Procrastination - something we have all done before. In psychological terms, procrastination is what happens when the value of doing something else outweighs the value of working now. Whether it is leaving a homework assignment till the last moment or lacking the motivation to complete a task, procrastination can have negative consequences for people. It is likely that at some point in our lives, we have asked ourselves “why do I procrastinate so much?”, or “why do I keep procrastinating even though I know that it’s bad for me?”. Through understanding the answers to these questions, it will give us better insights into how to rewire our brains to beat our procrastinating behaviors.
To begin with, there’s more to procrastination than we might imagine. Although many people associate procrastination with laziness or lack of motivation, it is not simply a problem with our self-discipline and willpower. In fact, it is actually the result of a constant battle in our brain between the limbic system and the prefrontal cortex. The limbic system is one of the oldest and most dominant portions of the brain, dealing with emotions and memory. The prefrontal cortex, a newer and less developed area of the brain, is where we actively plan and make conscious decisions. When we are faced with a challenging or novel task, the limbic system often prevails. In situations where we feel overwhelmed or unpleasant, such as the needing to do a mundane or difficult task, your brain wants to keep you safe, causing the amygdala to trigger a fight (resistance) or flight (ignore) reaction. Try and reflect back and think if you’ve ever found yourself in the following situations. We know we should sit down begin that essay, but since it breeds discomfort, we avoid it. You know you should start working on our new idea, but since it pushes you into new unknown territory and evokes emotions of fear, you avoid it. As our brains prefer immediate gratification, we delay tasks, even if it provides only temporary relief from discomfort. The result of this is procrastination: We leave a task for tomorrow when we could and should have done today.
So how do we deal with procrastination? One method is the Ivy Lee Method for Task Management. All you need to do is follow 5 simple steps.
Write out 6 tasks at the end of a day which state your goals or what you want to achieve tomorrow.
Prioritize and organize the goals accordingly from most to least important.
When the next day comes, concentrate only on the first task and work on it until it is finished before moving on to the second task.
Approach the rest of your list in the same fashion.
At the end of the day, move any unfinished items to a new list of six tasks for the following day.
Although this method of simply prioritizing items on your to-do list might sound very simple, Charles M. Schwab, president of the Bethlehem Steel Corporation, gave it a try and found it extremely effective. By repeating this simple process every working day, it increases efficiency and helps people achieve maximum productivity.
We all struggle with procrastination; and like many things in this world, there’s no magic solution for it. The Ivy Lee Method for Task Management is one potentially beneficial and effective method for procrastinating individuals. Of course, the cause of procrastination may vary from individual to individual, meaning that we all need to find the solution we are most comfortable with to beat our procrastinating mindset. However, through establishing goals and implementing your plan of action, it is definitely possible for us to procrastinate less and lead more productive lifestyles!