Do you ever have days where you just don’t feel like doing anything at all? You might be procrastinating!
Procrastination is the act of postponing or delaying a task, especially one that needs to be done, and it’s important to learn how to stop this bad habit.
I’m sure you’ve heard about Tim Urban before – he has some really great advice on beating procrastination.
In his Ted talk, he explains why we procrastinate in the first place and gives practical ways for fighting back against it.
He also talks about how procrastination can sometimes lead us down a path towards anxiety and depression if we’re not careful (which is never fun!). He even has some ways to keep track of your progress so that it doesn’t seem like such a huge task.
To learn more about procrastination and how to beat it, watch the video and then read below!
Notes from Tim Urban Ted Talk
At the start, I thought that procrastination is a bad thing. But Tim made me think about it more, and I realize there are some benefits of being lazy.
Tim Urban started his Ted Talk by telling us how we should have an open mind to our old enemy because everyone has different reasons for procrastination.
He said that there are two ways to think about procrastination: right and wrong.
The first one is when we talk about doing something “later” because it’s an unpleasant task, but you know you have to do it anyway, so why not enjoy a bit of time in between?
The second one is when we tell ourselves that the thing will take a lot of work and it’s not worth it, so we should just put off doing it.
To make your procrastination less harmful, Tim Urban said to focus on the right way by putting off an unpleasant task for a bit.
In this way, you are taking the right step to finishing it and not putting off something that is really important for a long time.
He also recommends getting started with smaller tasks so they don’t seem as big or as hard because then we can get more done in less time!
So let’s procrastinate on that big project for now and start on the smallest one!
Tim Urban also says to focus on the right way by putting off an unpleasant task in order to finish it without procrastinating. It’s not very good to procrastinate on a big project and put off important tasks because it can have serious consequences.
If you’re feeling like putting something off, focus on smaller projects first so they won’t seem as difficult or time-consuming!
I’m going to focus on the right way by putting off an unpleasant task in order to finish it without procrastinating.
Quotes By Tim Urban
“You are an ineffective procrastinator if you find yourself waiting until the last minute to get started and then ultimately giving up.” – Tim Urban.
Tim talks about how he can’t control what will happen in life, but he can decide when his day starts. He says that is a decision we all have right now that will change our lives.
“It’s not about getting more done, it’s about doing what needs to be done.” – Tim Urban.
He says that if you want to procrastinate, go ahead and do it, but most of the time, people don’t want to because they know how bad the consequences can be. He says that people make the mistake of overlooking what needs to be done and instead focusing on more important things.
“I’m not going to tell you how much time I think is right or wrong.”- Tim Urban.
Tim says we don’t have any control over our lives, but he does say that it’s up to us when we want to start our day.
FAQ
Q: What is procrastination?
A: It’s when you use things like boredom or fear of failure as an excuse to avoid doing something that needs to be done.
Q: Is procrastination bad?
A: It depends on why and how much you do it. There is a difference between being lazy or trying to avoid something hard, for instance. In the latter case, defeating procrastination would be beneficial as that’s not really smart behavior. But if you’re merely avoiding tasks that you don’t like or are difficult, then you can just do them and get it over with.
Q: Why do we procrastinate?
A: There is no one reason everyone procrastinates. Some people might do it because they’re lazy or don’t like doing certain tasks, for instance. Others might be using the task as a way to avoid something else, and still, others may just have some bad habits that lead to them putting things off too much.
Q: How to stop procrastinating, or how can you beat the habit of putting things off until later.
A: We’ve found there are three main pillars in the fight against procrastination:
- knowing yourself and your tendencies
Choosing a task that suits you – not too big but not too small either, and when in doubt, don’t work on tedious or difficult things. - if all else fails, close the door to distractions like social media with noise-canceling headphones, for instance.
Q: Can I be more productive by not procrastinating at all times? Can I still take breaks and enjoy life while being a chronic non-procrastinator?
A: I know many people who do things the opposite way and have had success with it. They are constantly working; every day that goes by without stopping to take a break is another productive day in their mind. I think this approach works best for certain personality types, but not everyone can be disciplined enough to adhere to it as well.
Q: What is a chronic non-procrastinator?
A: This person would be able to complete tasks and work on their responsibilities without avoiding it or delaying the task until they are forced to do so by external factors in a place such as deadlines, conflicts with others, etc.
Conclusion
This blog covers the basics of procrastination, why it’s so hard to overcome and how you can use the principles in this blog post for your own success.
The three things we learned from Tim Urban are:
- We’re all capable of more than we think (including not being lazy)
- Our brains have a hard time predicting what they’ll need in the future, so it’s hard to know if we’re being lazy
- The less time you have for a task, the more motivated you are. That means that tasks with deadlines or things that could be done quickly will usually get some of your best work!
We hope these tips help, you can also read these books to stay on track and keep making progress.
If you have any questions or comments, please share them below!
