“Procrastination: the act or habit of delaying or putting off”, We have all had that nagging voice in our head telling us “tomorrow for sure”, and then tomorrow it’s the same, until you are in the grasp on the devil time trying to pass off your shady schemes or works as “this is the best I could do” and then later having crib or brag about how you could have done better, if you just had the time.
Now there is no one in this world who could claim they have not procrastinated, I am sure even Einstein did it (I think). So how does one, advocate its way out from the voice of procrastination in their head.
- Try to understand why one procrastinates.
There may be a magnitude of reasons one delays any sort of work, too risky, too lazy, too busy, too anything. But, one thing you need to acknowledge is that if the thought of your work lingers in your head is because, somewhere, somehow that little intelligent percent of your brain knows you can do it.
Think about it, you choose to delay cleaning your room or avoiding that assignment at the last moment is because you know you can do it, you just choose not to do it now.
So, why not do it now, at least that annoying voice in your head might quite down.
- How on priority is it?
One can never measure the priority of anything until the moment arrives. However, by human standards we just decide it’s too important or it’s simply not.
If it’s important, than I shouldn’t have to write it down that one should start on the task immediately, however you choose not to do so is either because you lack motivation or are simply afraid of the outcome.
This is the moment you methodically evaluate what have you got to lose if you do not do this task, or what will you gain if you do.
Also, if the task is just not worth your time or isn’t on priority, then still do it and get it out of the way or simply remove it from your task list.
- Train your brain to be a bit selfish
Now I know how it sounds however bear with me for a really really short story.
“Once upon a in a small village there were many farmers, however one of those farmer would every year finish all his task early before the harvest, and in his free time would just watch his fellow farmers working, while he sat and ate watermelon. One day a small kid asked the farmer, “My father says you finish up early every year and then watch the others work. Why?” The farmer smiled and replied “I finish my work early so that I could see all other farmers’ work, while I pleasantly eat my fruit and at the same time I see the mistakes they make while working, I make sure to note them and not do it myself”.
So, after this story all I can say is do your work early so that you can evaluate your work from a different perspective and at the same time watch your mates struggle with their work 😉
And that’s how you play the devil’s advocate to the voice in your head.
-Puja Bhawal
M.Sc Multimedia
