Rai's 101: Tips to Bring Down Procrastination

Hi everyone!

Yes, I know I haven't written a blog since forever but recently after watching a few Youtube videos, I suddenly got the urge and motivation to start writing blogs that will be beneficial instead of being personal ALL the time. This time I will try my best to post blogs on a regular basis. Fingers crossed!

Well, after all those adrenaline rushes and out-of-the-blue-and-underlying motivations, I asked myself what will my first 2018 post be?

*drum rolls*

PROCRASTINATION

*end of drum rolls*

Yes! I'm sure everyone has this problem to a certain extent. This is such a major issue for me and I have been struggling to fight off the devil of procrastination my entire life! It's a real stumbling block to becoming efficient and productive since its roots are already deep within my self-conscience department.  It (avoiding procrastination) seemed hopeless at first because I'm a sucker for its charm (haha!) but I tried a few tips which have at least reduced the severity of the problem and the frequency of committing the crime. So, I will share them here with you guys and if you are a procrastinator like me, I hope these tips could help you too!

 

One of the reasons why we procrastinate is because the tasks are too difficult or too daunting to handle. You either could not comprehend the tasks well, afraid that you would mess up badly in the middle and give up, or you could never see the end of the tunnel. Well, that might be the case if you're looking at the tasks as a big chunk of entangled fishing net.

Try to de-tangle the net one at a time. Meaning, break down the tasks into smaller, simpler parts/components. You can break it down into before, during, after. You could also create a simple to-do list/plan or sectioned flow map so you could plan and see what you should do from the beginning until the end, section by section. Tackling the tasks section by section will automatically lessen the pressure in your mind and your expectation. By doing this, you could also foresee the issues that will rise rather than tackling the tasks as a whole where you could not see the progress in the middle. These issues might cause more delays if they came to you by surprise. For much bigger and harder tasks/projects, do set goals, checklist, and reminders pertaining to the content of the tasks/project to help you stay on track. It would be better if each goal/reminder comes with a deadline. The harder the tasks, the more overwhelming they could be. Therefore, it is important for you to know what you're doing, when you should complete it and where you can refer to if you forget a step.

Yes! Another reason why we're putting off a task is because we lack the motivation to do it, or worse, we are not motivated to do it at all. Actually, there are ways where we can motivate ourselves and yes, we are capable of doing it as long as we know what our preferences are and what could motivate us into doing something.

First, identify one thing you love doing and 'pair it' with the act of you working on the task, whatever the task is. What I mean by this is, when you are working on your project/task, do things that you like simultaneously. For example, tune into your favourite tunes, lit scented candles, have a cup of mean coffee/tea by your side, use aesthetic looking tools/equi

pments to please your eyes, get comfy pillows, get on a comfy sofa/bed, work in your favourite place (e.g. library, coffee shops), watch youtube videos and etc. You would be surprised with how much progress you'll make if you work on the task while doing something that you love. As for me, I love watching Youtube videos while folding my clothes, and listening to classical or soothing music while working on my school works. Coffees would instantly boost my motivation (and brainpower) too!

Second, surround yourselves with motivational quotes. You can pin them on your cork board/whiteboard, you can set it as your phone or desktop/laptop wallpaper, you can pin them on the fridge or walls, and even in the toilet if you feel like it! Randomly stumbling across the quotes would give you a boost in your motivation in unexpected moments, especially if you place them at random places! Do try it out. Works for me! If you're a Muslim, try to pin verses of the Quran too. They may give you a motivational boost as well as lift your spirits (if you're feeling blue).

Some people work best if they stick to a routine (babies too!). This is because they are the type of people that would automatically do certain activities they are used to once the clock hits a specific time of the day. If you are this type of person, then lucky you! You could easily insert a new slot in your routine specifically for doing tasks that you would procrastinate on. Find an 'empty slot' in your routine and start doing the task that you usually procrastinate on within that 'slot'. The amount of time you spend on it can be increased on the next following days if you feel the need to. You might do very little progress on your first try but once you are used to actually doing it for several days ever so consistently, the tasks you would usually avoid would be a part of you. You would become ONE with it *said with eerie whispery voice*.

Let me give you an example so you could comprehend this better. You have a thesis you need to finish. You've been putting it off quite frequently lately. So find the most comfortable time for you to work on it, for instance like 9.00 p.m. until 12 a.m. and focus on your research works every day during that period of time. Once you're adjusted to it, you will automatically be complied to repeat the activity until it becomes a part of your daily routine.

Our imagination is actually a very powerful tool in motivating ourselves into completing our tasks. We often imagine happy things that could motivate us and cheer our sad, sad life but we could also imagine ourselves doing the tasks we've been avoiding to give us an extra push into actually doing it. Moreover, our imagination could help us in our problem-solving.

'When you begin to control your thought processes, you can apply the powers of your subconscious to any problem or difficulty' (Murphy, 2011). You could also find the cause of every effects and solutions to your problems (2011). It's like putting yourselves into a situation, imaginatively speaking, by playing the scenes in your head over and over again to foresee or solve the issues that may rise. By doing this, you will also automatically have the impulse to work on the tasks you have been avoiding and have better chances at accomplishing it successfully because you have already foreseen the issues/obstacles that you need to tackle. I do this a lot. A LOT. The tasks/programmes/projects I worked on have better outcomes (less drawbacks and problems) than the ones I did without involving my imagination. So, you could try doing this too. Actually, you might have already done it before; you just didn't realise it and take full advantage of its potential. So, there you go. Imagination rocks!

REFERENCE

Murphy, J (2011). The Power of Your Subconscious Mind [Kindle Version]. Retrieved from https://www.law-of-attraction-haven.com/support-files/power-subconscious-mind.pdf