Although the aim is to protect the public from the contagion of COVID-19, the measures to implement social restrictions that are currently ongoing have also had a significant impact on individual performance, particularly students and workers. One of the perceived impacts is the increasing attitude of procrastination.
It is undeniable, many of us are starting to experience a decrease in motivation. Whatever the reason. Worse, this situation makes us procrastinate. Even though there are many things that need to be done, they are busy lying down, or playing on cell phones, or doing other unimportant work. So, in this article, we will try to deal with procrastination.
We’ll start by finding out first. Why do people like to procrastinate? Why is procrastination so delicious? Until the day passes, and the nights we regret not being productive. From there, we’ll look for influencing factors, and various simple productivity tools that you can use to address that going forward.
The difference between procrastinators and slackers
People who are procrastinating are often labeled as lazy. However, these two things are different. This means that the solutions to the two problems are also different. Procrastination is an active process in which you choose to do something other than the task you are supposed to do. On the other hand, laziness shows apathy and reluctance to act. Procrastination usually involves neglecting tasks that you find unpleasant or difficult but maybe more important.
Why People Like to Procrastinate
A person’s motivation is influenced by several variables. Starting from Expectations, Values, Impulsivity, and Time.
Hope that shows how confident we can get a job done. If you feel that your work can be completed easily, you are good at it and confident, of course, your level of hope to be able to complete the work will be high. As a result, the motivation to do it also increases.
For example, you are a person who is good at doing work in the field. Then, you will have higher motivation, than the job desk. Because, yes, you feel the task is easy. You can do it well, fast, and there is no burden. From here, your chances of procrastinating work are small.
On the other hand, when you get an assignment related to the job desk, you will find it difficult first. So, the value of your Hope to be able to finish it will be low, and it will make you lazy first. As a result, your chances of resigning from work will be high.
Another variable that affects is the value. This value is a “reward” that you will get when you successfully complete the job. Rewards don’t just mean gifts in the form of physical goods, yes. But, are you happy when you do it, what experience do you get when you do it. What kind of satisfaction do you get after completing the job?
For example, you are the type of person who likes to do tasks alone. When one day comes and it’s noisy, your chances of procrastination will be high. Because, you don’t like your experience when doing assignments.
Impulsivity is how easily you get distracted. Of course, the easier it is to get distracted, the higher your chances of procrastinating. Open your laptop, want to open a work file, suddenly you get a notification from Instagram. Then, you are provoked to open social media and end up playing with your cellphones for a few hours.
The last factor is Time. This is the amount of time from now until you get rewards for completing work. The longer the time frame, the more likely you are to procrastinate. Well, this is indeed human nature, anyway, how are we more interested in rewards that are obtained instantly rather than having to wait a long time first.
How to Overcome the Habit of Procrastination
Since we already have a formula for increasing motivation, of course, the answer is easy. To overcome the habit of procrastinating, we only need to play the variables in the formula, according to their respective conditions.
For example, you are skilled in doubt if you can complete the job easily and quickly. That is, the variables you can tinker with are “Value” and “Impulsivity”.
Yes, okay. We just need to increase Value and Reduce Impulsivity. The method? Lots, and of course everyone is different.
You can commit to giving rewards when your work is done. You can modify your experience at work (for example some like to work in a rather crowded place, so try working in a cafe. Some like to listen to songs to stimulate their passion. Some like to wear neat clothes to get a real work atmosphere. Some want to To improve the experience of doing it by working with friends, then you can create study groups, for example, doing assignments while video calling together).
It’s really okay. Because again, everyone is different.
Then, how to reduce Impulsivity? That’s a lot too. It depends on your character and the type of work you are doing. If you’re a squeamish person when you’re holding your cell phone, try putting your cell phone in another room while doing activities. If your activity doesn’t actually need internet, try turning off the internet connection to your laptop for a while.
In essence, you just see which variables from the formula you can control to reduce the desire to procrastinate.
Simple, but it does take practice to do this.
Various Productivity Methods To Not Procrastinate
If you already know conceptually how to overcome procrastination, now we can help you from a technical point of view. What practical things can be tried to prevent that from happening?
To-Do List
The simplest thing you can try is to make a To-Do List every time you go to sleep. Why do you want to sleep?
So that when you wake up, you don’t bother thinking about what to do.
The feeling when we wake up, then “What am I doing today, how good is it?” sucks and makes it unproductive. Wake up sitting. Take the phone. Thinking. Stunned. I know I’ve spent 2 hours in bed. Mesmerized, but not awake.
Compare it to you who wake up and look at the To-Do List notes. “Oh yeah, today I want to do such and such and this.” Of course, this To-Do List function is not a very sacred thing for us to do. Can we modify it again in the morning, or not do everything there. But, your goal is to make it so you don’t lose your way.
At least in the morning, you know that there is something you want to do. And that, subconsciously, will boost our energy.
The work environment always has various kinds of challenges such as a heavy workload.
By developing a resilient career, you have anticipated various challenges that may occur. develop resilience can help you deal with job risks, strengthen your mind, and prepare you for potential opportunities in the future.
Currently, resilience does not only act as an additional skill but has become the main competency that must be possessed by employees. As technological, social, and business changes occur, professional skills must also change. More and more companies are looking for employees who are able to learn new skills and can easily adapt to changes. Not just meeting qualifications in the world of work, developing personal and professional resilience will help you provide a sense of security when you have to face unexpected conditions or situations.
4 Ways to build career resilience
1. Have a willingness to learn
One of the keys to having resilience is to stay informed about current issues and learn about new emerging technologies. By taking online courses, registering for professional development workshops, and attending conferences, you can develop your skills according to industry developments. It will also increase your confidence and you will appear more competitive in front of the company.
2. Strengthen professional network
Having a strong professional network can help you cope with unexpected changes in your career. Start looking for opportunities to connect with other people who share the same interests as your industry. You can take advantage of your social media, participate in online discussions, and attend industry conferences to help build and strengthen the circle around you. Building relationships with professionals in your field can help develop a career, even in the midst of the uncertainty of the current pandemic.
3. Actively manage career
You can manage and develop your career by first reflecting on your strengths, future opportunities, past experiences, and current role. Next, define and write down professional goals in the short and long term that you want to achieve. Review these goals from time to time, you can consistently analyze and revise them as needed.
4. Optimistic to see the future
The toughest professionals can bounce back from the past and be optimistic about the future. Try to see every change that occurs as an opportunity for growth and self-improvement. Stay optimistic, live the development, and be prepared to accept other opportunities that are more potential.
By applying the methods above and knowing the importance of this resilience, you will be able to go through even difficult situations in your life, including in dealing with situations of uncertainty in the midst of a pandemic like this.