Procrastination is often confused with laziness, but in fact, they are not the same. Unlike laziness, Procrastination is an active process, when you choose to do something other than the task you know you should be rightly doing. In contrast, laziness suggests inactivity and an unwillingness to act. Procrastination is a trap that most of us fall into and it is believed that 95 per cent of us procrastinate in some way or the other to some degree. While it may be comforting to know that you’re not alone, it can be sobering to realize just how much it is holding you back. Procrastination usually involves ignoring an unpleasant, but seemingly more important task, in favour of one that is more enjoyable or easier. If we procrastinate over a long period of time, we can become disillusioned with our work, which can lead to depression and in extreme cases, even job loss. Prioritization is necessary in such situations.

Procrastination usually comes in two forms:

• Difficulty in starting a task
• Getting distracted while working on a task in hand

They both follow a similar pattern of self-rationalization. You tell yourself “I really need to get started on this”. But you feel stressed, distracted and start doing something else instead, to temporarily escape from the stress. One of the reasons we procrastinate is to avoid having to make decisions and deal with an unwanted task. If you’re trying to write a paper, coming up with the perfect thesis can be so intimidating that you don’t even want to get started.

So, next time you’re about to start a task and you feel a voice in your head telling you to “open your facebook, someone might have commented on your status”, resist that urge. Tell yourself you’ll resist it just one time and be determined. Make it a habit to think this way and you will be on the road to recovery.