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stop procrastinating
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Track this discussion.| I'm not sure if you're interested... This is just something I found on the net. Currently, I'm procrastinating reading it...:S lol | Sep 19, 2006, 1:30 am |
Stop Procrastinating Now (6 Ways!)
by Dr. Susan Mendelsohn eDiets.com Psychologist
Do you view the world as too demanding? Do you view yourself as inadequate? Do you find yourself complaining that there’s just not enough time in your day? Every day I hear someone moan, “I just don’t have time to do that, doctor.” Granted, our lives are filled with lots of “stuff.” But if we were really to analyze all of the non-productive things we do, we will always be able to find time for our true priorities. The question becomes, “Is staying motivated and achieving my goals a priority?” If your answer is YES, then this article is for you. There are many reasons why people procrastinate. The following is a list of irrational beliefs that may stand in your way of accomplishing even the smallest tasks.
1. Anger and Impatience. This is a sign that you are placing irrational demands upon yourself. You may say, “I should be able to get this done” and that's a thought which precipitates more irrational thinking. Condemning yourself will cause you to become caught up in a demand/rage upheaval cycle that will hardly enhance your performance.
2. Feeling Overwhelmed. If you continue to look at the forest rather than the trees, you will certainly be overwhelmed enough to give up on everything. You don't have to do ALL your work NOW! Being decisive about where your chores fall on your list of priorities will prevent you from feeling worthless, immobile and overwhelmed.
3. Perfectionist Standards/Fear of Failure. Since there is no guarantee for success, you must learn to set more realistic standards for yourself. Most procrastinators choose to do nothing rather than face a setback. Failure is a term that I strongly recommend be banished from your vocabulary. If you don’t try, how will you know if you succeed? View your attempt as a challenge rather than a threat. Gain an understanding of what may have gone wrong and you’ll be sure to do better next time. Why in the world must you live up to your unrealistic self-imposed standards? This causes feelings of inadequacy and again results in lack of progress.
4. Feelings of Grandiosity. This characteristic is commonly found in those who procrastinate. These individuals will take on more than they can handle because of their need to be superhuman. This basically stems from underlying feelings of insecurity. When you find you cannot possibly accomplish what you set out to do, you begin covering up your feelings by blaming everything else for your lack of productivity. Many people are simply resistant to change and tend to procrastinate in order to continue resisting. The most common defense used by a procrastinator is rationalization. In other words, procrastinators justify their delays by telling themselves they can start tomorrow and surely do a better job by waiting until then. I’m sure you have all heard the phrase, “There’s always tomorrow.” This is a full-blown rationalization. It seems that waiting until tomorrow reduces your anxiety temporarily, as you believe you have made and stuck with some sort of decision for now. However, once you begin to realize that this is just a quick fix, you will learn to get your work done now because of the long-term consequences. Unfortunately, procrastination tends to be positively reinforced, as the person who stays up all night before the project is due may still get a good grade. "Playing today and work tomorrow" becomes the motto. Nevertheless, while temporarily relieving anxiety, the diversions of today will create more long-term anxiety tomorrow.
OVERCOMING PROCRASTINATION: What can you do to stop procrastinating? It's important to become aware of your internal self-dialogue that maintains this self-defeating behavior. The following is a list of activities designed to help you overcome this difficulty:
1. Begin NOW! There is really no such thing as that moment of inspiration that you irrationally think will propel you into action. If you do in fact have an initial burst of inspiration, it is enough to get you started. But the key is to sustain your efforts. Commit yourself to an attainable goal for each week. It is better to begin a task, even though uninspired at that moment. Who knows... beginning just may be what you need to light that fire!
2. Baby steps. It's important to take a bits-and-pieces approach to any goal you may have. You must start somewhere and you can’t do it all NOW. So, start slow and work up only to what you can handle.
3. Recognize your irrational belief system. When you are feeling down, anxious or overwhelmed, ask yourself what you are saying to yourself to cause this. Write down your thoughts and begin refuting those unreasonable ideas. You’d be surprised at how much your thinking controls your emotions and you will ultimately get the job done.
4. Self-reinforcement. Establish a reward or penalty system that you can associate with your desired or undesired behaviors. For instan
by Dr. Susan Mendelsohn eDiets.com Psychologist
Do you view the world as too demanding? Do you view yourself as inadequate? Do you find yourself complaining that there’s just not enough time in your day? Every day I hear someone moan, “I just don’t have time to do that, doctor.” Granted, our lives are filled with lots of “stuff.” But if we were really to analyze all of the non-productive things we do, we will always be able to find time for our true priorities. The question becomes, “Is staying motivated and achieving my goals a priority?” If your answer is YES, then this article is for you. There are many reasons why people procrastinate. The following is a list of irrational beliefs that may stand in your way of accomplishing even the smallest tasks.
