Psychologists consider procrastination to be a real problem of the century, a disease of our time, although it has been known throughout the history of mankind. This phenomenon can contribute to the development of depression and feelings of guilt, a person can lose faith in themselves.
What is procrastination
Procrastination is a condition of a person who ignores important tasks and work duties, being distracted by entertainment or secondary problems. The ancient Greek philosopher Geosides wrote about this constant postponement of things “on the back burner”, but it was in the 21st century that procrastination reached a new level, thanks to the development of social networks, the emergence of many games and other distractions.
Because of procrastination, an individual spends an unimaginable amount of time on nonsense, and does business in a hurry, in violation of the time frame. Psychologists believe that the causes of this "disease of our time" are stress, lack of self-confidence and interest in work, and a breakdown. According to other versions, procrastination may be a symptom of a person's increased anxiety or some kind of protest against imposed obligations on the part of the leadership or society.
Methods to combat procrastination
Psychologists have developed many methods to combat procrastination. One of the most effective technologies is the Eisenhower Matrix, which allows you to organize yourself and categorize responsibilities by importance and urgency.
How do I use the matrix? Take a piece of paper and divide it into 4 equal parts. To the left of the vertical axis, you will have important responsibilities, to the right, minor ones. Above the horizontal axis - urgent matters, below - not urgent.
In the "Important and Urgent" section, write down those cases, ignoring which will lead to negative consequences in the near future (delivery of a report, an important call to a client, a visit to a doctor, etc.). Fill in the section "Important and not urgent" with urgent problems that may become urgent in the near future (preparation for a performance, English lessons, a trip to rest).
Minor, but urgent matters are, most often, duties that etiquette requires to fulfill (birthday greetings, visit to visit). Minor and non-urgent matters are the most useless category that spends a lot of time (watching TV, aimlessly surfing the Internet).
For the Eisenhower Matrix to start working, you should pay special attention to important, but not urgent matters, then the "Important and Urgent" section will almost always be free.
Professor George Perry of Stanford has figured out how to "trick" procrastination. To do this, at the top of the list, you need to put those cases that only seem urgent, at the bottom - truly important in decreasing importance. The procrastinator tends to do what is in the second half of the list in the first place, so he will do all the necessary things.
