We all want to be super productive and get a lot done all the time. But it’s much easier said than done. Many people succumb to procrastination because that’s the easy and comfortable option when you’re faced with a difficult project or something you don’t really want to do. But if you want to be a go-getter and be on top of things, you have to keep in mind how procrastination hurts your productivity and change your habits. It takes time, but it can definitely be done. Once you get used to it, being productive is much easier than you would’ve thought!

People on the internet seem to think procrastinating is funny and quirky, but it’s not. It has an enormous effect on your life and your future. If you want to get somewhere in life, you simply can’t afford to waste your time procrastinating.

You have to learn to be productive and get things done in time. Procrastination doesn’t simply mean that you do things a bit later than planned. It affects you in many ways. Keep reading to learn what kind of impact it really has on your life.

1. You get much less done

First and foremost, if you keep putting things off, you will get a lot less done. Chances are that you would like to do your job well, learn new things, exercise, start a side hustle and meet new people.

But if you have a habit of putting even the smallest things off and you feel like everything from making a dentist appointment to writing a couple of paragraphs is a huge effort, you’re probably not getting much done.

2. You’re stressed

Knowing that you have a long to-do list waiting for you and deadlines that are creeping closer is not a nice feeling. One of the most common sources of stress is things you haven’t done yet.

The more you procrastinate, the more stressed you will be and the longer your to-do list will grow. It’s simply not a good equation. Being stressed makes it even harder for you to start.

3. The quality of your work is worse

If you wait till the last minute to do something and then try to do it all in a haste, the quality of your work will for sure be worse than if you did it in good time.

Sometimes it’s enough to simply get it done, but if we are talking about something that you do for your work or for your studies, you probably don’t want to write anything subpar that will hurt you in the future. So if you want to produce quality work, make sure to have enough time to do so.

4. You don’t know how much you could get done

One way in which procrastination hurts your productivity is that it keeps you from learning what the quality of your work could be and how much you could get done in any given amount of time.

If you procrastinate a lot, you might not even realize that you could easily do ten times as much in a day as you do now. Or that you could actually be an A student if you wanted to. If you want to know how productive you can be and how much you are able to achieve, you can’t waste your time.

5. You feel worse when you’re working

If you’re a procrastinator, you basically believe that working and being productive is somehow uncomfortable or too difficult. If you then force yourself to work, of course, you will feel like you’re having a bad time.

But that doesn’t have to be the case! Working (even on something difficult) can be enjoyable and rewarding. But if you constantly tell yourself that working is utterly boring, you likely won’t have much fun being productive.

6. You don’t learn the productivity skills you need

Productivity isn’t only about getting things done. If you are productive and organized, you will learn new productivity, project, and time management skills without even noticing it yourself. Knowing how to stay on top of everything even when you have too many things to do is a valuable skill to have.

7. There are big things you don’t do at all

The everyday responsibilities that you have are one thing, but what about all the new exciting things you dream about doing? Many people think they should start exercising or they want to have their own podcast or write a book.

But if you keep procrastinating on mundane things, when will you ever have time to start something new? If you don’t learn how not to procrastinate, you might never write that book or do whatever it is that you dream about.

Additionally:

1. You feel worse about yourself

Procrastination often goes hand in hand with feeling worse about yourself, because you feel you should be able to easily get everything done, but you don’t. This can affect your self-esteem negatively.

In other words, learning to stick to your plan and to your schedule will help you gain some confidence and make you feel better about yourself.

2. It can hurt your career

If you have a hard time sticking to your schedule and doing everything in time, chances are this affects your work too. Maybe you also dream of finding a new job, but you simply don’t seem to get around to looking for new jobs and writing applications.

You might be in a fairly good situation in your career now, but what if you don’t want to stay in the same job forever? Procrastinating can keep you from amazing new job opportunities that you don’t even know about, simply because you’re not willing to take some extra time to check out the job listings regularly.

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As you can see, procrastinating hurts your productivity and your life in a number of ways. It makes you miss out on projects and new things you’d like to do, not to mention it could be the sole reason you don’t get to have the career you want!

You simply can’t afford to waste any more time and chances, so start changing your habits today. One step at a time will change your life faster than you’d think.

Let’s Chat!

Do you have a hard time being productive or trying not to procrastinate? Let me know in the comments!