Procrastination & Me!
I procrastinated a lot until I realize the power of it.
Yes, you heard it correct.
You must change the way you perceive it, because the more you think of it in bad terms, the more you’ll get caught by it.
What is procrastination, if not imagination of a better situation for yourself. Is it bad to think good for yourself.
The question should be - Why do you procrastinate?
When I was at my higher secondary, I procrastinated a lot during my study hours. I had to force myself to study the subjects like history, Hindi, English and social studies. Basically, other than science and math’s.
Why I like only science and math’s?
The answer was simple because my keen interest was to explore the scientific build up and play with numbers.
Does procrastination have a co-relation with your interest?
Go, back to your childhood, when you would play and talk with your friends. Did you procrastinate?
Never, because you were present on that moment, you don’t have had to imagine another moment to enjoy. I hope you are heading towards your answer.
It’s all about how your brain is perceiving the situation. If it makes sense of the moment then you don’t have to procrastinate. You’ll enjoy.
Before heading towards the solution, let us understand the science of procrastination.
THE SCIENCE OF PROCASTINATION
Procrastination is a chemical process that occurs when the limbic system, which controls pleasure, battles the prefrontal cortex, which controls planning and decision-making.
The limbic system, especially the amygdala, is associated with emotions and instant gratification.
When we procrastinate, the limbic system overrides the prefrontal cortex, making us choose short-term pleasure over long-term goals
The prefrontal cortex is that part of the brain which is responsible for the critical thinking, reasoning, and decision making. The amygdala is responsible for the emotional chemistry in the brain which overtakes the prefrontal cortex and make it vulnerable (short circuit).
Your emotion is the fuel of your body, which ignites & sustain procrastination. Learn to manage it, as there are different techniques that can be used to neutralise the emotions. We’ll dive into it later.
The Psychology of Procrastination
Few psychological reasons to procrastinate source (google):
Ø Temporal Discounting: The further away a reward is, the less motivated we feel to work for it. For example; Studying for an exam months away feels less urgent than watching YouTube.
Ø Task Aversion: If a task feels boring, difficult, or overwhelming, the brain avoids it by seeking easier, enjoyable alternatives.
Ø Perfectionism: Fear of failure or producing imperfect work can lead to delaying tasks indefinitely.
Ø Present Bias: We overvalue immediate comfort and underestimate the long-term benefits of completing a task early.
Do you face any of them? If so, what actions are you taking to overcome it. Let, me guide you to understand why procrastination is a survival technique that our brain developed over the period.
Projection Towards the FUTURE
“The human creatures find meaning through projecting themselves into the future”.
Our ancestors plan future in their mind before it comes into the existence. They need to organize themselves to make their way in the world, like preparing a shelter for the coming winter, arranging a mate, building homes, and learning the skills to make a living.
It is biologically imprinted in our DNA.
So, procrastination is rooted into our mind & instead of fighting it, why not use it to build ourself. But, it has outgrown human psyche and had become a burning problem in today’s generation.
Everything is in hand now. No body has to work like our ancestors. They used procrastination to make the sense of living in the world.
But today, the procrastination is use to escape the reality & the uncomfortable situation. This is happening due to the dysfunction of the brain through the advancement of the technology and the internet.
The people are shifting more from the physical landscape to the digital landscape. Physical games to online games. Real connections to fake connections. Sociality to individuality.
So, how procrastination can help us to build our future?
By using it to plan and foresee the possibilities of your actions into the future. That’s what our primal mind was designed for.
You must make sense of the moment by incorporating few habits in your daily routine.
1. Minimize instant gratification: Dopamine has become the modern intoxicant for the youngsters. Engaging in fun activities (like social media or Netflix) releases dopamine, a neurotransmitter that makes us feel good.
The brain craves more dopamine, making distractions more appealing than the actual task.
Minimize the source of it, like reduce your phone screen time, eat less junk food, & stop trash talking. I found these 3 methods to be very useful to not fall into it.
2. Focus on delayed gratification: Do meditation, workout, watch long movies, & read books. Try to increase your attention span by any means of long-term activity.
This will help you to regain your focus. Attention flows where you focus goes. Nothing is built in one day, it takes time. So, ensure that you learn delayed gratification.
3. The 5 min time frame rule: One of the best methods to jump straight on your work. The scientific research shows that starting a task creates mental tensions, making the brain more likely to complete it to reduce cognitive discomfort. It’s called Zeigarnik Effect
But what I understood is that to follow Zeigarnik effect you need a goal which belongs to you. A self-discovered path.
The 5 min rule can be followed by a technique called pomodoro technique. Here you divide the time into slots to work. Like 25 min work & 5 min break then repeat.
These 3 steps will help you enhance your productivity with procrastination as the companion.
POST READ:
Procrastination has become a threat, because people want to avoid the hardness, conflict, and uncomfortable situations, that comes along with playing the game called life. Easy life has ruined you. You desire to be happy without taking actions (WTH). Our ancestors used to hunt for their food, shelter, & mate, that would give them a sense of fulfilment in doing that. We had been conditioned in the same manner psychologically, but now we can’t hunt animals instead we can hunt our goals & dream. That’s how we can make sense and live a fulfilled life with procrastination as a tool to be optimistic like them.
Enjoy Reading. Do not forget to subscribe “The Future’s Letter”. The Next Letter is:
“Build the Lifestyle that You Cares”. Stay tune!