LET’S STOP PROCRASTINATING

Remember that time when you thought you had a week left to final examination so why do prepare for it today; and now you are sitting with your book a day before the examination thinking why you didn’t start preparing a week before. Procrastination means putting off things to the last minute or keep on delaying work towards deadline. It usually occurs when we think we have more time to get something done than we actually do.We often assume that tasks won’t take as long to finish as they really will, which can lead to a false sense of security when we believe that we still have plenty of time to complete these tasks. That’s how we get stuck in the vicious cycle of procrastination. So how can we stop ourself from procrastinating? If you’ve been putting off completing an assignment, imagine completing it on time and getting appreciation for it.Try focusing on why you are doing this task: What are the benefits of completing it? Breaking that task into smaller, more manageable parts or chunks can be helpful to avoid procrastination. Create a to-do list and to be on track, consider placing a due date next to each item. When you finish an item on your to-do list on time, congratulate yourself and reward yourself by indulging in something you find fun. It is important to realise that procrastination is a habit, and like any habit it will take time, practice, persistence and patience to change from ‘procrastinator’ to ‘doer’.