Procrastination: Definition, Causes, and Solutions

How do you wake up each day, with love or difficulty, optimism or resentment? Do you wish you could get an extra hour of sleep? Do you remember the amount of work to be performed, so you run away from that picture and use your blanket again to get another good bit of sleep? Are you surprised by those who get up early to their work while they are at the top of their activity and vitality?

Are you a proponent of the saying: “There is nothing in life that is more difficult than work” or do you find in work a real pleasure and an unspeakable passion?

We all want to seek the results of our actions as quickly as possible, so we are shocked by the nature of some work that requires a sufficient period of time in order to bear fruit and give its benefits. As a result, we tend to procrastinate because we can't wait for the desired results.

The age of consumerism and the fast pace of life dominates us, which makes us so pushy, reckless, and unwise in many walks of life until the idea of ​​“building long-term goals” becomes naive and unrealistic for many people.

We support our mind in its pursuit of rest all the time, fleeing to social media, addicted to smoking, unhealthy foods, sweets, and picnics, turning away from our passions, goals, and ambitions, surrendering our free will to the negative, frivolous, worthless thought of “I can’t stand the pain of doing everything.” Therefore, we say “let me enjoy my time,” ignoring all our creative capabilities to reach what we want, and our distinctive abilities to circumvent the games of the mind seeking comfort and evasion of work.

The intelligent person is the one who performs tasks that are compatible with his passion and values ​​while maintaining his health and psychological balance; while the procrastinator abandons his will and forgets his goals, floating in the distractions of life, surrendering to  ​​his negative thoughts and the malicious games of his mind.

We will learn in this article how to get rid of procrastination and how to fill your life with energy and vitality.

What is procrastination?

It is the tendency of a person to postpone the tasks that must be done, without having a logical justification that calls for it, despite one’s prior knowledge of the negative damages resulting from postponing them.

What are the causes of procrastination?

1. The craving for instant gratification:

Many people suffer from boredom and impatience. They cannot wait for the long-term results of the work they do, which makes them prefer procrastination over working and striving.

For example, someone might think of creating a YouTube channel, but their rush to reach a large number of viewers, their violent desire to appear and succeed, unexpected obstacles that appear to them on the way, and the time required to launch the channel and its success discourage them from working, so they tend to procrastinate and give up on their goal.

2. Weakness of will towards distractions:

Many people are not able to put an end to the distractions of life, so they are exposed to addict smoking, social media, or unhealthy food, and then use their negative addiction as an escape from work and stress. For example, someone flees to social media at the time they are supposed to work on their project and goals.

3. High expectations:

Many people may build very high expectations on the results of their work so that they want to reach the perfect and ideal image, which constrains them and imposes additional psychological burdens; consequently, this may lead them to addict procrastination and delay.

4. Lack of Value, passion, and mission:

Perhaps the biggest reason behind the human tendency to procrastinate is the lack of clarity of their values, passion, and mission in life, as they do not find the motivation to get up from their bed every day and go through life with all its variables. Rather, they find that everything they do in life is not worthy of attention, work, and endeavour.

5. Fear from the start:

Many people fall victim to fear and insomnia. They exaggerate and complicate life, imagining very difficult scenarios for the tasks assigned to them, which makes them afraid to start work, so that fear dominates and paralyzes their strengths.

6. Absence of internal commitment:

Many people do not work unless there is a harsh administration controlling them. They do not have enough willpower to act on their goals and plans on their own; therefore, you find them postponing tasks that raise their status and give them a new and different dimension to their lives.

Procrastination Solutions: 

How to get rid of procrastination?

1. Energy conversion:

Change your physical condition when you have fears associated with starting the work assigned to you. Changing your physical position helps you change your negative thoughts and your behaviour. So, convert the energy of anger you have because of your procrastination and your inability to start work into kinetic energy like running a good distance, or walking a long distance, as this will restore balance, peace, and sanity to your behaviour.

2. Deep breathing:

Use the deep breathing technique to help you control the nerves and maintain calm and balance. Take an inhale through the nose and hold it for three seconds, and then exhale very slowly and at different stages.

