Conquering Avoidance-Based Procrastination

Kevin Shirley, Associate Broker (DC), GRI, e-PRO, ASP

Do you ever just keep putting off a task, even when you know it’s something you absolutely must do? If so, chances are you’re experiencing avoidance-based procrastination.

Avoidance behaviors can be defined as the things that we keep on doing to distract our mind from the task or activity associated with some unpleasant emotion. In most cases, this emotion is fear and may include a few other psychological variables such as panic, anxiety, and worry. By working on something else instead of the actual project that you are expected to handle, avoidance-based procrastination allows people to escape the uncomfortable, well, at least temporarily. Left unchecked, this tendency will lead to an overload of deadlines, mismanaged work routines, and loads of stress.

Here are a few tips and techniques to help you conquer avoidance-based procrastination so that you can start to lead a happier, healthier, well-organized lifestyle:

Create a to-do list. When you have multiple things to handle in a day, it is common to miss some crucial tasks in between. Productivity experts advise preparing a to-do list to organize your routines and ensure that all your tasks are completed. It is not just about the daily to-do list; instead, you should also prepare a list of actions for each specific project in hand. This strategy will save much of your time, and you will be able to get things done seamlessly.
Set priorities for daily activities. You may have so many short-term and long-term goals to accomplish, and it requires continuous efforts to achieve them. As a result, you may have to execute some repetitive tasks every day; but if you don’t know your priorities, you may end up wasting lots of time with low-priority “busy work.” It is better to carry out a priority-based analysis of all things you have to do and identify which tasks need to be accomplished and in what order.
Find your motivation. Putting some tasks off may help you avoid unfavorable feelings temporarily, but this strategy can’t give you pleasure in the long run. So, instead of working on this short-term relief, try to find your motivation to get things done on time. Consider setting up a rewards system for completing unpleasant tasks. It could be as simple as “I’ll have a cup off when I finish this report.” Once you discover ways to give yourself some inspiration to do things on time, this system may help you to stay organized in day-to-day life.

Bottom line

These simple steps may help you to overcome avoidance behaviors while dealing with the habit of procrastination. Whether it is about your business-related tasks, the new project assigned by your manager, the household chores or responsibilities associated with your health and wellness, following an appropriate strategy for conquering avoidance-based procrastination may help you stay organized. It is the best way to eliminate the anxiety and stress associated with overloaded deadlines and piles of pending tasks.

Understanding the Connection between Fear and Procrastination

Kevin Shirley, Associate Broker (DC), GRI, e-PRO, ASP

Do you find it challenging to get certain tasks or projects started or completed? Do you keep on telling yourself that you’ll do it later? Procrastination is one of the most common human tendencies. A wide range of people fails to execute their daily tasks because of procrastination, which can naturally impact your overall productivity.

Psychologists believe that procrastination is not about time management; instead, it is basically about coping mechanisms. When people procrastinate, they simply avoid unpleasant tasks and keep on doing other unimportant things to temporarily boost their mood.

It is essential to understand that procrastination doesn’t enter into a person’s life by force. In many cases, it is invited by fear. Therefore, to deal with procrastination, you must also deal with the anxiety that’s causing it.

It is common to see people making excuses for not getting things done on time. But they rarely talk about the real reason they postpone things. In many, if not most cases, they may not even realize it themselves. For many people, the real reason for continuing to postpone tasks is fear, and precisely, the fear of failure.

The relationship between fear and procrastination

Fear is the most significant contributor to the tendency to procrastinate. There are so many things that may make you afraid in day-to-day life. You may have a fear of doing a particular job badly or the fear of not being ready to handle a new project. Others may not be sure about how to start the new work, or you may feel afraid due to a lack of knowledge about the assigned task. This fear may not allow you to get things done, which may cause you to miss set deadlines.

Experts advise that you learn new strategies to deal with this deadly combo of fear and procrastination. When you make even small efforts, you will begin to feel motivated to complete tasks. Do your best to learn the technique; even if you are a beginner, you will find a way to get things done with continuous efforts.

