COACHING
Procrastination
By Thrity Engineer-Mbuthia
2022 is almost at the end . Another year that seems to have flown by . One could almost be forgiven for thinking the earth spins round much faster these days . Looking back , are there things you set out to accomplish earlier in the year ? Whatever happened ?
Well , some people might say you were just lazy . You just didn ’ t have the will-power to complete your goals , or perhaps you didn ’ t think the goals were important enough . When goals are important , you deliberately put aside time to work on them .
What if I were to tell you it might be due to a simple 15 letter word - PROCRASTINATION ?
Procrastination is about putting off things or postponing completing tasks . It is with the knowledge that the delay will have some sort of negative effect but the person still goes ahead to put it off . Most of you will know from experience that such delays eventually lead to a situation where the task still needs to be completed , it becomes a lastminute activity and it is virtually impossible to do a good job in the circumstances . The pressure is sometimes immense and leaves the individual in a stressed state . No one really likes the pressure that much , you are probably swearing how next time you won ’ t leave it right to the end , and then when next time comes along , you go right back to square one .
What causes procrastination ? In a 2021 article appearing in the Washington Post , author Angela Haupt says people rarely procrastinate when doing fun things or things that make them happy . They do however tend to put off things they don ’ t like , aren ’ t sure about or find boring . It could also be things that are difficult and making the right choices isn ’ t fun either .
You have probably heard people saying things like , “ I can get it done better when I do it last minute ” or “ the pressure makes me get it right .” Are you lying to yourself that procrastination is a good thing ? Does it have any benefits at all ?
According to the website www . solvingprocrastination . com , procrastination can be a good thing . The website talks of several benefits , but three stand out for me .
• Procrastination can give you more time to think and reflect on the task at hand . This extra time can bring about clarity , allowing you to get to the root of the task in a much shorter time .
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You have probably heard people saying things like , “ I can get it done better when I do it last minute ” or “ the pressure makes me get it right .” Are you lying to yourself that procrastination is a good thing ? Does it have any benefits at all ?
• The time constraint allows you to focus and work on the task , utilizing the only available time . This means the task isn ’ t stretched out over a much longer time period , allowing you to utilize your time more efficiently . There is actually a term used for this phenomenon called Parkinson ’ s Law - which states that “ work expands so as to fill the time which is available for its completion .”
• When you sit down and focus on a task , it means you are able to give it your best , all your energy and perhaps even some creativity . Once you are in “ the zone ” you tend to get things done .
Who would have thought there are benefits from procrastination , especially since the word is usually linked to high levels of stress , health concerns and even negative impacts on work or school . To be clear , the down side of procrastination needs to be taken into consideration as the long-term impact on life can be quite devastating .
I am sure you can tell if you are a serial procrastinator or not . What can you do about it ? How can you overcome this habit ?
The first step , as with many habit changing approaches , is to accept the problem . Accept that this is what you currently do , but identify that this is not where you wish to remain .
Start small . Every single step in the right direction , makes the difference . If you want to work on your fitness , start by identifying a program that you would like . A gym , yoga , a motivational podcast or join a support group . Each tiny step will work its way to the end goal .
40 MAL51 / 22 ISSUE