How To Eliminate Procrastination From Your Life — Seriously
Ahhh good ol’ procrastination, the bane of all our existence, the enemy of all our progress, it seems like we’d have everything we want in this life if it wasn’t for procrastination, right?
Whilst living in the midst of a technologically driven era, it is inevitable that we are constantly in a battle for our own attention. This ‘battle’ is more so lost than won and results in our energy and focus being diverted from the tasks at hand and preventing our progress in whatever it may be.
I wanted to talk about 3 things I have implemented into my life to eliminate procrastination — for the most part, to allow me to get closer to my goals.
1. Parkinson’s law
Parkinson’s law states that: “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.”
This means that the human mind makes sure to take up the full time allocated to a task.
For example, if I had an essay due soon which could be done in 2 hours, but I tell myself that I will try to complete the essay in the next 6 hours, my brain will ensure to maximise the allocated time and try to finish the essay closer to 6 hours than 2.
We often underestimate our ability to do deep work without any distractions and that forces us to overestimate the amount of time it takes to complete a task.
Next time you sit down to complete a task, ask yourself; “How long would this take me if I had 0 distractions and worked efficiently” — that should be the time allocated to the task.
2. Imperfect action is better than no action
“Imperfect action is better than no action” — Iman Ghanzi
I am guilty of this too, but we need to remember that not everything we do will be perfect, and just because it’s not perfect doesn’t mean it’s wrong or that we should start procrastinating and give up.
The imperfect actions you make towards a goal are a part of the process and one thing for sure is that the ‘mistakes’ you are making are better than not trying at all.
So remember, ‘mistakes’ don’t call for procrastination and giving up but are rather a sign of progress and should be used to propel your goal.
“You could read 10,000 book about how to ride a bike, but you won’t be able to ride a bike until you…ride it” — Ayodeji Awosika
3. Your ‘Why Power’
Do you remember the last time you were at your desk, so indulged in a task that you lost track of time?
Moment’s like that are what you want to strive for to eliminate procrastination from your life.
When your reason to do something (aka your ‘why power’) is so strong, time no longer matters. Enjoyment, fulfilment and a lack of procrastination go hand in hand.
Your body was made for survival and is always seeking pleasure. Procrastination is a form of ‘fight or flight’ whereby your mind detects something it would rather be doing to seek that pleasure. However, if that pleasure and enjoyment come from your work, procrastination is eliminated from your life — seriously.
Have a great week!
Abdullah
