If you struggle with procrastination and have a really hard time overcoming one, I’m here to help you. I know because I’ve been struggling with procrastination too. And these approaches helped me find a solution to it. In this article, I talked about delaying procrastination, causes why you lack motivation; how to identify stressors; find your inspirations, and choosing your environment well.
Procrastinating procrastination sounds weird. Still, this double negative is an effective combo you need to shake off laxity and get to work. The top is calling. Why should you be stuck in mediocrity? This article will explore hacks that can make you keep postponing the urge to waste time.
Causes of Lack of Motivation
You need zeal and passion to inspire you to get on your feet to put in the necessary hard work to achieve your dream. So, it is essential that we analyze the likely reasons you don’t feel like doing anything sometimes. A study carried out by researchers of the Carnegie Melon University discovered that a lack of motivation is one of the most significant reasons people procrastinate. So, if you can find ways to inspire and motivate yourself, you are likely to be more productive within a limited period.
According to motivational experts, some of the reasons people lack the desire to work include stress, depression, fatigue, low self-esteem, poverty of ideas, emergencies, negative vibes, previous failures, ambiguous goals, recession, etc. You can only underrate any of these factors at your peril. A study carried out by scientists of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine found out that goal choice and self-confidence are two crucial components of motivation. When you don’t believe in your ability to succeed at a task, you’ll not be encouraged to do it.
Even when you do it, you’ll not give it your best, which can affect your performance. According to psychologists, you need a high level of self-efficacy to succeed in any task. Your self-efficacy is the level of confidence you have in your ability to succeed in a task before undertaking it. If you don’t feel you can thrive in a career path, why should you choose it? If you lack confidence because you need to practice more, what are you waiting for? Take your time to identify why you are not motivated to do something. Once you discover it, deal with it.
Identifying Your Stressors
If you paid attention, you’d realize that stress was one of the reasons we highlighted as a cause of lack of motivation. If you cannot cope with stress, it will overwhelm you and make you disinterested in the things you ought to do. One of the most effective techniques for managing stress is to identify its source. Once you know why you’re stressed, you are a step closer to overcoming it. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the stress levels of many people have gone a notch higher.
They are crippled by the thought of the disease affecting their loved ones and the impact it has had and could still have on the economy of different nations. It’s natural that you are anxious about your loved ones. Yet, you should never forget that you cannot protect them through worries. Instead, give them tips that you know can help them cope during this period. You’ll only worsen your mental health when you let the fear of being infected with the disease cripple you. Apart from the pandemic, there are many other reasons people feel stressed.
Studies have discovered that anxiety regarding paying bills is one of the biggest issues facing adult Americans. It’s impossible for you not to think about how you will pay your bills. This pressure weighs more on you, especially if you’re a parent. You want to ensure that the needs of your family are met, and the pressure can be burdensome. You should seek ways and make plans that can help you cope with the bill rather than be anxious. Worrying about a problem doesn’t solve it. You can postpone the desire to procrastinate by refusing to allow anxiety to overwhelm you.
Find Source of Inspiration
What will happen if you complete this task now? Think about all the pleasant things that can happen after completing an activity to fan the flame to finish it on time. A culture of meeting up with deadlines will endear you to your boss or clients. It can give you the leverage you need to ask for a pay rise. Every employer or client doesn’t want to lose that employee or customer they can trust to get the job done on time.
When you build yourself to have that reputation, you’ll establish yourself as an indispensable part of your team. If there are reasons to lay off staff, they know that you are untouchable because of your reputation for delivering top-quality performance before the deadline. After achieving your dream of financial freedom through your career, think about all the nice places you would like to visit and all the pleasant things you want to do. What about all the less privileged people you can help with your generous donation?
Ensure that you have more than enough reasons to keep your focus and refuse to waste time. You can also promise yourself a well-deserved treat or vacation once you complete the work on time. Setting your eyes on the prize can make you forget about the stress and challenges you are passing through at the moment. How will you feel when you are announced as the best graduating student or the employee of the year? Use the rewards to motivate yourself to “waste” time later on enjoying yourself by first stressing yourself now.
Stay Away from Negative People
You cannot afford to underrate the influence of the people around you on how you approach different situations. Sometimes, you passively pick up some attitudinal disposition towards something through the people you have in your circle. You cannot choose your family members, but you can choose your friends. Besides, the fact that a person is your relative doesn’t automatically mean that you should be close to the person. You should stay away from negative people regardless of who they are.
A fifteen-minute discussion with some individuals can ruin five years of labor. They can make you feel that you have been investing your time and energy in the wrong endeavor all this while. Indeed, there are situations in which some people can help you see things from another angle that will be beneficial to you. However, some individuals just have a culture of talking down on anything that they don’t understand. The fact that your dream doesn’t make sense to a person doesn’t mean that it’s nonsense.
Many great achievers were criticized by their friends and family when they were trying to achieve their dreams. Nonetheless, they were not deterred by the negative remarks. They kept fighting and pushing until they convinced all the people that didn’t support them initially. So, you shouldn’t share your dreams with every Tom, Dick, and Harry. You might find yourself losing motivation and value for what you intend to achieve when you discuss with certain individuals. Note them and stay away from them.