How to end procrastination

Sometimes I sit at my computer feeling overwhelmed with all the work I need to do. So instead of working, I tell myself. ‘Let me just check my email for a few minutes then I will get started on my studies’. Then I get distracted: ‘Oh, look at this link. A cute dog wearing boots, how cute! I should send it to my friends.’ ‘Oh great, Taka just texted about karaoke this weekend! I best reply now’. Before I know it, time has flown by and 30, 40, 50 minutes have passed. They were precious minutes that were not used to do the work that gets me closer to my goals. I had procrastinated…again.

Our brains want to feel good now (instant reward) and studying does not usually seem ‘fun’ or rewarding. So we procrastinate and avoid doing the study. Instead, we do something that makes us feel good this moment like chatting or texting a friend or surfing the internet for something new. We need to learn to manage our emotions and our need to feel good this minute.

Our real rewards are: passing a test, finishing a report, speaking a foreign language with fluency, graduating, getting a dream job. Although the rewards are in the future, we have to work hard each day to reach them. Nobody can learn a new language or subject without many days, nights, weeks, months and maybe years of study. Understand how important daily tasks are in reaching your goals.

Who do you want to become? For example, you may with to become a fluent speaker of the English language. Remember who you want to become when your focus moves away from your goals.

How to End Procrastination:

1. Manage your emotions. The rewards of our hard work and study will show up in the future, not today. If you feel anxious or overwhelmed about your studies, accept your feelings and start studying anyway. You will not feel better by delaying your studies until tomorrow or the next day.

2.  Avoid instant rewards and distractions like phoning a friend, emailing, listening to music, surfing the internet or playing with your mobile phone. Switch off your mobile phone. Make your study area quiet so you can focus on your studies.

3. Imagine the future and reaching your goal. Imagine you already reached your goal. How does it feel? Remember this feeling as you sit down to study.

4. Help yourself become who you mean to be. Bring it to your attention and remind yourself every time you lose focus on your studies. Write your goals and ‘who I want to become’ on a piece of paper or card and place it where you can see it every day.

I hope this helps you procrastinate less. I would love to know: can you switch off your mobile phone while you study?

(many thanks to  Steven Kotler and Timothy Pychyl  who inspired this blog with their articles on the latest in motivational research at psychologytoday.com)