The practice of procrastination generates jobs or studies that could have been performed better and people stressed without any need. Therefore, it should be banned from the lives of students and professionals as soon as possible.
Harvard University proposes 6 keys to stop procrastinating :
1) Think about the consequences
Being aware of what might happen when everything is left to last will help avoid this attitude. The possibility of losing a test, failing a story, displeasing the boss or making the company lose a customer should be enough to monetize the time and perform the tasks in the best way possible.
2) Believing you can start now
Believing in yourself and your abilities is vital for you to do the chores the moment you receive them instead of archiving them for a while. You must think that the more you delay initiating them, the worse you will be at your colleagues and superiors. If you do not believe in your abilities much less they will believe.
3) Find out what slows you down
It’s a good idea to ask the reasons why someone is postponing a job or study, which is troubling for the task yet to be accomplished. Recognizing the reasons for the delay can help to change the habit of procrastinating.
4) Unite the obligation to pleasure
Do not you like the idea of starting a task? You can start it accompanied with something you like, for example listen to music or enjoy a cup of coffee. You can also create a pleasant environment so that the feeling of doing something that annoys you disappears, helping the concentration to complete the work you have in hand.
5) Minimize the problem
If you think you are facing too complex a job, it will be harder to start it, so you need to minimize the problem. By this I do not mean that you should underestimate it, but have a clear notion that if you were asked for this responsibility it is because you believe that you are capable of fulfilling it.
6) Looking for a partner
Teams are shown to be better organized when it comes to performing tasks. Sharing the work with another person will make you get to work faster. You can also just find someone with whom you comment on the project and encourage you to continue.
Comparing is also a great tool to put a brake on the vice of procrastinating , in that it creates the idea that others are moving forward in their responsibilities while we stand still.