PLAN YOUR CAREER: Self-help, best way to stop putting off things

people. There are some who are chronically affected by it. At the same time, putting off a less important work is not procrastination, it could be part of your prioritisation. But one needs to know when he/she is procrastinating.

Keeping an everyday to-do-list and completing it is a foremost exercise in warding off procrastination. Scheduling and planning your day with time-bound goals is the primary way to beat laziness.

Many students and their teachers mention procrastination. Let us discuss a seven-day anti-procrastination strategy to eliminate procrastination. The tasks I suggest are tied to days in order to remind oneself to stop the cycle of procrastination.

Monday, make it meaningful Enlist the important aspects of the job that you are putting off. List all the benefits connected with it. Compare them with your goals and the specific rewards for completing them, including how you will feel when the task is complete. Become aware of self-defeating beliefs that fuel procrastination and keep you out of the rewards that you deserve.

Tuesday, take it apart Break big jobs into a series of small ones that you can do in a short time. If a long, reading assignment intimidates you, divide it into two or three sections. Mark the pages as you move on, so that you can see for yourself that you are completing the task gradually and making progress.

Wednesday, write an intention statement For example, if you struggle to write your term paper, write on a card that says, “I intend to write a list of at least ten possible topics by 9 pm and reward myself with an hour of recreational reading.” Keep the card in a place where you can see it often.

Thursday, tell everyone Announce publicly your intention to get it done. Make others your support group.

Friday, find a reward Construct rewards carefully. Be willing to withhold them if you do not complete the task.Saturday, settle it now Just do it. The moment that you notice yourself procrastinating, plunge into action.

Sunday, say no When you keep pushing a task into the low-priority category, re-examine the purpose of doing it at all. It might lead to procrastinating. Do not carry the heavy baggage of undone tasks.

In some cases, wait-and- watch is a positive thing. It leads to the knowledge if one chooses to procrastinate he/she can also decide not to procrastinate. It is a deliberate decision. Keep observing your procrastination. It might help you in getting what you want. But you have to see it clearly. Some people thrive under pressure. As a writer put it, “I don’t do my best work on deadline. I do my only work on deadline.”

Former US Navy Admiral, William H McRaven inspired a group people with the following words that are also relevant in our context of procrastinating. “If you wanna change the world, start off by making your bed. If you make your bed every morning, you will have accomplished the first task of the day. It will give you a sense of pride. If the rest day goes bad, when you return to your bed, your bed is made. That you made. The made bed gives you encouragement that tomorrow will be better. If you cannot make little things right, you will never be able to do the big things right.”