Read Part 2: How To Break Your Procrastinating Habit
I guess everybody stopping by here at least once has to face with procrastination and laziness, isn’t it? And I am definitely not an exception. Ever since I started using social media, the signs of procrastination have been increasing remarkably for me. As you can read from the title, this is a confession from my own perspective. It is regarding what I think about this type of behavior and how I’m encountering it. I’m not presenting or saying on behalf of anybody. This is just my “procrastinating” experience as a social media “junkie”.
I’m so brave to acknowledge myself as a “junkie”. I have been reading a lot of articles about social media impacts, signs of a social media addict, and etc. However, I have never dared to think and admit myself having those symptoms as being addicted to social media.
It’s not easy for anyone like me to accept having those signs. However, there is absolutely nothing to be shameful about it. Instead, admitting that you are addicted to social media can help you recognize the problem sooner, find a way to limit it, and recover yourself as best as you can.
How to explain procrastination?
Before diving into my experience, I will explain shortly about procrastination for those who do not know much about this concept.
Procrastination is the act of postponing important tasks and decisions until the last minutes.
Kendra Cherry (Very Well Mind, 2020)
These people think that there’s still plenty of time to do it and it’ll be finished quickly [1].
So, instead of focusing on goals and completing them as committed, procrastinators usually delay it and spend their time doing easier tasks or more enjoyable activities. When they fall into this trap, it can easily sweep them away and seriously affect their work efficiency. [2]
There are many possible causes of getting procrastination. When you recognize the signs of this behavior early, you can start to find out the root cause to understand and correct yourself. This is just another bad habit, so it is still possible for any of you to find ways and overcome it.
How I get procrastination?
Lately, I have found myself not as productive as I used to be. I’m always in a state that’s ready to push back my deadlines and all my work when I feel bored and exhausted. Both in terms of physical and mental. I started to justify myself that I was just going to take a small amount of time to recharge my energy and would be right back to work.
What do you think about which way I chose to entertain myself?… Yes, correct! What else is there but surfing Facebook and Instagram? Updating social media while working is something I do often. It somehow makes me less guilty than watching movies or doing other stuff. I always tell myself that surfing social media is just like taking a short break, but watching a movie can last several hours. That’s the excuse I made to not feel guilty anymore.
But instead of a few minutes, I got lost in a vicious circle with no way out of these social media platforms. It was getting more and more appealing that I didn’t even notice that almost an hour has passed. I read posts, I watch funny videos, I chat with my friends, etc. These things are much easier and more comfortable than other nerve-racking tasks waiting for me over there.
From then on, I have become overly dependent on social media. Every time I get tired or demotivated, I look for amusement and enjoyment on the internet to escape my real world.
My possible reasons
As a young person still in the process of self-discovery, I always want to try new things, discover new skills and develop my strengths. I constantly set goals for myself and work as much as I can to get more experiences in areas that I love. Besides, I also expect to achieve good results in the work that I am doing. I want my efforts to be recognized. Then gradually, those expectations made me become more pressured and afraid of failure.
Every time I face difficulties, I start to feel anxious and doubt my ability. I am losing motivation and feeling like the fire burning inside of me is slowly dying out. I’m so afraid to face things I don’t want. That’s why I choose things that are easier to do and bring joy faster.
Consequences after procrastinating
Delaying your work to do other amusing tasks that make you feel better is definitely not an ideal choice. It can bring you temporary fun and enjoyment, but it is just a short moment and you will still have to get back to your work at some point anyway.
You can say that you are just relaxing for a bit and you can complete your tasks easily in a blink. You are probably right, but you do not know how terrible it could affect your working habits, productivity and outcome quality.
I have had to deal with many consequences because of procrastination – which are too many deadlines, too many priorities, no time for true rest, inefficient work performance, etc.
There might be many reasons for your procrastination. The important thing is you need to realize the signs soon. Then you can identify what could be the root cause deep inside of you to better understand yourself and find a way to overcome this delaying situation.
Stay tuned to part two next week to discuss how we will deal with the act of procrastination to get over it and work more effectively!
Thao Van Nguyen
A passionate content writer and social media enthusiast that loves playing around with ideas and turning them into enticing words. Delivering great and useful content to our readers is what I’m working on.