Surprisingly, many people also deal with the fear of success and fear of running out of work. And these feelings also do not let them do things on time. People often do not complete their tasks on time because they want to avoid new workloads. Subconsciously (and ironically), they keep on procrastinating, creating even more piles of pending work.

Bottom line

No matter how fear is causing you to procrastinate, it is vital to control these negative feelings and emotions by following the right strategies. Practice a positive attitude to get things done on time without worrying about the negatives associated with it. Start monitoring your productivity and performance regularly so that you can achieve desired returns.

INTERNET ROUNDUP: The surprising connection between laziness and productivity

Everyone experiences moments of laziness from time to time. In the business world, we’re accustomed to considering it a bad thing. But what if it’s not? What if laziness can actually help us become more productive and successful?

ARE LAZY PEOPLE MORE EFFICIENT AND INNOVATIVE THAN WE THINK?

Turns out, laziness might be the mother of invention. Are you feeling lazier lately? You can’t go to the gym. You’re probably stuck at home. You might be sitting on your couch writing an article about laziness in your pajamas. And you could be feeling a bit guilty about it. But what if a bit of laziness was a positive thing? What if laziness was a sign of intelligence or a driver of innovation? [PHYS]

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SCIENCE: LAZY PEOPLE ARE LIKELY TO BE SMARTER, MORE SUCCESSFUL, AND BETTER EMPLOYEES. WHO KNEW?

Let’s be honest, lazy people get a bad rap, especially when some of the world’s most successful billionaires are perceived as the exact opposite. Virgin Group founder Richard Branson, for instance, gets up at 5 a.m. every day. He answers emails, eats breakfast with his family, reads the news, takes meetings, and plays sports like tennis, running, and kitesurfing (what?!) — all before going to bed at 11 p.m. Basically, Branson is an incredibly active and accomplished individual (and it should be a crime to call him lazy). [CNBC]

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HOW BEING LAZY CAN MAKE YOU MORE PRODUCTIVE: LOAF YOUR WAY TO SUCCESS

American culture doesn’t value rest nearly enough. Our work ethic, passed down from the no-nonsense Puritans who landed on our shores in the 17th century, equates a busy life with a good life. Many of us feel that taking a break from our never-ending to-do list will kill the prolific productivity that we’ve come to worship. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, a little laziness is essential to your productivity. [BELIEFNET]

INTERNET ROUNDUP: INTJs and their relationship with procrastination

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INTJ MOTIVATION: HOW THE INTJ HANDLES PROCRASTINATION

INTJs are often excellent at motivating themselves, but even the most focused person can struggle with procrastination at times. Most of us deal with moments where we lack a bit of motivation and find ourselves struggling to find answers or solutions to these problems. We really want to be able to keep moving forward but it just doesn’t always come naturally and pushing sometimes makes it worse. Here are a few ways the INTJ struggles with motivation, and how they can break free from the procrastination hurdles. [PERSONALITYGROWTH]

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PROCRASTINATION THE INTJ WAY

Oft times, it’s assumed that INTJs can’t procrastinate, that they are always uniquely productive. However, just like anybody else, they are perfectly capable of being useless. An efficient work-style is not always inherent and can be influenced by environment, childhood socialization, mental states, and addictions. Many INTJs are expressly efficient, while other INTJs struggle to keep a schedule or motivate themselves to get things done. [MBTIFICTION]

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7 WAYS JUDGERS PROCRASTINATE WORSE THAN PERCEIVERS

Of all the types, Intuitive Judgers are considered to be the most likely to slip into perfectionist tendencies. These types tend to obsess about the ideal solution; about how things “should” be and how they can remove flaws in the system. As such, they want to control the quality of the work they put out. If something is not working, NJs will delay the task until the result is better, or they have better-quality facts on which to base their decisions. Sometimes, they put off the project indefinitely because they know the result will not be good enough. [TRUITY]

INTERNET ROUND-UP: Keep Your To-Do List Short

If your to-do list seems infinite, you may find that you never accomplish all your tasks — and you’re ultimately wasting time. Some indications that your list is too long: Your to-do list is more than one page; looking at your to-do list makes you feel stressed; your to-do list includes small tasks only listed so you can have something to cross off; or, you find yourself tackling the easiest assignments first. Remember: Your to-do list should be a tool that works for you, not a piece of paper or digital checklist that leaves you feeling overwhelmed. Here is some advice from top organizing experts on how to get more done with a shorter to-do list!

