Simply defined, procrastination is putting off to-do things that one should be focusing on right now, usually in favour of doing something that is more enjoyable or comfortable but not as important. Procrastination occurs when there is a significant gap between when one intends to do a task, and when one actually does it.
If you have found yourself procrastinating, you’re not alone. Everyone procrastinates to some degree. However, some fall prey to a cycle of procrastination so unceasingly that it disrupts their life and career and gets in the way of them fulfilling their potential.
If you are honest with yourself, you should already know if you’re procrastinating or not. To be sure, check the following list of common procrastination habits and ask yourself if you are guilty of it.
Are you filling out your entire day with easy, low-priority tasks from your list of things to do? Do you have to read an email several times before starting work so you can figure out what to do with them? Do you feel the need to get some fresh air, stretch your legs and get a cup of coffee a minute after you sit down with a high priority task? Are you intentionally avoiding looking at your to-do list even though you know you’ve left something important undone? Are you getting sucked into unimportant conversations in real life, or online, or saying yes to unimportant tasks to fill your time instead of attending to the important ones already on your list? Are you simply waiting for the “mood” to strike?Putting off an unimportant task isn’t procrastination; it’s prioritisation. If you have a genuinely good reason to put something off, you are probably not procrastinating. However, if you are simply making an excuse, and you should know if you are, you are procrastinating and the more you do it, the more exponentially your to-do list is going to grow!