How to stop putting things off?

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Salahudeen

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I've been trying to do my assignment for the last 3 days, but I keep delaying it and I don't know why. It's really frustrating me, I don't want to leave it to the last minute, I have 2 weeks left to do it. But I find it difficult to study and work on it imsad
 
same here....i cannot push myself.....i feel so comfortable not doing it....and when i do i just feel agitated
 
I'll let you know tomorrow.

I'd say most people do this cos they just get distracted. We'd be working on something during the day when our mind wanders on to all the other things we could be doing instead.

Perhaps wake up earlier than usual to do work when everyone is asleep and it's quiet outside. There'd be less distractions and your mind would be fresh/more willing to work.
 
Salahudeen said:
when I do it I feel agitated.
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^o) Why? Wouldn't you feel happy you've actually managed to sit yourself down and do it?!

Why don't you split your day? Morning and afternoon spend your time on your assignments and then the evening your study or vice versa. That way you finish the day and done a bit of both.

I also agree with what brother Bedioun suggested, stay up after Fajr, you'll be surprised how much you get done ;)
 
Greetings and peace be with you Salahudeen;

Deep down you may feel you have not done all the work you should have done in the past for this assignment, and there might be a sense of panic, you cannot change the past, you can only change the present.

Start now, no more posting on forums, no more wasting time with friends, facebook, computer games etc, you will have plenty of time for these things in two weeks. You can’t waste a whole year’s work by not starting this project now, start with prayer and ask for help.

You need to start within the next ten minutes, get your work out now.

Remember failure is only failure when you give up.

Every blessing be with you at these times of indecision.

Eric
 
:sl:


A simple yet powerful way to end procrastination is to learn to say no to the unimportant things. As Muslims, its a religious duty upon each one of us to struggle and battle against our own Nafs(self) and desires. So to motivate and train yourself to overcome this, try linking it to the greater objective of Tazkiya, in reality it is related. Say NO to the Self, go against it, for the purpose of seeking the pleasure and nearness of Allah(swt), then enjoy the sweetness of its pain. It is like weight training, your muscles grow according to the resistance they push against. The more you deny these desires of the self, and to do what has to be done, the more you go against the self - the stronger your decision muscles become and grow. Let this be your Jihad then.


If you're putting things off because the task at hand seems too large and overwhelming, then try breaking it down. break the task down to smaller tasks and tackle them one by one. Remember the golden rule, If you can't solve the problem completely, don't leave it completely, do what you can now. lâ hawla wa lâ quwwata illâ bi Allâh.


May Allah(swt) give us the strength to do what is best for our Dunya and Aakhirah, and the strength to say No to what hinders us from following the right path. Ameen
 
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I've got the same problem... just isolate yourself and actually sit-down to do it. The hardest bit is starting it, well in my case anyway. Try to get all distractions out of the way beforehand like food and such.
 
:sl:
Just work on it. Each day, take out 1 hour out of the 24 hours in a day

if you work on it all at once, it will frustrate you. you dont work on it at all, it will frustrate you. take the middle way and plan well and work well.
 
same going on with me too these days..
some time before i have selected my favorite subject just because i loved all the work i was to be given in that but now i just feel like i don't want to do that all.... i keep on delaying all the work and even get frustrated when think about the end of the semester.. i m going so slow in my work that even my classmates think some things wrong with me

i m too shocked why is this happening to me.. i know all the stuff i have to do is not at all boring for me rather it has always been my interest
 
Set yourself up with a time frame and reward system... say you'll work on your assignment for two hours and then reward yourself by taking an hour to do something for yourself, like going for a walk or whatever your favourite hobby is. But, only reward yourself if you actually work for the set time... when you feel ready, repeat the process... it helped get me through countless papers and assignments when I was still in school! :)

Good luck!
 
:sl:

Salahudeen said:
I've been trying to do my assignment for the last 3 days, but I keep delaying it and I don't know why. It's really frustrating me, I don't want to leave it to the last minute, I have 2 weeks left to do it. But I find it difficult to study and work on it imsad
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Take the following steps:

1. Set aside an hour for contemplation and thought.

2. Get a sheet of paper and pen to write down your thoughts.

3. Ask yourself the following questions:

a. What is most important to me in life? What are the things that really matter to me?

b. What am I interested in? What do I have passion for? (Remember that desire is the starting point of all achievement. With no desire you're not going to get anywhere.)

c. Where am I right now and where do I want to go?

d. What are my long-term goals in life?

e. What are my short-term goals?

f. What are the resources available to me that will help me get where I want to be?

g. What can I do to get where I want to be?

h. On a scale of 1 to 10 rate your desire for every thing you want to achieve.