12 tips to keep your to-do list short, as well as useful | FACILE THINGS

The main function of a to-do list is to get you organized and easy, knowing that you do not forget anything. But if you let it grow without care, it can produce an entirely different effect. A long list can ruin your sense of control and become a source of stress and frustration. [FACILETHINGS]

3 ways to get more done with a shorter to-do list | KACY PAIDE

To-do lists are usually more cluttered & complicated than they need to be. I’ve spent years teaching my clients how to work off of shorter, simpler lists to get more done in less time. In this new video you’ll learn 3 specific ways to work off of to-do lists that are calm, uncluttered, and prioritized. (These are far simpler than you expect!) I’ve even created 2 free, printable PDF lists for you to start using today! [THEINSPIREDOFFICE]

Stop putting so much stuff on your to-do list | PRODUCTIVITYIST

When you use a to-do list, you know the feeling you get when you are unable to complete all of the items on it. In some cases, your to-do list may even get longer during the day. It’s time to change this approach. How can we do this? It’s time to make shorter to-do lists. [PRODUCTIVITYIST]

5 Creative Solutions to Entrepreneurial Procrastination

Kevin Shirley, Associate Broker (DC), GRI, ASP, e-PRO

Chances are that you have some possible business leads, but you keep hesitating to reach out to them. Maybe your business needs a Twitter account, but you never get around to setting it up. It is not just about such business-related tasks; the average human being is procrastinating almost constantly.

Scientists and psychologists have been trying to understand what causes human beings to procrastinate. Why do people make their life routines more complicated by putting important tasks on hold for so long? Many business owners fail to contact their suppliers on time, and they miss the essential inventory to run the product manufacturing chain. Others fail to call their potential clients and ultimately lose important deals. This may sound strange, but procrastination has become an integral part of human life, and entrepreneurs are not exempt.

Finding creative ways to deal with entrepreneurial procrastination

There are so many reasons why business owners do not get things done on time. In some cases, the delays may happen due to lack of capital or mismanaged time; other times, it may be due to limited resources. Sometimes, entrepreneurs may not be able to secure an important deal due to uncontrollable circumstances. Unfortunately, many tasks stay pending just because they keep on procrastinating for no apparent reason.

If you are an entrepreneur trying to initiate a fight against the beast of procrastination, you’re not alone. Some entrepreneurs are looking for expert tips, guidelines, and even professional training to fight procrastination. Here are a few creative solutions to entrepreneurial procrastination to assist you in getting things done on time. Spare a few minutes to go through the article below, and soon you will be able to get rid of this bad habit.

Prepare a to-do list

There is a very fine line between taking a break and procrastinating. Many people allow procrastination to steal their focus from some concrete plan and then develop secondary anxiety about it. Therefore, experts advise developing a detailed to-do list regarding all the pending and necessary tasks. You need to create a “SMART” model with goals that are “time-bound, realistic, achievable, measurable, and specific.”

When you have planned your tasks well, you will feel relaxed while getting avoiding procrastination. Additionally, to-do lists also make us feel confident as we stay up to date about all tasks in sequence and manage our time well to complete them on time. When one task is over, you immediately have the other one on the list to execute.

Find ways to feel refreshed

Many people fail to get things done on time because their willpower gets quickly depleted. When you are bombarded with tasks, the effort to handle them can cause mental exertion and further reduce your productivity levels. Therefore, experts advise taking time to pursue your hobbies or side hustles to get back your positive energy. You may love writing poems or stories, or you may relax by playing guitar. Or, simply taking a walk in the fresh air can restore your focus.

The main idea is to get rid of stress and prepare yourself to solve problems more innovatively. When you involve yourself in other things that bring pleasure to your mind, releasing stress and worries becomes easier. Do things that you love to do, and soon you will feel fresh to handle pending tasks. This is the most trusted way to boost your productivity levels while combatting procrastination.

