Dr Stella Ahunanya, a soft-skill expert, and a foundation member of Platforms Africa forum share tips on how to overcome and prevent procrastination. Excerpts;
We hear people use the word Procrastination a lot. What does it really means?
The act of putting off or postponing an activity or thinking critically about issues based on underlying factors such as apathy, laziness, fear, depression, ADHD etc.
Some people grow into the habit of postponing everything in their lives. Is Procrastination, a psychological or soft skill ailment?
It is not a psychological or soft skill ailment but a habit associated with certain psychological issues and lack of soft skill such as self-discipline, time management and precrastination which is being proactive in carrying out activities or strategic thinking.
it is not a condition, is right to say it is hereditary?
With a research carried out by psychologists on twins, the evidence for the heritability of proscrastination showed that it is moderately heritable especially with conditions like ADHD and traits like lack of self-control.
What are the dangers inherent in it?
People that procrastinate are in danger of having high levels of anxiety, experience more stress, reduced productivity at work and in school, have interpersonal issues as they can’t meet up keeping up with promises made. Also when new challenges arise in their environment, they may not be able to cope but complain on how difficult life is. At national level, it results in lack of foresight in dealing with contemporary challenges and lack of critical/ strategic thinking by the leadership.
Does it have anything to do with poverty?
There is a strong link between it and poverty as illustrated by the saying, ‘Time is money’. Procrastination is borrowing from one’s future to spend in the present as tasks are put off for now to a later date so goals are not achieved leading to poverty. At national level, some good policies are implemented as a result, people are impoverished.
Why should someone affected by Procastination worry?
A procrastinator should worry as it connected to negative functions like indiscipline and risks to mental health challenges such as anxiety, worry, depression, low self-esteem to mention a few. A nation that procrastinate will hardly progress as challenges are not tackled strategically resulting to developmental issues.
Some Africans usually blame their village people for any result of Procrastination. Do village people really have anything to do with it?
Village people have nothing to do with it as it is a coping mechanism for avoiding displeasing tasks or carrying out critical thinking on an issue that is likely to affect oneself. Example, fuel subsidy was an issue in Nigeria over the years but people refused to think critically about it in order to plan ahead at personal and governmental levels.
If someone sets a goal and cannot achieve it, others have nothing to do with it.
If as you said, it is not a condition and village people have no role to play in this, would you say, prayers or sacrifices can heal it?
Not really one can pray to overcome it and make sacrifices to develop self-discipline.
What are the tips on how to avoid or overcome Procrastination?
The following are some tips for overcoming procrastination;
– One needs to acknowledge why one is avoiding tasks. Self-awareness to find out the underlying factors like being scared, fear of failure etc.
– Identify the triggers such as anxiety, depression etc.
– Self-discipline to set ‘a to do list’ every day based on easy time-based tasks that can be achieved bit by bit.
– Forgive yourself to reduce guilt so you can face the tasks squarely.
– Think about the big picture that the small tasks will help one achieve.
– Reward yourself when you achieve a task.
– Try the ‘Nothing Alternative’ by Raymond Chandler.
At national level, leaders should be proactive in actions and strategic in thinking about issues.
This edition of e-Discourse, a weekly event organised by Platforms Africa, a forum created by award-winning African journalist, Adeola Yusuf, is moderated by Accra, Ghana-based veteran journalist, Francis KOKUTSE
