It’s Friday morning and you wonder why your child isn’t having breakfast. You see them sitting at their desk, still in their pyjamas, frantically trying to finish their homework due today. They looked stressed but you know they need to finish it. All you can think is “Why did they leave this to the last minute?”
Procrastination is something many of us experience. So Natalie Nicholls, Children’s learning specialist, joined Mike to tell us how to beat the procrastination cycle. Procrastination is an intentional delay of an intended course of action, in spite of an awareness of the negative outcome. Back in the 1800’s psychologists were saying, ‘Nothing is more fatiguing as the external hanging on of an incomplete task.’ Procrastination is nothing new, human beings have been procrastinating for generations. You think we’d learn right? It is one of the least understood human miseries.
“I think that’s the big thing in our heads that…There is right and there is wrong decision but sometimes we need to think, is there really? What’s really going to happen if we make the wrong decision.” At least 20% of adults experience chronic procrastination for everyday tasks. So why do we procrastinate? It comes down to three things: Lack of motivation, low self-regulation and low self-efficacy. (Nat discusses the four sources of self-efficacy here.)
Natalie’s 5 P’s to help with procrastination
- Pep talk: give yourself a pep talk. Are you getting enough sleep, eating well and staying organised?
- Past: look at your past successful performances try to repeat them.
- Persuasion: Ask a friend to keep you accountable.
- People: Be inspired by those you admire or successful people in your life.
- Pump yourself up: Find strategies that keep you motivated.
Are you a procrastinator? Let us know by texting or messaging us on socials. Listen to the full chat below!
