Procrastination Essay -- essays research papers

Procrastination Procrastination is the avoidance of doing a task that needs to be accomplished. Procrastination has a high potential for painful consequences. It may interfere with our personal or academic success. There are those of us who wait until the due date is a day away. I am not talking about making sure the money is in the bank. I am talking about putting it off because it is a tedious chore that we do not enjoy doing. Procrastination is a big problem for many, and one that can harm your career. Whether your procrastination causes you to arrive late at work or late for meetings, or keeps you from turning projects in on time, employers do not look positively upon it There are several reasons why we procrastinate. If a project is absolutely overwhelming, to the point where you don't even start it, break it down into small, specific steps. Do one or two each day. If you complete a step and are motivated to continue, fine. But if you're not, that's fine too because you have only committed to one small piece. Just don't stop before completing that piece. If there is no immediate payoff because the project is long term, build in mini-completion points. Design a reward system similar to what you do with a task you don't like. Creating instant gratification will motivate you until you reach the final destination. If you know you can handle the project but just don't know where to start, start anywhere. Just do something. Write a title on a piece of paper. Then write something else. Eventually you'll be led to where you need to go. But it takes a little bit of momentum to get the ball rolling. This doesn't mean that you'll use any of the material y ou start with. This is fine - you need a good finished product, not a good first draft. A final, common reason for procrastination is perfectionism. Be aware that there is a difference between doing something right and doing the right thing. Perfectionists can spend their time on the wrong thing, i.e. hanging and re-hanging a picture on the office wall. Looks great, but is it getting you anywhere? If the task is meaningless in the long run, it doesn't really matter if you do it perfectly. You can still do it well, just don't let it consume you. If perfectionism is keeping you from beginning a task, reevaluate whether the ... ...ntil the last minute to start a difficult task can also be used as a defense for poor performance. You can always claim that it would have been better if there was more time. (The report would have been more comprehensive if you had been given more time to do it.) It can shield you from the consequences that you expect to occur after the project is completed. For example, not accepting a high visibility special assignment will shield you from the consequences of a) being in the limelight and possibly failing or b) doing well and being offered more challenge. This could take the form of a new position as the office manager, a relocation or a new set of circumstances that may be frightening. If you are not feeling up to the rigorous standards that you have set for success, or are trying to live up to others have set that the expectations for your performance, delay can be used as a means of self-protection. When you find yourself blocked, unable to start a task and you have tried everything else, ask yourself: "Is there anything, no matter how small, that I am willing to do?" When you find that small thing, you are no longer procrastinating.