How procrastination reduces work performance and potentials?

Procrastination is nothing but the idea of putting off things until the last minute. It might seem harmless at first glance but the problem occurs when it becomes a habit. A study showed that 20% of the procrastinators are chronic procrastinators, which means, they can't help but procrastinate.

It's hard to pinpoint why people procrastinate. It can be lack of interest, lack of understanding, passive-aggressiveness, or simply momentary pleasure derived from holding off. However, the effect and implications are severe in the long run.

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As a procrastinator, you are losing your valuable work hours. It can only indulge you in unproductive work doing nothing significant. The realization of lost time often puts people into depression, which simply lengthens the procrastination phase.

Procrastination also makes people lose opportunities. It is always about what could have been for them as they never take the initiative with the opportunities at hand. Procrastinator also fails to manage their work responsibilities. Leaving everything for the last-minute leads to piles up work resulting in missed deadlines. This is a serious block to professional growth.

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Procrastination not only ruins your career, but it also implicates that there won't be any significant change in your life. It is like a cycle of unproductive behavior which reduces and ultimately diminishes personal will in the long run.

Ways to stop procrastination while remote working

Setup daily goals

Procrastination is all about not being able to get anything done. As a result, a daily goal list can be a useful step in the right direction. Try to define daily goals or to-do list the night before every working day. Make the list small and realistic. Rather than pondering over anything the next day, start checking the list off. You will see a significant boost in confidence every time you check off a point. It will uplift your mood as well as productivity.

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Don’t multitask

One of the the common misconception is that multitasking makes you more productive. While multitasking reduces the time of actual work, it compromises the quality of the work in the process. It is also something that will simply push you towards procrastination.

Instead of multitasking, you can simply focus on one work at a time. A single task will be hardly overwhelming as you are not required to juggle between many tasks. Thus, working through focusing task by task can increase your performance and work quality.

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Get the hardest thing done first

Human beings are naturally averse to doing hard things. It becomes even harder if you are a procrastinator. Making a list and checking it off is a good solution to get your workflow going. While making the list, try to put the hard ones first. The hard tasks always act as a block on the way to being productive. Once you take the first step in getting the hard tasks done, it becomes increasingly easy to maintain the productivity flow.

Plan breaks

Make your list in such a way that there are short breaks between each task. The idea is to reduce procrastination at first, but not to tick off tasks like a robot. More to say, if you try to incorporate a workaholic routine, you will end up procrastinating even harder. You should start slowly and work your way up to a unified routine.

Many people make the mistake of going on a marathon work regime. The work-related fatigue only fuels further procrastination. Instead, if you can assign breaks after each task, it will recharge your mind, creativity, and body. This will help you to balance between rest and work and make the process of working more enjoyable.

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Set Micro Goals

The process of completely shutting off procrastination won't happen overnight. Working smart can fast-track the process. As we have mentioned earlier, you should have a to-do list for every day. You can even set small micro-goals within your tasks. Try and make small increments without getting carried away in other things.

Reward Yourself

Procrastination isn’t an easy habit to let go of. You will constantly feel the urge to get back to being a procrastinator. Naturally, a reward mechanism will boost your urge to complete a task. Rewards can alleviate your self-confidence and performance. The reward can be a treat in your desired restaurant, a book by your favorite writer, a good movie, or anything like this.

Being consistent

Consistency is the key when it comes to being productive. Doing a lot of work in one day and spending the next day doing nothing is not growth at all. It is just a different form of procrastination. The key to beating procrastination is consistency. The more consistent you are, the more you will value time and opportunities. As we have mentioned, it is a gradual process that takes time. And consistency is the primary driving force behind the transition to a productive lifestyle.

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Minimize distraction

Try to increase focus by minimizing distractions. Distractions easily make way for procrastination. Your mind gets distracted when you are navigating to social media, watching videos on YouTube, playing mobile games, or attaining the less important phone calls. Try to avoid these things during work hours. If you can stay away from distractions while working you can devote undivided attention to your work.

Remote Workspace

You can set up a remote working place where you will not be disturbed. Having a separate workstation in a remote work situation is not easy. However, seclusion during work will help you better stay focused on your task.

Bottom Line

Procrastination is a bad habit with grave consequences. It not only hampers your career but completely diminishes your will to work. Like any other habit, it's hard to let go. But it's not impossible. While there are many steps that you can follow to increase your productivity, we tried to list some of the best ones that can help you get on track with your work and better at managing remote working opportunities.

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