Consider deadlines and accountability

Entrepreneurs who lack external accountability are likely to fall into the trap of procrastination. Many entrepreneurs also try to execute projects within self-imposed deadlines, and they are negatively affected by the fear of failure. To deal with insecurity-driven procrastination, set deadlines for work and make yourself accountable to achieve them.

Even if you don’t have a specific guideline for the ongoing project, create few self-imposed, arbitrary ones for yourself. They may help you stay motivated and encouraged to complete tasks on time. Moreover, deadlines create a checkpoint for you while helping you stay tuned to the process and task in-flow. Once you learn to accept your fears and get creative with the task execution, it will be easier to succeed with your targets.

Step out of comfort zone

Procrastination often comes with the tendency to avoid things that pose some physical or psychological discomfort. But leaving things pending doesn’t relieve your discomfort permanently; instead, it just adds delays to your work. Many people try to get involved in other pleasurable activities to cope with discomfort, but it can often impede your performance.

Those who shut down awkward situations at work or feel stressed about every plan will never execute things on time. Experts advise stepping out of your comfort zone so that you can find some new opportunities and strategies. When you keep your eyes and mind open, you can succeed with your goals and cultivate adaptability to your work routines.

Don’t run focus on perfection

Many entrepreneurs fail to achieve targets in a quest for perfection. But if you do so, you will always miss something while thinking that it could be improved. It is important to understand that one cannot achieve perfection in every task. Even if you try to do so, you may not be able to finish work on time.

Experts advise following a strategic plan to deal with tasks at your business platform. It is not necessary to aim for 100% every time; you can limit your perfection level up to 80 or 90% (or less!) as well. The main goal is to break tasks into smaller pieces and then execute them one by one to complete the project.

These simple tips and tricks may help you avoid procrastination and complete your tasks on time.

Make procrastination your secret sauce

Kevin Shirley, Associate Broker (DC), GRI, ASP, e-PRO

Procrastination is delaying or putting off tasks until the last moment or even past their deadline. Some researchers define procrastination as a kind of self-regulation failure, characterized by an unreasonable delay of tasks without regard to the (possibly damaging) consequences.

According to researchers, around 20% of U.S. adults are chronic procrastinators. However well organized and dedicated you are, odds are that you’ve found yourself frittering away hours on trivial pursuits when you need to be spending that time on work or school-related projects. Whether you’re finishing a job for work, avoiding homework or household chores, procrastination can have an enormous impact on your career, your grades, and your life.

Rather than view procrastination as a problem of time management, discipline, laziness, or willpower, research unequivocally shows that procrastination is an emotional-regulation problem. But not all procrastination is a self-defeating and disadvantageous indulgence or outright dysfunctional behavior. There’s also a beneficial type of procrastination.

Researchers have identified two kinds of procrastination. Active procrastination is when you affirmatively or strategically opt to complete a task later or closer to the deadline. If you perform better under pressure, waiting to complete a task can result in an improved result. Passive procrastinators frequently start a necessary task only to be absentmindedly derailed by less critical work.

Active procrastination has four essential dimensions

A preference for time pressure. Active procrastinators are ordinarily not frustrated with deadlines, nor do they lose their capacity to concentrate under time pressure. They frequently prefer working under pressure.
The intentional decision to delay tackling tasks. Unlike passive procrastinators, active procrastinators feel a sense of autonomy, volition, and service in their decision to delay action.
The capacity to meet deadlines. Active procrastinators, unlike passive procrastinators, aren’t always struggling against a deadline. Even though they may rush to complete a task on time, they generally meet set deadlines.
Satisfaction with the results of delayed action. Active procrastinators tend not to be happy with their results when they complete a task before a deadline. When they complete a task before a deadline, they often end up editing and finessing the finished product past the point of diminishing returns.

Some might argue that this really isn’t a form of procrastination, primarily because, as a culture, we have implicitly added negative associations and unpleasantness to the very definition of procrastination — we assume that procrastinators delay a task ONLY because it’s unpleasant and dull. Conversely, waiting to complete a task can be strategic. Another way to look at active procrastination would be as an intentional, self-motivated delay at the beginning of completing a task to create better, more satisfying results.

