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| The future isn't nigh. It is now. |
Let us start with a simple example: You have been
given an assignment that is to be submitted on Monday. Today is Friday and you
have 3 whole days between now and the last day. You ‘intentionally put it off
for Sunday’ because well, it can be done later and now is the time to be
addressing more pressing matters as downloading the new song you just heard on
your way home - this is called procrastination. ‘Why you should care’ is a
question only you can answer. Do a simple test and ask yourself if you have
intentionally not been doing something important that you were supposed to. If
yes, then we have a problem here. The word has been used so many times that it
makes no sense to be unaware of it….after all; ignorance and innocence are not
the same.
The reasons for an individual to be procrastinating
are quite simple:
1. The
excitement that has risen as a result of sheer tension due to a deadline
nearing its end.
2. You’re
too afraid of the aftermath.
3. The
idea of achieving your goal seems more vibrant than the effort of actually
doing it.
The constant stress and anxiety building up due the
simple fact that some work is left untended creates a feeling of being ’in the
process of dong work while not actually working’. Hence we try to be more
productive by not being productive at all; this is the basic idea underlying
procrastination. As time reduces, more anxiety and stress takes over. This ends
in either of the two outcomes. You’ll do the task with minimal travail or you
will bail out. Sadly, most people prefer the latter as an easy alternative.
Then originates the melancholic predicament that
states: You are afraid to do it. Why you’re afraid is quite simple and when
looked from a different perspective, one that you’ll have when you actually
complete the task, seems rather absurd. You quit on it because you feel that it’s
just not possible to it with the given resources and, the true reason, time.
Time sure is a problem, but looking at the big picture one has to realize this:
We are here to spend time. That’s it. That is what we’re supposed to do…spend
time. Now that’s on us for how we spend it. Being counter-productive isn't
going to help. It’s Ok to be afraid. People are afraid of things they’re not
aware of, the things they don’t understand. But one can’t know for sure what
lies ahead before one has made progress. What we require here is an approach to
take the leap and do it. The rational thing to do would be to re-evaluate the
profits of doing the task at hand and still having time to make it worth the
grade.
As we progress towards becoming better
procrastinators, our mind starts to procrastinate for longer periods of time.
The mind itself creates a safe-zone where it can alter events to suite need for
any given scenario. In the case of the assignment that was to be submitted on
Monday. The mind has now elaborated the situation into several stages. From
creating the header to compiling papers and sorting them out in a file to get
them graded. All contingencies are dealt with before-hand and this self
manipulative safe-zone gives a feeling of surety that the task will be done.
This coupled with the fact that we know for sure about how our progress will be
thwarted by constant interruptions from the frame of reference which we are a
subject of, puts a period to our thinking regardless of our past instances of
us cursing ourselves for procrastinating. What is, more worrisome is the point
to be pondered over here that our reasoning considers the aforementioned
ephemeral circumstance to help us make it through…..till the very end!
Now, all we have to do is to sit back and relax as
you see your gross percentage crumble to worthless farrago. Or choose the
alternative and pick yourself up to do it.
How to deal with it? Well, the simple thing to do
would be getting motivated. Yes, don’t download that sound-track just yet or
switch on your gaming console. Make sure you chalk out a plan to do what is
necessary first and set the “other tasks” as “cookies on the top shelf”.
Setting the things you love as a treat helps motivate you to do what actually
needs to be done because in the end you know you’ll be rewarded with what you
want and more time to do what you want. It’s really a win-win situation!
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| Time is but a myth….. |
We are done with procrastinating; let’s get on with
making a change. Let there be productivity!
Productivity is itself a beast that needs tending.
Doing something when you’re supposed to - that is productivity. Doing it with
passion and determination is a plus point towards reaching the finish-line. Being
productive in the episode of being allotted free time, nu-uh, I don’t think
so….
We’ll take a look at a more sinister phase of productivity.
Of a time when productivity creeps into our leisure and such a time is marked
by this unstoppable urge to be doing something beneficial. You want to go the
extra mile, even when you’re not supposed, leave alone supposition, when you
don’t need to. An example may help ease confusion here.
You take a day off. Now all you had to do was relax.
Spend some quality time with your family. Binge-watch your T.V series or do
whatever that is to keep you away from work, but no, you had to review those
files. Sure you can do that in the office tomorrow and still be paid the same
amount of salary but the constant productivity thread attached to your brain
has it hardwired to think that whatever you do has to be productive. In other
words: Go productive or go bust. What is being perceived by you mind is the
fact that you’re using up time to make more time - a, dare I say, paradoxical
infinity loop. But will that time be worth it? No one can guarantee that. Ask
the employee who spent his afternoon holiday, not with his family but with his
office work and was given extra work on Monday. No extra credit though, sorry,
and that’s on you. You wrought that on yourself.
It is simply a matter of bringing that balance in
our lives. Just like when you buy something. You don’t have to buy the best
thing. You shouldn't settle with something less. Buy what you could call, say,
good enough. Satisfying your needs and doing it with convenience and relative
ease.
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