When I entered school newly some years back, there was this lady who was also my set then. When we entered, we met with some facilitators to organise extra lessons for us because we got admission late, so that we would cover up. But this girl would always say that there is time, that should would join the next class, that she was busy. She would not read, yet she would not join the facilitation. By the time the exam timetable came out, her eyes opened. But by then, she already had a lot of pile-ups to read, and she was overwhelmed. After the exams, when the results came out, she was just barely average. While we all did excellently well. This was not because she was not talented nor intelligent, but because procrastination stole the time she would have used for preparation. It you defer what you are supposed to do in the present for the future, it will come with a very big cost.
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A lot of people do not know that procrastination is among the biggest obstacles to success. As a matter fact, it hinders someone from reaching their full potentials. At first, it may appear harmless; like putting off a task for later, delaying to take responsibilities, or waiting for the supposed right time to take actions. But over the time, procrastination becomes very expensive. It may steal opportunities, reduce the person's productivity, limit their potentials, and even increase stress. The cost of procrastination is actually bigger than a lot of people can even imagine.
One of the things that make procrastination really dangerous is that at first, it may feel comfortable. You may even convince yourself that you still have time, that you can get it done tomorrow, or you may even try to convince yourself that you work better under pressure. But the truth is that as you delay, time will still be moving. By that, deadlines draw closer, opportunities pass, works pile up, and tasks will become more difficult. What you would have done calmly, easily, and effectively will turn and become difficult, stressful, tiring, and done with panic.
Procrastination also affects someone's confidence negatively. This is because everytime you delay something important, you will weaken the trust that you have for yourself. In fact, you may even begin to doubt your ability to follow through on your goals and tasks. Over time, these habits will create frustration and the feeling of guilt, because deep within you, you know that you are capable of so much more. More so, procrastination increases mental pressure and stress. It is worthy to note that delaying an action does not erase it, rather it only compounds it, and makes it to keep hanging over your mind. This will lead to avoidable stress and anxiety.
Now that we have talked about the cost of procrastination, let us take a look at how to overcome it. The first one is to start small. Do not focus on completing everything at once or taking a giant stride at a go. Just focus on taking the first step even if it is small. When you start, you will create momentum, and it is this momentum that will make it easier to continue. In addition to starting small, you can also break the task into little and manageable pieces. Having a larger task to do may feel overwhelming, but when you break it into smaller pieces, they will become easy to undertake. It will also make it less intimidating.
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To overcome the hold of procrastination, you have to also learn to set deadlines. This will create a sense of urgency that you need to do what you have to do and do it quick. For example, instead of saying "I will do this task," it will be much better to say "I will get this task done before this weekend." Creating a specific time for completing a task will prevent you from being caught in a trap on endless delays. This will also help to eliminate distractions. When you know that you have a limited time to perform a task or pursue after a goal, you will be more focused, and you will not give in to distractions. Finally, you have to focus on the progress you are making and the process itself, not on perfection. Do not wait until everything is perfect before you take a step, rather take the step and things will fall into place.
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