We’re basically looking at a self-regulation approach to improve productivity that superficially appears similar to procrastination but is based on significant core aspects. Current research doesn’t clearly suggest whether this is a trainable strategy.

It might just reflect personal temperaments, needs, and tastes. This means it isn’t clear if changing gears and suddenly becoming active can cancel out your passive procrastination and enhance productivity since both kinds of procrastination can coexist within a person.

By leveraging the power of active procrastination, you can benefit from several of procrastination’s counterproductive benefits:

Procrastination gives you an instant boost of energy. No matter how tired you are, when that impending deadline nears, you’ll get a dose of energy-boosting adrenaline, helping you push your task over the finish line!
Procrastination reduces unnecessary efforts. Do you know who’s efficient at getting something done quickly, efficiently, and in the most streamlined fashion possible? A practiced procrastinator, that’s who!
Procrastination enables you to have fun doing other enjoyable things. Certainly, you’ve heard of Parkinson’s Law, which says that “work expands to fill the time available for its completion.” The trained procrastinator knows innately how to leverage this immutable law. Simply limit the amount of time you need to do something until the very last minute — and use the remainder of the full, allotted time doing more pleasurable things.
Procrastination helps put off unwanted anxiety. Deadlines come with a lot of anxiety. If you keep worrying about all the deadlines you have to meet, your anxiety levels will inevitably keep rising. Ugh. Anxiety. No good comes from anxiety, and the seasoned procrastinator knows that worry and anxiety are for the birds. Forget about your task and its resulting anxiety until the very last possible moment. Your health will thank you.
Procrastination boosts creativity. You have to get creative when you’ve put off a task until the last possible moment, and you now have to complete a 3-hour task in 45 minutes. With your adrenaline flowing, your brain will naturally focus with laser-like precision on the fastest, smartest, and often the most creative way forward. You’ll never know how creative you can be until you’ve got an enormous deadline staring you in the face!

As you can see, there are definite benefits to procrastination. So don’t fight it. Lean into it! Here are a few strategies to make the most out of something you’re probably already doing.

Leverage the energy release. Our energy is a finite resource, and each task eats up a small bit of these reserves throughout the day. It is not uncommon to drop into procrastination style when you’re confronted with tasks that seem time-intensive, tedious, difficult, or low on your interest meter. Whenever your levels of energy drop, your desire to finish a task also decreases. However, if you procrastinate long enough, you will find yourself up against fast-approaching deadlines. Looming deadlines can create negative emotions of fear, anxiety, and stress, but the deadlines also trigger positive changes such as adrenaline rushes. Even on an empty tank, fear, along with an adrenaline surge, supplies an energy boost to assist you in getting the job done.
Get laser-focused. When you have procrastinated to the point where a deadline is right around the corner, offers need to be written, reports are expected, and decisions must be made; the only idea in your mind will be, how to get everything done. Even for chronic procrastinators, it is hard to dismiss work when there are dire consequences of not completing your tasks on time. You’re not as likely to get diverted or delay your work because you are so focused on the task at hand. Waiting until the absolute last moment to achieve something will force you to concentrate by shutting out all extraneous social interactions, electronics, and email.
Delegate and prioritize. As an entrepreneur, your day is most likely filled with things you may not wish to deal with at that moment — from minor tasks to massive projects. Being a procrastinator may help you streamline your daily workload by focusing on the functions that pique your interest and have more pressing deadlines. Look at the day-to-day tasks that you are inclined to avoid and ask yourself if any one may be delegated to someone else. That is an excellent opportunity to hand off your tiresome tasks to a digital or virtual assistant so that the time you have may be used for more essential matters that only you are capable of accomplishing.
Get it done faster. Few things will make you rush toward the end line like realizing you are behind schedule. With less time available to complete the job and a contract deadline looming, you will put in maximum effort to finish the race. The benefit here is that you understand just how rapidly a task takes to complete once you finally give it your all. This realization can reduce that feeling when a similar task comes up in the future. Since you’ve created a baseline for how long it will take to get done, it will be simpler to complete similar projects on a deadline in the future.
Give yourself time to research. Timeliness in decision making and handling projects are generally a good thing in business. Relationships and changes in strategy, growth, and agreements with partners and other vendors tend to go well when things have been handled effectively. And on the other hand, procrastination provides you more time to contemplate the expenses and advantages of decisions you need to make. As opposed to creating a quick decision, procrastination allows you time to thoroughly mull decisions over and assure you make the right choice. This is particularly useful if new information is uncovered through the delay that may influence a decision based on facts and research.
Improve your work-life balance. A healthy dose of procrastination can go a considerable way toward keeping you healthy. Every day should not be a play day, of course. Rather, when you know you have projects due and deadlines approaching, it is ok to occasionally take a break and pursue other less-stressful endeavors. Delaying a task to take a walk or a rest, spend some time with family, or participate in other self-improvement activities may positively influence your physical and psychological wellness. When you are healthy and well-rested, you will have more energy and a better state of mind for handling projects when it is time to get back to work.

