It all starts with a simple click here on the internet or a catchy song there or a fancy book that grabs your attention. In a moment you are sucked into the blackhole. Page after page, song after song, link after link and before you know it, you are hours away from what you actually sat down to do. Say hello to procrastination.
Well, this article has been a long time coming - proof that I suffer from procrastination too. And thankfully, I am not alone. Everyone procrastinates. Be it at work or at home or with family and friends, it’s almost human nature to make any excuse to put off doing work and getting preoccupied with something that offers enjoyable distraction easily.
While earlier, people used to deal with procrastination with extreme forms of self control like locking themselves in their rooms or putting up unavoidable signs in the house to get things done, the battle against procrastination is far from over today.
With technology storming the global village, there are now applications that can be downloaded to your phones and laptops to help wage the war against this formidable enemy. But will they succeed in getting the work done when so many others have failed? MetroPlus find out.
Aishwarya Mani, a lecturer, says dealing with students who procrastinate is a challenge so to that effect they ban use of mobile phones in college. “At home, I make sure they are given assignments that are technology friendly so they use technology and get it done. I don’t know if these apps will help since most students are more interested in social networking apps rather than apps that make them get work done. At their age I don’t really see many using these apps. The same goes to my colleagues too. I use them a lot on a daily basis since it helps me as a teacher.”
More awareness would do some good, believes Aishwarya. “It would make a difference if this is promoted to a generation that is wedded to their phones. They don’t seem to be able to survive even a day without their phones. It will make a difference in their time management and how they do their work. Of course, the people who are at least 10 years younger to me don’t really care about their work getting delayed and are casual about it. So that’s another problem all by itself.”
For PR professional Hepsibah Rozario, doing things in the last minute and hoping she can deliver what is expected of her used to be her usual mantra. “I set myself earlier deadlines so I can finish before the actual deadline. With so many things to do, you tend to miss out on some of the key stuff. Since there is so much on your plate, it’s good to have an app that makes sure you don’t miss out on finishing anything important.”
She adds that technology like this needs to be easy to use and convenient. “The need of the hour is for apps to engage their users and provide useful reminders that get them moving immediately. Since we are advancing so much in technology, the user should get addicted to the app to make it work.”
Sunith Christopher, a computer networks trainer, says he uses an app that reminds him of tasks but he’s developed the habit of putting it on snooze when it beeps. “The success of an app is subjective to the person. The core solution is making a choice. People look at it like forgetfulness or laziness but we are actually making a choice to forget. Everything is in our own hands. Whether there is an app or not, you will still do it when you make the choice in your mind.”
For homemaker Bhavanna Muttapa, it’s a whole deal simpler. “I don’t deal with it. I’m quite a good procrastinator. However, when it really needs to get done I just go ahead and do it. Then there is no stopping me. Of course, there are smart phones for smart moms with smart apps but I don’t know if it will suit everyone. I’d definitely like something to egg me forward and something for the kids too.”
Counsellor and Pastor K. Vasudevan say procrastination is common to either avoid pain, shame or unpleasantness. “In the last few years, the rise in chronic procrastination is meteoric. The temptation to enjoy is so overwhelming that you cannot do what you ought to be doing. The idea of discipline here is to do what you should do and not what you like to do. It’s easy to procrastinate since the task at hand may require a certain amount of strain and effort. This can be solved by scheduling priorities to your daily programme and applications are bound to help in this process since so many youngsters are well connected with their phones.”
