Five reasons why we procrastinate tasks

We procrastinate, because we are not prepared. Why do you, me and anyone else like to put off  a task when in real it can be completed without much ado? Read on to find five reasons I discovered through my own experiences:

1) Not understanding the task being assigned

When a task is assigned to us, many of us fail to spend some time to analyse and understand what has been given. Every task has an objective, means to achieve and requires a time planning exercise. Unless one spends at least five minutes to absorb the requirements of a particular task, understand the deadline and the route map to finish the task, he/she would most probably find it comfortable to put it off for a while. When you don't strike while the iron is hot, you lose track of the time and necessity.

2) Counting the number of tasks in hand

When an employee already has five tasks at hand and is handed over a sixth task, he/she doesn't take the effort to read through the sixth. Some of us put it in the back burner and continue with the ones we already are doing. If the sixth task happens to be something that needs to be completed immediately, a crisis crops up. Instead of feeling exhausted at the number of tasks being assigned, it is always better to place them on an equal surface and move through them side by side whenever required. 

3) Avoiding the pain of multi-tasking:

More often, we forget to prioritise. Sometimes, we avoid prioritising. Performing two or more tasks at the same time requires a lot of concentration. By nature we are multi-taskers. Don't we listen to music while driving? Don't we clip our nails while talking on the phone? Weren't you a sports freak even while you were attending classes at the University? But when it comes to work, why do we think we can't multi-task? I see it as a subtle fear to handle more tasks all at once which might lead to our line-manager assigning us more works in future. We are scared of the consequences of multi-tasking often failing to understand that more tasks = more experience = more growth.

4) Living with assumptions:Assuming that task B is tough and will require more efforts than task A urges us to procrastinate task B. Some people think that they lack the skills to complete the new task at hand and hence don't begin. Only a few realize that a new task is an opportunity to learn that skill. We don't begin because we assume we might face failure even before we start doing it. It pays off most of the times to ditch these assumptions and take the first plunge. It is okay if you fail, at least you have tried. 

5) We love to do other (easier) things:

We love checking emails; we love peeping into Facebook walls; we love updating our LinkedIn profiles; we love to watch viral videos on YouTube; we love to read info-graphics and articles on daily newsletters; Nothing wrong in doing all of these, in fact these fillers during a work day have been found to boost creativity of employees. But the moment you start realizing that one of your tasks is walking off the deadline track, start focussing again. 

What can we do to avoid procrastination?

1) Maintain a fancy (yes, it motivates) notebook/diary with a neat to-do list. It has to be hand-written, no digital notes/evernotes/excel sheets.

2) Make a mind map or flowchart for any task given - what is the task, what is required, how long will it take?, and a note on what skills you will learn through this task (this is going to be the real motivator)

3) Don't check emails first thing in the morning at work. With smartphones these days, emails are bang on on our face the second it arrives in the mailbox. But try resisting the urge to check emails often and as the first thing everyday.

4) Assign a time-slot in your daily schedule for social media and personal online profiles. It could be half an hour after lunch time. Control the urge to check them often. Practice this for a week and it will become a habit, a good one.

5) Give yourself a productivity rating at the end of every week. Give yourself a thumbs-down for every time you put off a work. You could grade yourself out of ten each day for how much you have achieved during that day and calculate at the end of the week. Work towards a monthly target and see how an increasing score boosts your self-esteem and further productivity.

Do you have any tips to avoid procrastination and improve productivity and skills? Please share them in the comments.