1. Anger and Impatience. This is a sign that you are placing irrational demands upon yourself. You may say, “I should be able to get this done” and that's a thought which precipitates more irrational thinking. Condemning yourself will cause you to become caught up in a demand/rage upheaval cycle that will hardly enhance your performance.
2. Feeling Overwhelmed. If you continue to look at the forest rather than the trees, you will certainly be overwhelmed enough to give up on everything. You don't have to do ALL your work NOW! Being decisive about where your chores fall on your list of priorities will prevent you from feeling worthless, immobile and overwhelmed.
3. Perfectionist Standards/Fear of Failure. Since there is no guarantee for success, you must learn to set more realistic standards for yourself. Most procrastinators choose to do nothing rather than face a setback. Failure is a term that I strongly recommend be banished from your vocabulary. If you don’t try, how will you know if you succeed? View your attempt as a challenge rather than a threat. Gain an understanding of what may have gone wrong and you’ll be sure to do better next time. Why in the world must you live up to your unrealistic self-imposed standards? This causes feelings of inadequacy and again results in lack of progress.
4. Feelings of Grandiosity. This characteristic is commonly found in those who procrastinate. These individuals will take on more than they can handle because of their need to be superhuman. This basically stems from underlying feelings of insecurity. When you find you cannot possibly accomplish what you set out to do, you begin covering up your feelings by blaming everything else for your lack of productivity. Many people are simply resistant to change and tend to procrastinate in order to continue resisting. The most common defense used by a procrastinator is rationalization. In other words, procrastinators justify their delays by telling themselves they can start tomorrow and surely do a better job by waiting until then. I’m sure you have all heard the phrase, “There’s always tomorrow.” This is a full-blown rationalization. It seems that waiting until tomorrow reduces your anxiety temporarily, as you believe you have made and stuck with some sort of decision for now. However, once you begin to realize that this is just a quick fix, you will learn to get your work done now because of the long-term consequences. Unfortunately, procrastination tends to be positively reinforced, as the person who stays up all night before the project is due may still get a good grade. "Playing today and work tomorrow" becomes the motto. Nevertheless, while temporarily relieving anxiety, the diversions of today will create more long-term anxiety tomorrow.
OVERCOMING PROCRASTINATION: What can you do to stop procrastinating? It's important to become aware of your internal self-dialogue that maintains this self-defeating behavior. The following is a list of activities designed to help you overcome this difficulty:
1. Begin NOW! There is really no such thing as that moment of inspiration that you irrationally think will propel you into action. If you do in fact have an initial burst of inspiration, it is enough to get you started. But the key is to sustain your efforts. Commit yourself to an attainable goal for each week. It is better to begin a task, even though uninspired at that moment. Who knows... beginning just may be what you need to light that fire!
2. Baby steps. It's important to take a bits-and-pieces approach to any goal you may have. You must start somewhere and you can’t do it all NOW. So, start slow and work up only to what you can handle.
3. Recognize your irrational belief system. When you are feeling down, anxious or overwhelmed, ask yourself what you are saying to yourself to cause this. Write down your thoughts and begin refuting those unreasonable ideas. You’d be surprised at how much your thinking controls your emotions and you will ultimately get the job done.
4. Self-reinforcement. Establish a reward or penalty system that you can associate with your desired or undesired behaviors. For instan
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earthdroplet Send Email View Profile Add as contact |
| oops, it didn't post it all | Sep 19, 2006, 1:31 am |
if you stick to your exercise plan this week you can reward yourself with something you desire (a massage, pedicure, etc.). On the other hand, if you do not stick to your goals, you may want to punish yourself in some way (not as if feeling guilty isn’t punishment enough). A punishment may include a task you find unpleasant (such as house cleaning).
5. Use written reminders. Compile cards with specific sayings for you to review daily. For example, “Work now, relax more later,” “Don’t let the grass grow under your a#@,” and “One step at a time.” Writing down what you must do will prevent your goals from being: “Out of sight, out of mind.”
6. Learn to expect setbacks. These are not failures. They are learning experiences that will allow you to grow and become successful. You are entitled to have a down day. Remember, you are human. You can't go back and change the past, but you're the architect of a brand new beginning.
5. Use written reminders. Compile cards with specific sayings for you to review daily. For example, “Work now, relax more later,” “Don’t let the grass grow under your a#@,” and “One step at a time.” Writing down what you must do will prevent your goals from being: “Out of sight, out of mind.”
