Procrastination w/ Demotivation Part II: Keeping it Under Control

Hello there Nerds! Gabbi-Sama is back with Part Ni (2) of my last post about procrastination. I saw a comment posted and Mr/Ms anonymous does have points that are notable and should be considered. Therefore, I decided to post the definitions and give a slight synopsis of my viewpoint of the matter.

According to Wiki, the definition of  procrastination is:: “Counterproductive deferment of action to a later time, especially out of habitual carelessness or laziness.”

While the definition of motivation is:: “The activation or energization of goal-oriented behavior.”

According to Anonymous, procrastination and motivation aren't really related because the "procrastinators" who still get A's aren't really procrastinating, they just need a due date that will help to solidify their thoughts. However, if you take close note, the only way procrastinators, or people who are just waiting to get their thoughts together, get what they need to get done actually accomplished is if they have the pressure to do it, such as a due date. If there is no due date, a lack of motivation manifests since the pressure point (such as a due date) IS the motivation. Therefore, there IS a link between the two in some type of way. When it comes to things that don’t really have due dates, like creativity, cleaning, and other things of that sort it is a little more difficult to break out of the procrastinating habit. So I have come up with a list of things that can be done not to actually cure procrastination but to at least put it in its place.

Keeping the Motivation UP and the Procrastination DOWN

 
1) “Begin with the End in mind”
This was a big quote that I learned from an online Photoshop class. If you work while constantly reminding yourself of how the idea of ending product, you will be able to keep working in that direction and be motivated to finish!

2) Divide and Conquer

If the task at hand is huge or intimidating, breaking it up into sections can help out dramatically! It’s easier to procrastinate things that will take a long time, but if you divide it into things that won’t take so long there won’t be good enough reasons to procrastinate.

This also makes way for the next topic…

3) Make mini due dates

Since due dates and importance seems to be the “solidifying” factor in when procrastination is finally put aside, making mini due dates which correspond to the pieces of the task at hand can help you to make progress. So put a date on it!

4) Use Motivational Aids

There are many ways to keep the motivation up while completing a task. Music for one thing is a great way to keep up the creative and motivation mojo! Another good aid to use would be posters and examples of the task. I look on deviant art every day to try and inspire myself to draw, and I also have a few posters hanging here and there to try and help me out when I feel like I have no motivation to do things. Finally, you always have friends and fam! People are probably one of the best ways to get motivation. Get someone close to remind you about something you should be doing or to give you encouragement when you feel like you need some.

These tips should hopefully help us procrastinating Nerds out a little with our fatal flaw and help us gain more motivation to do things WITHOUT having to have a real due date! Feel free to comment with more tips or opinions!