Your skills, capabilities, and characteristics got you where you are now. And that includes your inclination to procrastinate. Rather than attempt to change who you are in the middle of building your business, figure out ways to utilize procrastination to your benefit, and find new ways to use your unique personality traits for your business’s advantage.

The Economics of Procrastination

Kevin Shirley, Associate Broker (DC), GRI, ASP, e-PRO

Let’s face it, procrastination is a habit that affects many people. It isn’t a habit worth cultivating since it has negative implications that spread from health to career. But still, if you understand the economics of procrastination, you can use it to your advantage.

What is the economics of procrastination, and how does it affect people? Procrastination is a term that can be defined as the “tendency by a person to delay investments because of the prevailing circumstances that may not yield more considerable benefits at the moment” — or “putting stuff off until later.” Therefore, a person postpones action because the immediate gains would be much lesser than the approximated future benefits.

It is also vital to understand procrastination in its raw form, which involves delaying work or action with no greater benefit assured in the future.

Financial effects of procrastination

While procrastination of essential business tasks was often equated to laziness, the industrial revolution made it possible to push work forward without experiencing economic pressures. It is now possible to alleviate some of the previously adverse effects of procrastination (such as famine or starvation in the case of farmers who postponed farming).

Experts in the field of the economics of procrastination estimate that about 40% of people suffer some amount of financial losses because of procrastination. Therefore, there is a genuine danger of procrastinating an investment decision.

Health effects of procrastination

It sounds simple, but procrastination can have a severe effect on the health of individuals. In a study conducted by health psychologist Fushkia Sriwus, it was determined that people who procrastinate are more likely to suffer from acute health problems than individuals who finish their work on time.

Solutions to procrastination

To get the best out of the economics of procrastination, you should do the following:

Weigh the benefits. As mentioned above, procrastination can be good economically if the future benefits are greater than the benefits that will accrue if the investment decision is undertaken immediately.
Understand the importance of time. Time is a useful resource that you should utilize to make the best of any action that you need to take. The most important consideration about time is ensuring that it isn’t sacrificed for unproductive tasks.
Reward yourself. You should reward yourself if you avoid procrastination. Set targets and reward yourselves if you achieve them within your set time.

Break the Vicious Cycle: Perfectionism, Procrastination, and Paralysis

Kevin Shirley, Associate Broker (DC), GRI, e-PRO, ASP

Let’s face it, perfectionism, procrastination, and paralysis are toxic and can hold you back from achieving your goals. If you’re stuck in this vicious cycle, you can work endlessly without getting satisfactory results. While getting stuck in this vicious cycle is very dangerous, some people don’t even know that they are there, thus, the cause for the unending quest to end the cycle.

How would you know that you are affected by one of these unwanted perfectionism traits, procrastination, and paralysis?

Perfectionism

Perfectionism is exhibited by the constant fear that whatever you are doing will not be good enough, thus, pushing you to keep on working on your project, striving to perfect it (tweaking, editing, reworking). Perfectionism comes from set expectations, which are often high and unrealistic. The fear caused by perfectionism can also be caused by the fear that your output will be rejected. Therefore, you might realize that you are suffering from perfectionism if you are always worried that your project is not good enough.

