Procrastination a problem?

It is a big task to maintain a daily schedule without having to accommodate for unexpected changes that may arise throughout the day. In fact, life is so dynamic that it takes constant adaptation to stay ahead. Knowing how to manage this hard task is half the battle but it requires a daily practice along with a lifelong learning experience. One way to manage these unexpected changes is to avoid procrastination. According to FOX.News.com, 26 % of Americans believe they are chronic procrastinators as compare to about 5% back in 1978. This is a serious increase in the number of people experiencing this negative behavior.

             This negative behavior is a lack of judgment in prioritizing daily activities and it sinks people deeper and deeper into this mess of procrastination. In the end, people feel like they are merely chasing their own tail in order to finish things that should have been done when expected. Consequently, it is a constant struggle to toggle between school, family, friends, along with other situations throughout the day. As expected, the problem eventually will affect personal relationship, school performance, work, and most importantly, self-satisfaction. People who are procrastinators do not feel the motivation that they had once felt. Their performance is typically reflective of how confident they feel about themselves. Without this confidence, there will be a lack of stimulation to pursue; to produce quality work; to deliver meaningful conversations, and to be engaged in activities that were once enjoyable. The consequences of being a procrastinator are not so obvious at first. For some people it is not even a problem unless the individual is willing to confront the issue and come to some sort of a healthy resolution.

            So how does one engage in this process successfully? Changing from being a procrastinator to being the world’s most efficient person isn’t an overnight thing. Swanson and Holton’s literature on the depth of change (incremental or transformational) states that “incremental change deals with smaller, more adaptive changes while transformational change requires major shifts in direction or perspective.” The problem with changing procrastination is more complex because it has many components. There is the physical nature of change, the mental aspects of change, and also the perspective of the change to an individual. Therefore, when changing procrastination, one must understand and foresee it as being both an incremental change and transformational change in the work over the long run. It is an incremental change in the since that behavioral changes requires time and must be changed little by little. Changing procrastination is a matter of will power and it has momentum influences from the mindset, therefore, in the long run transformation changes will come into play.

            So, the first step is to realize how important the change is. To do this, one must see the true problem of procrastination and how it has affected their life. Sometimes it also helps to see it from another perspective other than your own. When analyzing the problem, it is crucial to theorize the alternate; the consequences of procrastination and how it affected your life as well as the possibility of what might have been different if it had not been put off.  

            By this time it should be clear to you that procrastination is a mental validation of one’s behavior. The understanding is that the current behaviors are interfering with daily life. Therefore, preparing to turn your behavior 180 degrees will require some letting go. This idea of letting go is complicated and will face strong opposition at first; therefore this part of the change process requires strong mental willingness to do so. At least the first part is already taken care of; the acceptance of the issue. Because the bottom line is why fix something if nothing is broken in the first place.

Once the metal preparation is complete, the rest is all about willingness and metal endurance. The mind is quick to quit and slow to adapt. If the task of avoiding procrastination become a burden rather than a positive change, then reflection is necessary. Take some time out to reflect on the issue and see the positive outcomes that will come along with the change. The reflection should serve as a reassurance for this change. It is a reference that can be revisited at anytime the task seems overwhelming. It is a reminder of the reasons and purpose for this turn around.