This will require quite a bit of thought. Take as long as you need to think about these things. Once you have figured out the reasons WHY you are doing things in life, you will get the ammunition you need to fight Shaytan. Knowing the reasons will empower you with a will, determination and strength to overcome procrastination.

And this one hour of thought will save you countless hours of time wasted.

I hope this helps in some way.
 
:sl:

Here's a very powerful saying by Ali ibn Abi Talib which I encourage you to deeply reflect upon. Understanding it could possibly cure you of that evil. One could even make a big poster with this saying on the wall to remind oneself of this......

"Everyone who is being overtaken by death asks for more time, while everyone who still has time makes excuses for procrastination."

Note: What it means is that people would ask for more time if they knew they were going to die right now. But when people are given time, they make excuses for not doing things.
 
Salaam

How to overcome procrastination

We all have one – that arduous task you’ve been putting off for weeks, months, years. Be it organising your office or finally starting that novel, we always seem to find another excellent excuse for not doing it today. Gary Sall, co-founder of positivechangesolutions.co.uk, believes procrastination comes from a fear of failure. Here, he gives us his top tips for combating that fear of failure and overcoming our inner procrastinator.

Banish negative thoughts

Our tolerance for making mistakes is low, and our desire to achieve a certain outcome is high. This is where self-limiting negative thoughts such as: “What would happen if I fail?” and “Will I look like a fool?”, come from. Identify these thoughts, challenge them and replace them with constructive sentences such as: “Are my thoughts realistic and rational?”

Embrace uncertainty

The world is an uncertain place where few things are guaranteed. This means our desire for certainty is an irrational thought. Instead, see uncertainty as an exciting challenge.

Take risks

Build up your tolerance to making mistakes by taking a few risks. We all made mistakes when learning to drive a car or ride a bike. Making these mistakes on the way to achieving our goals is natural. Without taking calculated risks, we cannot move forward.

Confront your fears with positive actions

Taking that first step can be the most difficult part, but once that first step is taken the whole task becomes easier. Overcoming fear of failure and in doing so tackling procrastination is a skill that can be developed – the more we practice, the better we become. With these tips in mind, try tackling that elusive job this week and let us know how you get on.

http://www.psychologies.co.uk/self/how-to-overcome-procrastination/
 
:sl:

Let your motto be: WORK FIRST, PLAY SECOND.

Shaytan's preference is: PLAY FIRST, WORK SECOND.:Evil:

P.S. Don't let Shaytan fool you any more.

P.P.S. It's a serious matter and a matter that I myself have to battle with it on a daily basis. But what helps is that I know about Shaytan's tricks and this helps me enormously in overcoming procrastination. It's not easy but it can be done. And you can also tell yourself that it's worth the pain because procrastination is the thief of time. And remember that time once lost is lost forever. Guard how you use your time ferociously.

P.P.P.S. You can do it too. Let us know if this helps you in any way so that it might encourage others to adopt this strategy in fighting procrastination.
 
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:sl:

Salahudeen said:
I've been trying to do my assignment for the last 3 days, but I keep delaying it and I don't know why. It's really frustrating me, I don't want to leave it to the last minute, I have 2 weeks left to do it. But I find it difficult to study and work on it
Click to expand...


thequietone said:
same here....i cannot push myself.....i feel so comfortable not doing it....and when i do i just feel agitated
Click to expand...

Brothers, might I ask to think and reflect upon the following points:

1. Let's assume that we have on average 60 - 70 years to live.

2. Out of that quota let's deduct 20 years of our life. Now, now. Don't protest. This is the time we spend in sleeping. So we can't be held accountable for that time spent.

3. Let's also deduct an additional 15 years. Children are not held accountable for their actions. Most kids reach puberty by the age of 15.

4. Let's also deduct another 5 years. This time is the duration of our sickness or ailments. Or times of senility.

5. The amount to deduct = 20 + 20 = 40 years.

6. That means if our life span is 60 years we have only 20 years of time whereby we shall be held accountable!

I hope you now realize how LITTLE time you really have. Only 20 to 30 years! If you divide that number, you will get half for your youth and half for your old age.

So if you are to live 60 years, then your period of youth is only 10 years!

What you can do in your youth is far more than what you can do in your old age.

So if you do not strive to do good deeds now, what are the chances that you will be able to do them in old age when your body becomes weak and your capabilities diminish considerably?

And here's the part that should make you take heed right away!

You have only 10 years of YOUTH.....based upon our calculations just now. And out of those 10 years you will lose quite a number of years to Shaytan and your evil nafs!! :exhausted

If we deduct 5 years of time stolen, that would leave you with only 5 years of YOUTH in which you worked.....for the Hereafter. :omg:

Therefore, recognize that you don't really have much time. If you realize this, it should help you not to waste a single minute of your precious time. May Allah help you make good use of the time He's given you. Ameen!
 

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