five Insurmountable Ways And Means For Eradicating the Propensity of Procrastination

Procrastination is one of the most widespread personality disorders people tend to exhibit in the modern world. While it primarily is used to refer to the act of putting off any kind of work altogether, it also applies to someone who sits down and works for five minutes, thinks of something else and promptly (even /gratefully/) hops up and runs off to do that instead. Procrastination is, in my opinion, largely due to a superficial, entertainment driven society and a lower standard of work ethic which we here in the United States and many other places have cultivated. That being what it is, however, what is the best way to combat this annoying and often detrimental habit?

Get Started
Stalling inevitably leads only to more stalling, so the only cure for this is truly to put your put down and simply commit to the task, /now./ If it's truly something that needs to be done it obviously takes precedence over surfing the internet, making a snack, sorting the laundry, playing with the dog, whatever. When it comes to prioritizing very few of our daily activities are really and truly very important, so make the conscious decision to put the fluff on hold and get your work done /first./

Minimize Distractions
Prior to sitting down to work take the time to eliminate any possible distractions you can think of. These include preparing a glass of water and keeping it handy at your workstation, visiting the restroom, disengaging the tv, radio, iPod or anything else that will captivate your attention and make stalling easy.

Clear Your Mind
Another big cause of procrastination actually lies in the inability to focus fully on the task. If you pay attention to it, your mind is actually engaged in a nonstop monologue of sorts, playing out past and future conversations, ideas, scenarios, commentary, you name it. It's unceasing and wholly disruptive. If you stop, take a deep breath, and consciously decide to stop it, you'll find that you can. Much of the time during which we're "working" is punctuated by long stretches where our mind goes where it will-friends, tv shows, dinner, whatever-sometimes without us even knowing, and this has a huge impact on the progress we make. We perceive instead that the task is taking /forever/ and it makes us even more anxious and disinclined to focus, so the easier alternative of getting up and doing something mindless is the path most people generally take.

Incentives
Like a dog treat for an obedient pooch, incentives can be the motivation you need to just do the right thing and get your work done. For example, I mentioned that work is more important than snacking earlier-and it is-but you're still going to get hungry. Tell yourself that you'll go and get a snack /after/ you finish your work, and you'll naturally apply yourself to getting the job done faster in order to get to your snack quicker. The key to this is of course holding to the depends you make on yourself; if you tell yourself you'll get your snack after but instead cave in and get a snack during, then the whole practice is undermined and has little effect.

Just Do It
In the end, the only way to get anything done is to take action, make those first small steps and just /do/ it. It's possible to make excuses and invent other things to occupy your time all day long. It's up to you what is most important-keeping your job, earning a degree, taking care of the housework--and what you /choose/ to spend your time and energy pursuing. In the words of Hillel the Elder:

"If I am not for myself, then who will be for me? And if I am only for myself, then what am I? And if not now, when?"