The Mechanics Of Preventing Procrastination

There are a lot of misconceptions about procrastination. People often think that procrastinators are lazy, disorganized, or just bad at time management. Before we look at productive ways of preventing procrastination, let us, first of all, get a grasp on what it entails.

Procrastination is a word that is usually mentioned by so many motivational speakers who admonish their listeners to destroy it should it in any case rears its ugly head. So far so many of us grew up with that mentality. However, the truth is, that procrastination is a coping mechanism that people use to deal with stress or anxiety.

At its core, procrastination is simply putting off tasks that we don't want to do. This can be for a variety of reasons – we may not be motivated to do them, we may not know how to start, or we may feel overwhelmed by them. But by putting them off, we're doing ourselves a disservice.

Procrastination can be helpful when it’s used sparingly, but when it becomes a regular habit, it can be damaging to both your mental and physical health. If you’re struggling with procrastination, there are a few things you can do to break the habit and start getting things done.

There are a variety of mechanics or methods that can be used to prevent oneself from procrastinating.

The first is to understand why you procrastinate.

Are you avoiding a task because it's difficult, or because you don't want to do it? Once you know the reason, you can start to address it. You can do like me by discussing it with yourself. Talk to yourself with a loud voice and respond to yourself. You can ask yourself questions like: If I postpone this task till tomorrow, what will I gain or lose? This question appears simple yet powerful and I will tell you why. You see, when you ask yourself that question, you draw consciousness in yourself as at present and your instincts will reply to you. The response always turns out to be that you will LOSE if you don't carry out the task at hand and that will prompt me to get the task done.

Another popular method is the Pomodoro Technique.

This technique involves breaking down work-time into 25-minute intervals, with five-minute breaks in between. During these 25 minutes, the goal is to focus on a specific task without interruption. After 25 minutes, if the task is not completed, then it is put off for another day.

You can also apply one of the techniques I love to use which is The 5-3-2 rule

This rule is a strategy for preventing procrastination. It's simple: work for five minutes, take a three-minute break, and then work for another two minutes. This cycle can be repeated as many times as necessary throughout the day.

 The 5-3-2 rule is a great way to get started on a task, especially if you find yourself procrastinating. It's also a good way to break up a long task into smaller, more manageable chunks. I use it a lot to study during my undergraduate days and it was indeed helpful, especially in situations where I will have to digest voluminous texts in preparation for my exams. I still use this technique too and I want to encourage you to try it as well. It works! So as the other techniques I have outlined.

All of these techniques won't work if you don't give them a try. You just have to try it if procrastination won't just let you be. You won't get better at once of course but surely if you keep at it, you will experience some changes and your body and soul will welcome this new courage you've found and at some point later, you will carry out tasks so effortlessly. I wish you the best out there!

Thanks for reading.

See you at the next one.