How To Procrastinate On Procrastination

If there’s one thing I know about you is that at some point in your day-to-day life you tend to postpone tasks you perform for the sake of emergency duties or simply laziness. From very usual activities to time-consuming professional goals, it is hard for some and quite impossible for others to keep up with performing tasks on time. Why so? First, let’s call it procrastination. 

Essentially, In simpler terms, procrastination can be defined as the unwillingness to do something at the moment of speaking. If you’ve ever been through this routine, you might want to quit or reduce the flow of this habit. But first, it is important to spot the reasons why you do it or why you can’t stop doing it. Here are some common reasons why we procrastinate.

1. The task is ideally easy to perform

Have you ever been asked by a superior or someone else to write a letter? Yes, a letter. Well, it is logically one of the easiest assignments one could be doing. But since it is so, we prioritize other tasks or activities that lead to new ones and over and over. 

And that simple letter went from do-it-now to the end of the week, if there’s any gap. Many examples fall into this category and the easier the task, the more we tend to do it at a later time as we are convinced of executing it in a short amount of time. 

2. Overconfidence

Feeling confident about our skills can greatly shift our work from good to great. But being overconfident is an extreme that blinds us and puts our emotions over facts. It is no different in cases when we have to do something and we are so certain we can do it that we underestimate the process. Thus, it is more likely that we do it at a later time while we could have done it the same day. 

3. Lack of proper planning

Task management can be very intimidating when it comes to deciding which tasks go to which priority level. Either you are using an application or a diary, your daily task flow should follow your time management. 

Proper planning is not only about setting things up, but it also factors in how you manage the difficulty level of the tasks you need to perform. Failing to define proper planning can lead you to misassess your to-do list and report what you shouldn’t. 

Added to the fact that this is a very particular year with downturns and more challenges to overcome, it is harder for anyone to keep up with the flow of their normal daily life. Nevertheless, procrastinating on procrastination might be a more positive way to get over task-postponing habits. 

All it means is that you dive into an instructive and positive activity whenever you feel laziness getting over you. Procrastinating on procrastination would imply following a constructive task flow in which breaks or leisure time are considered tasks as well. Please note that mental or physical fatigue is a normal part of the process, so, you should allow yourself to rest for a fair amount of time every day. 

The question remains, how do you put it into practice? There are tons of time or task management techniques but not all of them may work effectively for you. The following techniques are a simple and effective way to procrastinate on procrastination. 

If it takes less than 2 minutes to perform, do it NOW!

From cleaning the dishes to calling a friend, it takes you no time to do so. But because it does, you pile up all these small tasks which later fall into an inappropriate or busy schedule. So, if it takes less than 2 minutes to perform, do it NOW. RIGHT NOW! 

The better you handle small tasks, the more comfortable you’ll be handling lengthier ones.  It works for more complex tasks as well. The key is to split them into smaller achievable ones so that you can have successive 2-minute tasks that contribute to a big one. 

The Chain Method

This method comes as a progressive task management technique which requires you to mark up each day with a cross if you complete all the tasks. The interesting part of it is that it forces you to accomplish all tasks as you would not like the chain to break. Technically, the chain is the series of crosses you mark up on your calendar and is a great reminder of how consistent you are regarding your short-term and long-term goals. 

It is normal to procrastinate. It reminds us that we are not robots! But over repeating this habit is destructive. As long as you include breaks, leisure time, and sleep as tasks in your daily life, you will progressively reduce distracting habits and improve your productivity. 

From now on, if you ever feel like you can’t stop procrastinating, then start procrastinating on procrastination by either using the 2-minute method or the chain method, or any other method you feel comfortable with. Manage your time efficiently…but do not overmanage it!