Procrastination

Procrastination is the act of postponing work, leaving it pending for a long time. There are many causes of procrastination, including being a victim of perfectionism. So, when you are stuck for any sort of fear, you start making excuses for not doing the work, thus pushing its deadline further ahead. You can also engage in other unrelated tasks to keep yourself busy to avoid doing the main task.

Paralysis

As a result of perfectionism and procrastination, you can become completely stuck on a project. When you are unable to carry on with a specific task, it is then that you show signs of paralysis. Paralysis damages your self-esteem, making the cycle continue since your greatest fear is confirmed with this.

Basic steps to end this cycle

You will never enjoy the beauty of accomplishments if you are always stuck in this vicious cycle. It is of great importance that you start to take deliberate steps to end this cycle. Here are seven great ways to get you started:

Accept imperfection. One of the primary things that you can do to stop perfectionism is to start accepting imperfection. The first thing is to recognize that genuine accomplishments are sometimes imperfect. You should treat this as a normal thing, for it is expected if you live in this world. One important thing to remember is that accomplishments might not happen as you expect them to happen, but it doesn’t mean that you cannot celebrate your achievement in its shape. Another essential thing that will help you deal with perfectionism is knowing that everyone has a different view of what is perfect; thus, you should not judge yourself against what others think.
Take small steps. If you want to tackle a task effectively, you need to break it into smaller achievable steps. Just take a light example of organizing your emails. If you were to do that in a single sitting, you might not be able to finish it all at once, but if you assign yourself bits of the task, you might end up finishing it in a week or so. But when you break tasks into smaller action steps, you make them achievable and manageable. Furthermore, you feel a sense of accomplishment along the way since you get involved in achieving what you can manage. Always remember that these small accomplishments will help you build the momentum of finishing more significant tasks.
Track your time. Another important thing that can help you break the vicious cycle of perfectionism, procrastination, and paralysis is tracking your time. It is of paramount importance to note that time defines the task you want to do. Setting an achievable target alongside its deadline is vital in helping pace you well. This will help you avoid the temptation of procrastination. You also need to balance your priorities to avoid a scenario where you are focusing on one task, neglecting other aspects of your life, which might also lead to psychological damage.
Surround yourself with positive support. There is nothing as exciting as having positive support around you. One of the top reasons people don’t finish important tasks is because they get distracted because of loneliness. Associating yourself with positive people who can help you achieve a task can help you complete the task and celebrate your achievements.
It is okay to say NO. The vicious cycle tends to target people who are committed to working. While there is nothing wrong with being committed to your work, you need to start practicing how to say no. People can take advantage of you if you cannot decline proposals to get involved in overwhelming responsibilities. If you have a lot in your planner, just decline incoming tasks to allow you to finish the pending tasks. If you have a lot under your sleeves, you might end up finishing none.
Use the reward system. One of the best motivating factors that can keep you in check while doing a task is rewarding yourself. As earlier suggested, you should break your tasks into smaller bits. Every time you finish any of the smaller tasks, reward yourself. This will keep you focused on the next piece of a task as you have the upcoming reward in mind.
Consider your body and mind. Another thing that leads to paralysis is being unable to coordinate your body and mind. You need to be in an excellent physical and mental state to perform your tasks diligently. You need to perform regular ‘self-checks’ to ensure that you are in good shape to carry on with the task.

Breaking the vicious cycle of perfectionism, procrastination, and paralysis is a journey that should begin immediately. Never let any of these unwanted elements of the vicious cycle hold you down; simply put the basic guidelines into practice. If you are unsure, you can talk to a professional about your experiences to get help.

Lean into Mindfulness to Combat Procrastination

Kevin Shirley, Associate Broker (DC), ASP, GRI, e-PRO

No matter how skilled you are, you will likely lose your real potential to get things done efficiently if you tend to procrastinate. In simple terms, procrastination is defined as the habit of delaying tasks rather than tackle them when they’re scheduled. Research reveals that most adults’ procrastination habit is common, leading to harmful results for university students and office employees alike. Many people report unfavorable outcomes due to extended delays in essential tasks. The list may include depression, anxiety, stress, and poor performance.

