It seems like procrastination is becoming increasing popular these days. Everyone seems to relate on the stress of waiting till the very last minute to do something – or the lack of concern with waiting till the very last minute to do something. Students seem to be the most common victims of procrastination. Everyone has papers and assignments thrown at them left and right, yet never in the mood to do it. Is that what ultimately controls us? Our mood?
When given a deadline, there’s a gap of safety space to spread out the workload. There might be a schedule, a little work here and a little work there, leading up to completion right up to the day before it’s due. Seems like a logical plan right? It would be if we stuck to it. When life happens or we struggle to find motivation, we start to see that gap of safety space a little wider. Maybe it’s safe to start working on our project a little later than plan, we can afford that time. We do this all the way up to the day before it’s due to start the project. Yikes! Then we’re rushed, feeling the pressure, and stressed. Some might be able to pull it off, other’s won’t deliver to the best of their ability.
Why do we do this? Let’s look at the minds of procrastinators. We have a responsible character who knows what should and shouldn’t be done. This character steers us through our day. Then we have a instant gratification monkey, this monkey convinces us why we should do about anything other than what we should be doing. When that monkey takes control of the wheel and steers our day, the responsible character steps aside and we miss out on productivity. As the deadline gets closer and the monkey is running us into awesome fun chaos, this “get it done” monster is awaken! And then our mind runs into a panic of hysteria, the responsible character is freaking out and the instant gratification monkey runs away. Then we are able to snap into gear.
We’re really in trouble when that “get it done” monster doesn’t wake up, when that monkey keeps steering us in the wrong direction. So when does that monster not wake up? That monster is only awoken when that deadline is creeping up and nothing is done. So say nothing gets done, but there’s no deadline…That’s when the “get it done” monster stays dormant. This is when procrastination is a problem. When we set goals and have plans for the future and the future becomes the present, it’s depressing to realize we got nothing done. That’s because procrastination only works with deadlines. If we don’t set deadlines for our personal plans, that gap of safety space spans over our lifetime. But we don’t want our last day on earth to be our deadline.
If we start making personal deadlines for ourselves, we’ll be able to awaken that “get it done” monster and scare off that instant gratification monkey. We’ll be able to make those achievements and be proud of ourselves and live fulfilled lives. If you’re struggling to find motivation and make personal progress, please contact Crownview Medical Group to get in touch with a trained professional who can guide you.
Source:
https://www.ted.com/talks/tim_urban_inside_the_mind_of_a_master_procrastinator#t-561019
