Can self-imposed deadlines beat procrastination?

We live in a time, where we constantly get distracted. Throughout the day, we all have the need to regularly check our messages and e-mail accounts. This constant distraction is what we like to call “procrastination”. But why do we procrastinate in the first place? And why can’t we just ignore our phones for a couple of hours?

One of the reasons is because we don’t like to miss out on things. Being connected to the world is part of our daily routine. We got used to having access to a lot of information within a couple of seconds. This obviously affects not only our patience but especially our attention span. We simply got used to getting a lot of different impressions on a daily basis. This is no different at the workplace. Therefore, when we constantly work on the same project we tend to drift away with our thoughts or get bored by the same activities. I mean let’s be honest, who doesn’t like variety at work? If we do the same things every day, every week, for months we will eventually get tired of it. And this will lead to more procrastination, because we would rather do something different and new. One way to change your daily routine is to interact with colleagues more often. You might talk about new things, get other ideas for your projects etc. The important thing is to keep your day at work interesting. Otherwise you will seek interest in other activities, such as browsing through the web, which again leads to procrastination.

Another reason why we procrastinate is the date of our deadline. If we have a lot of time until our project is due, we “take it easy” and postpone our tasks as much as possible. A study has shown that people who have 6 months until their deadline will get the project done within those 6 months. Now let’s assume the same project is due in 12 months. In that case, the project probably won’t be ready before the deadline in 12 months. Why is that? This is mainly because we like to work under time pressure. Most of us think that they are more efficient when they work under time pressure. However, the real reason why we work so effectively when we have pressure, is because we don’t get distracted. We know time is running out and we must finish our tasks now. So, we set our priorities straight and forget about our messages and e-mails. We dedicate our full concentration to our project.

Now imagine you have the same deadline for several projects. You probably won’t be able to finish all the projects if you constantly postpone your work and rely on the efficiency boost caused by time pressure. In order to beat procrastination in the first phase of your project, impose yourself deadlines. You will prioritize your work right away and avoid stressful situations the week before the “real” deadline.

We want to help you avoid procrastination and keep track of your projects and the amount of time you invest in your work. TimeTrack is an effective Time Tracker Software for Businesses and Individuals. Stop worrying about time tracking management and try our easy-to-use time tracking software.

You can set up the time tracking system in minutes and keep up with your efficiency. Once you have an overview of how much time you lose to procrastination, you will be able to improve your day at work. Make your day more interesting and beat procrastination once and for all. Learn more about TimeTrackApp.