3. Division of work into small parts:

Divide your work into small parts, so that you are excited to do them, and become less afraid to start work. A task that you can complete in fifteen minutes will not cause you the same stress and anxiety as a group of tasks combined together.

4. Get rid of distractions:

Make the firm decision to completely avoid distractions while doing your work, such as turning off your mobile device during your working hours. In case you have a distracting thought, such as the need to make a phone call to your friend, you have to write it down on a piece of paper and make a vow to yourself to do it after you finish your work. Writing distractions on a side paper helps you trick the mind trying to keep you in a circle of comfort and safety, and then teaches you to organize your priorities according to importance.

5. Small rewards:

If you love the immediate return of the work you do, and if the nature of your work does not give you this immediate return, you can then reward yourself after completing each task of the project you are doing, no matter how small that task is.

6. Maintain healthy eating and sleep:

Do not skimp on yourself by eating healthy and getting enough sleep, as sleep and eating disorders affect the willpower of the person and weaken their enthusiasm and energy, which negatively affects their performance as they become addicted to procrastination and delay.

7. Using a timer:

If you can't sit down to work at all, and you are a master of wasting time along with energy, you can then use a timer and set it to a duration of 10 minutes, so that it works for only ten minutes, and then you take a break. It motivates you to action and helps you build a positive habit of commitment.

8. Willpower:

Build the willpower muscle, as it is the basis for everything, by training to do an activity that is not desirable to yourself daily, such as sports, for example in order to strengthen your willpower. On the other hand, you should avoid self-flagellation in case you procrastinate doing your work, and focus on what you can do at the moment. 

9. Value:

The thing that makes you wake up in the morning with full activity and energy, which gives a wonderful meaning to life, and makes you more beautiful, mature and more aware is defining your mission in life, pursuing your passion, and working hard in alignment with your higher values ​​in life. So, ask yourself: "What is the thing that makes you most positive if you do it?" And made a firm decision to start with.

10. Do the most important first:

Don't waste your time and energy on small and insignificant tasks. Rather, invest your time and stock of your will in the important tasks that determine the course of your life. Your focus on the most important tasks first gives you a sense of accomplishment so that you get excited to complete the rest of the tasks with vigour and vitality.

For example, if you start your day by carrying out the most difficult task of the tasks assigned to you, you will be motivated to complete the rest of the tasks that you love.

11. Moving away from idealism:

Don't be perfect. You were created to make mistakes, learn from your mistakes, then develop and advance. Try and repeat is the best learning theory in the world. Therefore, do not be ashamed of error, for humans are by nature sinners, and if God had wanted us to be perfect, He would have created us perfect, but the basic goal of creation is development and advancement.

12. Change of direction:

If you are one of those people who get bored quickly, you can work on two tasks in parallel. That is,  you work on the first task, then take a break and start working on the second task, and remain in this manner until you finish the two tasks together.

13. Methodology of thinking:

You have to change your method of thinking about work, so do not consider work a great psychological burden on you. Rather, break the comfort zone that your mind struggles to keep you in, and know that success has a price. You cannot aspire to reach high places while you are sitting in your home not seeking any step.

14. The first step:

In order to get rid of the cycle of procrastination that dominates you, you must first become aware of the seriousness of this issue, and then sincerely decide to get out of this cycle, by taking a small step in order to return the soul to your silent will muscle.

15. Changing the surrounding environment:

Most of us love renewal in life, so we tend to procrastinate and postpone the work entrusted to us in the hope of breaking through the routine accompanying the task. We hurry to meet friends and family, taking advantage of the time in cafes and restaurants though we were able to maintain the desire to work by changing the environment around us. We get bored of getting used to the same place and the same people; therefore, take a decision to renovate your workplace, such as changing the location of your office, or adding new details to it. Also, you can reconsider the people around you, so that you do not get infected with negative energy by some negative people, as this will spread enthusiasm in your heart and mind.

Conclusion:

Life is short. Don't waste it on procrastinating and getting away from your passions and goals. Rather, remember that when you work, it is as if you are worshipping God Almighty, so is there a greater reward than such a reward?