Strategies for Overcoming Procrastination

Strategies for Overcoming Procrastination Keanna Jones Gen 200 March 18, 2010 Instructor: Jenta Young “You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step” says Martin Luther King Jr. (Finest Quotes, Lift Your Spirit Up, 2010). Sounds simple enough to some, but for many people taking the first step can be quite difficult. In other words, putting off something intentionally that should be done is called procrastinating (Merriam-Webster, 2010). There are lots of reasons that people can’t take that first step for such as having a busy schedule, stress, afraid of failure or wanting complete perfection; because of this, people tend to wait until the last minute to do things, lye to themselves, do other things instead of what needs to be done and avoid making decisions. Actually, waiting until the last minute gives some people just enough pressure to complete their task or time to refresh their minds. Therefore, procrastinating can be a positive thing for some, but for others it can be a barrier that hinders one from accomplishing the simplest-everyday tasks to more long term goals. So for those people that consider procrastination a problem, once you figure out how and why you procrastinate, then you find a solution for your problem. “There are many ways to avoid success in life, but the most sure-fire just might be procrastination. Procrastinators sabotage themselves. They put obstacles in their own path. They actually choose paths that hurt their performance” (Staff, 2005). Thus, procrastination can be a problem for many people. Waiting until the last minute to do things or not making decisions can cause detrimental side-effects on ones emotional and physical state. Subsequently, it can be stressful and cause you to feel hopeless or depressed which often delays or stops people from achieving their ultimate goals or becoming successful, but it is possible to prevail over it. In order to overcome procrastination, first you need to

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