Just Do It and Get It Overwith: Tips to END Procrastination

It took me 45 mins to finally start writing this post.

I tried to think of all of the other things I could be doing instead- but how many times can I really pick at the same hang nail or rewatch my fav movie, Love and Basketball?

If you're like me then it's safe to say you have become a Functioning Procrastinator - which is basically an individual who although they may be successful, they always seem to undergo so much unneccessary stress and anxiety that is often associated with waiting until the last minute.


Well you know what, I don't want to be this way anymore. So, I'm making a public statement on my new goal to end procrastination. If you would also like to end your battle with putting things off, check out the info below!

What is Procrastination: Definition-The act of postponing, delaying or putting off, especially out of habitual carelessness or laziness. Now, I don't know about you, but as a YBR woman, I do not in any way want to be characterized as someone who is "habitually careless" or "lazy". It may sound harsh, but any time we are putting off a task or goal we have set for ourselves we are identifying with these terms. That should be reason enough to want to change these habits. If it is not don't worry, procrastination is nothing more than a bad habit and habits are something we can work on breaking.


Why we Procrastinate: The many reasons vary and are based on the individual characteristics and personality of each person, however, the most common reasons are giving in to distractions, feeling anxiety or fear toward a task, and lack of motivation. Do you suddenly feel the need to start on another project of less importance every time you get ready to begin completing a task? Are you afraid that you will not be able to complete the task perfectly? Are you simply unable to find the energy to begin or you just don't know how to begin?

How we end Procrastination: The fact that you have identified yourself as being a procrastinator is already a great step in the right direction. Believe it or not, there are many people walking around today who assume their habit of waiting until the last minute to complete a task surrounded by the pressure of deadlines, anxiety, and inadequacy is normal. I'm here to tell you it's not.

• Change the way you view the upcoming task. When you think you'll never be able to complete the task or you keep telling yourself you don't know where to start, you're brain will offer up procrastination as a defense mechanism. Instead of saying "I don't know where to begin" say "I'm ready to begin now".


• Don't focus on perfection. Trying to think of all of the things that can go wrong with a task can serve as a way for procrastination to set in. You may begin to feel anxiety or fear of not presenting a "perfect" product which may result in paralyzing your efforts and never getting started. Change your thought process to viewing the mere completion of a task as the accomplishment instead of measuring how accurate or perfect it is. If you complete a task with enough time to spare before the actual deadline, you can use the extra time for revisions and rechecks.


• Rethink your reasons for taking on the task in the first place. Lack of motivation shouldn't always be looked at as a bad thing. Most people are not procrastinators in all areas of their lives. What makes tasks we put off different from those we don't. Are we feeling forced to complete a task based on what we feel others think we should be doing? Is the task even in line with our personal/professional goals? If it is, then use the strategy in tip 1 and tell yourself you are ready to begin right now. If it is not, then it's ok to drop the task altogether. It's so much easier to be motivated to complete a task that is more in line with our bottom line than to complete one that is not.

No matter what your reason for procrastination, the easiest way to overcome this bad habit, is by just forcing yourself to begin. Whether you need to block out 5 sets of 30 minute blocks to finally start cleaning your apartment, or sit down to outline the 20 page report that's due in two weeks, do whatever you need to in order to get started. Often times the most difficult part of a project is simply starting it.

So, the next time you feel procrastination rearing its ugly head trying to throw you off course, use the strategies above to get you over that hump. After all, the sooner you get started, the sooner you will be finished, and the sooner you can move on to doing something else.

-Alecia D.