Overcoming procrastination - breaking the habit of "I'll do it tomorrow"

We’ve all been there, staring at a growing to-do list, knowing exactly what needs to be done, yet somehow finding ourselves scrolling endlessly, cleaning our room, or doing literally anything but the task at hand. Procrastination isn’t just about being lazy or disorganized. Sometimes, it’s a quiet battle between our intentions and our emotions, fear of failure, lack of motivation, or just feeling overwhelmed. It’s frustrating, even painful, to watch time slip away while we remain stuck. But the good news is, we’re not alone in this struggle, and there are ways to break the cycle. This article tells us why we procrastinate, how it affects us, and most importantly, how we can start taking back control one small step at a time.

Why do people procrastinate?

People procrastinate for various reasons, let's pick a few of them.

Distractions: Social media is a major culprit behind distractions, luring people away from tasks and fueling procrastination. Endless scrolling, notifications, and likes can hijack focus, making it difficult to stay on track.

Perfectionism: Wanting to do something perfectly can cause people to delay on that particular task, because they're waiting for the perfect time to do it or until they feel fully prepared. Neither of which might ever happen. 

Feeling overwhelmed: Sometimes, tasks might seem too big and deadlines too tight, which might create anxiety and cause people to push the task aside. 

Poor time management: Some people find it really hard to prioritize tasks, set goals and manage their time effectively and this eventually leads to procrastination.

Avoiding stress: Some tasks might evoke stress and cause people to be extremely tired. So, they find ways to avoid them completely without even giving it a try. 

How procrastination affects people.

Procrastination can affect people in a variety of ways, they include, mentally, academically, emotionally, physically. To mention a few.

Mood swings: The stress from procrastinating can cause irritability and frustrations leading to mood swings and passing aggression.

Depression and hopelessness: The feeling of being stuck and having wasted so much time just because you've been procrastinating can lead to depression and feeling if you'd ever get out of that situation. When all you have to do is just take a leap.

Missed deadlines and lost opportunities: Procrastination can result in missed deadlines, lost chances and potential consequences. Delaying applications, research projects or internships can result in lost chances.

Feeling of guilt, shame and low self esteem: Procrastination can lead to you talking down on yourself and self doubt making it seem as if you're not as good as you think and this can reduce one's confidence. 

Increased stress and anxiety: Delaying tasks can lead to last minute rushes, causing overwhelming feelings and worry. 

Now that we've explored the reasons behind procrastination and its effects, let's focus on taking back control. It's time to break free from procrastination's grip and live life on your own terms! 

Understand why you procrastinate: This is the first step to finding a solution to the problem. Awareness is the first step to breaking the cycle. Are you scared of failure or you're trying to be perfect or you get easily distracted?

Break down the tasks bit by bit: Instead of trying to accomplish everything you've set out to do all at once, you can start by taking a step then another step till you're done. For instance, if you're trying to write an article. Open Google Docs. Create an introduction. Then pick it up from there again.

Remove distractions: Procrastination thrives in distraction. Social media notifications will keep coming in and distracting you. Freeze those apps. And learn to take a social media detox once in a while. It helps to increase productivity at work and helps you to focus better on the task.

Redefine Success: Redefine success to you. Aim for progress and not perfection. Tell yourself “Done is better than perfect.” Allow yourself to make those mistakes once in a while too. It helps you learn from them and get better. Stop holding yourself back.

Create daily routines: Set a routine for everyday. Each day with a fresh start. Then at the end of the day, check how well you spent your day. Asking yourself questions like “What did I do today” “What's next?” This helps you know how productive the day went, if you actually did the things on your to-do lists or if you did nothing throughout the 24 hours.