I have had times when I had to do something but didn’t feel like doing it just yet, so I put it off. I have also had moments when I didn’t have to do something but I felt like it and so I just did it. With time, I think I figured out some tips to help you stop procrastinating.

Procrastination is an ingrained menace. it causes us do things when we almost have no other choice, and this is the reason we almost always do the task assigned to us when the deadline is close and that feeling of missing a window of opportunity becomes frighteningly evident to us.

In essence, no one is lazy, they just have different senses of urgency and priority and sometimes they are just being short-sighted. 

The lack of a sense of urgency indicates that we have not rightfully gauged the task in front of us, or we just haven’t seen it in front of us. And sometimes we don’t understand the benefits associated with finishing an important task early. 

That’s to say the issue is majorly based on feelings and perception of events. That’s why I’m going to make some points clear, so that next time any of us feels lazy and tired and all those other cozy feelings, we can instantly snap out of it and save our time which when it snowballs, pretty much dictates the quality of our lives.

So, here are the things you didn’t know starting a task early could help you do

BENEFITS OF STARTING A TASK EARLY

1. YOU WOULD UNDERSTAND REQUIREMENTS AND PREPARE FOR THE TASK BETTER: one of the major things that cause us to procrastinate is the feeling that the task is simple and that we can finish it in a moments notice, but as anyone who procrastinates would tell you, it almost always doesn’t turn out that way. Most times when we don’t fully understand the requirements of a job, we tend to consider it light, and thus keep putting it off, only analyzing the task close to the deadline to find out its colossal nature, all to our shock. This leads to rushing and shitty jobs.
2. YOU WOULD HAVE THE TIME REVIEW AND MAKE CORRECTION: whether it’s a small maths problem or an essay, or even more complex projects, starting early leads to early completion, which leads to the realization that there are errors here and there. And with the spare time, it is possible to correct these errors or just add extra features, things that can never be achieved in a haste.
3. YOU WOULD HAVE THE TIME TO RELAX: Nothing beats a clear conscience; your sleep would be sweeter and your countenance bright. With that task off your mind, you can now think clearly and enjoy the serenity that comes with freedom.
4. YOU CAN MAKE MONEY FROM THE SUCKERS: This is a bonus, if you are the type that doesn’t like squandering their spare time on relaxation and other fun stuff, you can relish in the knowledge that you can demand money in exchange for your experience and service.

Having shown you how not procrastinating can be good for you, I would now proceed to give you the biggest secret as far as dealing with procrastination is concerned

HOW TO STOP PROCRASTINATING FOR GOOD

It is simple, but simple isn’t always easy. The secret is that you need to start to procrastinate less important activities.

That was simple and straight forward, right? Let me explain: when given a task to research the dangers of the internet, all you have to do is procrastinate your video game session with your friends till whenever you finish your task. It is that simple.

But this is not always easy, most times it is not even possible, with friends and circumstances forcing and seducing us, we almost have no say in the matter and that leads to the second biggest secret in this subject.

 It states;

 “thou shall leave thine comfort zone until thou has fulfilled thin assignment which has been bestowed upon you”

Yeah, you have to change your environment. Nothing spills procrastination, like having your TV set and console turned on at the same time. In some cases, distractions might be more subtle, like a very good friend with whom you always have fun, or a series that usually comes up by 8 PM. The trick is to just escape.

You have to learn to escape the comfort of home. Deliberately put yourself in a situation where you would hardly be able to indulge the distractions. 

I apply this by never reading in my room, I go out to study, I also go with friends who have the same objective – study. And that’s how I have been able to beat procrastinating my reading until one week to the exams.

It is very important to surround yourself with people who would push you to achieve your goals, or at least ask you how far you’ve gone

In case you missed the points, they are

QUICK TIPS TO STOP PROCRASTINATION

1. Decide what is important to you
2. understand the benefits of not procrastinating those important tasks
3. Procrastinate the less important activities 
4. Change your environment by literally escaping from the distractions
5. Find the right people to hang out with

In essence, what you are practicing is known as positive procrastination. The more you can clearly decide which task is worth doing now, and which can be put off, then you can positively procrastinate and achieve more every day.

And Oh! before I forget, try not to procrastinate spending time with family and loved ones, little things matter a lot, at least call.