6. Learn to expect setbacks. These are not failures. They are learning experiences that will allow you to grow and become successful. You are entitled to have a down day. Remember, you are human. You can't go back and change the past, but you're the architect of a brand new beginning.
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earthdroplet Send Email View Profile Add as contact |
| Another little thing about procras... | Sep 19, 2006, 1:33 am |
Would you rather vacuum the house or wash a sinkful of dishes than finish that term paper? Does the prospect of cleaning toilets sound more appealing than studying for your biology test? Is "I work better under pressure so I don't need to do it right now," an expression you're intimately familiar with? Whether it's delaying a dentist's appointment or not getting a new battery for your watch, the perils of procrastination are there for everyone.The word itself comes from the Latin and means "belonging to tomorrow." We procrastinate when we let low priority tasks get in the way of the high priority ones, when we delay doing something repeatedly, for no good reason. The habit is so widespread, there are actually websites dedicated to procrastination! Is this dangerous behavior simply a matter of laziness and time management? See how much you understand about this time robbing habit.
According to psychologists, 70% of college students report problems with overdue papers and delayed studying.
Students who procrastinate have been found to have more drinking problems, stomach problems, and incidences of colds and flu.
The most common myth about procrastinators is that time pressure improves performance.
The main reason people procrastinate is that they're afraid of falling short because they think they don't have the skills or talent to do a good job.
Many procrastinators are perfectionists, worry too much about pleasing others, and would rather be seen as lacking effort than ability.
In the general population it is estimated that one out of every five people suffer from procrastination.
An authoritarian kind of parenting leads to children prone to procrastinate.
Procrastination is often accompanied by guilt, anxiety, and depression.
According to psychologists, 70% of college students report problems with overdue papers and delayed studying.
Students who procrastinate have been found to have more drinking problems, stomach problems, and incidences of colds and flu.
The most common myth about procrastinators is that time pressure improves performance.
The main reason people procrastinate is that they're afraid of falling short because they think they don't have the skills or talent to do a good job.
Many procrastinators are perfectionists, worry too much about pleasing others, and would rather be seen as lacking effort than ability.
In the general population it is estimated that one out of every five people suffer from procrastination.
An authoritarian kind of parenting leads to children prone to procrastinate.
Procrastination is often accompanied by guilt, anxiety, and depression.
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earthdroplet Send Email View Profile Add as contact |
| Re: Another little thing about procras... | Sep 19, 2006, 1:39 am |
"Even if you're someone who likes to ____, it's oftentimes still hard to get it done—but the trick is to project yourself to that point of accomplishment, that moment of joy when you not only know you did something good for your _____, but also for your overall health/___ and well-being/___."
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earthdroplet Send Email View Profile Add as contact |
| Reply | Sep 24, 2007, 11:59 pm |
Thanks for posting this article 'earthdroplet' ! I enjoyed reading it, so true! I felt like the article was talking to me. Pretty inspiring, thanks a bunch!
| Interesting | Sep 25, 2007, 5:34 pm |
I find this all true...... Asides from the part were it says procrastinators have all those problems.... Yah none of that happens to me. Guess I am so good at procrastinating I dont get problems like that...
But I still being godlike is always a nice feeling...... I think that..... wow I am procrastinating writing this right now......
I think for me its I got no strong motives.. I tell myself no games untill I get to a certain point... so then I go off to MSN and My Music stuff. and look at my work, and add random stuff that doesnt do anything... but if its History were I should be reading.... I just dont take out the book. If I need to do math and write stuff.... It takes so much work to do it.......
Maybe Lazyness is the root of all procrastination..... and procrastination of all zeros and Zero is the root of all evil..... thats impossible.... Zero doesnt have a root.
But I still being godlike is always a nice feeling...... I think that..... wow I am procrastinating writing this right now......
I think for me its I got no strong motives.. I tell myself no games untill I get to a certain point... so then I go off to MSN and My Music stuff. and look at my work, and add random stuff that doesnt do anything... but if its History were I should be reading.... I just dont take out the book. If I need to do math and write stuff.... It takes so much work to do it.......
Maybe Lazyness is the root of all procrastination..... and procrastination of all zeros and Zero is the root of all evil..... thats impossible.... Zero doesnt have a root.
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Scott MacFreedom Send Email View Profile Add as contact |
| お無しさん | Oct 28, 2008, 3:23 pm |
>> Scott Mac Freedom
People who procrastinate are made of fail and aids, simply put.
People who procrastinate are made of fail and aids, simply put.
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© 2005 UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA
University of Manitoba
Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2 Canada
Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2 Canada