If you are also experiencing great difficulty due to procrastination, finding some trusted ways to deal with this bad habit is helpful. One of the best recommendations from experts is to employ mindfulness to take advantage of cognitive benefits, such as heightened awareness and maintaining attention. Mindfulness is the ability to be fully present, aware of where you are and what you’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us. This technique also improves your abilities to sustain enhanced self-control while ensuring enhanced protection against procrastination.

When and how we use to procrastinate in life?

Procrastination happens with the birth of some negative emotions such as boredom, anxiety, overwhelm, and frustration. As these emotions make us feel uncomfortable while causing some pain in the brain, we automatically avoid the associated tasks. This same story may be repeated several times a day, and it slowly turns our life into several troubles. Instead of dealing with those negative emotions that stop us from doing essential tasks, people try to do something else that appears pleasing to them.
Studies reveal that many people even spend most of their time on social media due to the same force of procrastination. Instead of executing the pending tasks on time, they keep on scrolling the Facebook feeds for hours to enjoy false pleasure. However, somewhere inside, those procrastinated tasks keep on creating stress and anxiety.

This is why experts advise the following mindfulness to deal with all negative emotions that give birth to procrastination. It may help you to control your behavior while providing the right direction to your thoughts. It is already proven that procrastination is mainly a result of diminished self-regulation. When we are not able to regulate our actions as intended, it automatically leads to adverse reactions. Effective self-regulation leads to emotional regulation, which is further linked to mindfulness. There is clear evidence supporting the need for mindfulness in dealing with procrastination.

How can mindfulness combat procrastination?

Emotions play a vital role in human life. They are adaptive and have some motivational characteristics as well. In some cases, emotions also give birth to fear, which stops us from executing specific tasks, even when they have high priority. But to maintain a regular flow of activities in routine life, we need to do careful task management. It is critical to deal with negative emotions while directing our behavior towards the task; instead of moving away from it.

The foremost task in dealing with procrastination is to become aware of your emotions. Simple emotional awareness can automatically promote self-regulation. Studies show that mindfulness is the best way to propel executive function into action. Mindfulness helps to cultivate focus and concentration about the present moment. It further activates sensory cues so that you can deal with the negative emotions. This process can help you achieve better control of your activities, so you can complete tasks on time.

One of the most helpful things to know about mindfulness is that it gives us the ability to have non-judgemental acceptance of our thoughts. People for whom mindfulness is natural are likely to commit fewer errors. Moreover, mindfulness enhances executive function and control.

How to engage mindfulness to deal with procrastination?

Several practices can help you achieve mindfulness to deal with procrastination. Below are a few of them to help you achieve the desired results:

Meditate daily: Daily meditation practice is one of the highly recommended approaches to deal with negative thoughts. It can set up a positive foundation to ensure enhanced personal growth. When you sit down to meditate, the main idea is to put the entire focus on your breath. There is no need to stop or eradicate stray thoughts. Instead, you need to simply call your attention back towards breath.
Build awareness and reduce distractions: Another trusted solution to deal with procrastination is to build awareness. You need to recognize your negative emotions and their impact on your mental health. When you recognize those harmful thoughts, you can find ways to stay away from them. Set up your to-do list and stay away from distractions like email notifications and social media updates. This will help you stay focused on the priorities and execute tasks on time.
Deal with emotions: Human beings are often affected by negative emotions. We may feel frustrated, anxious, bored, and overwhelmed at times, and these mood swings can further affect our performance at work. It is crucial to find a healthy mechanism to deal with these negative emotions. The best idea is to recognize your emotions to act maturely to get rid of them. Give value to positive emotions while discarding the negative ones that can otherwise force you to keep things pending for the long run.

All these practices can help you improve mindfulness while gaining the ability to acknowledge your own thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations. This therapeutic technique can easily ensure a pleasant experience in life. People who practice mindfulness are likely to achieve self-discipline, self-compassion, and enhanced ability to deal with distractions. It is a proven technique to eliminate procrastination, and soon you will be able to enjoy an organized lifestyle.