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Beating Procrastination
Manage Your Time. Get It All Done.
If you’ve found yourself putting off
important tasks over and over again, you’re not alone.
In fact, many people procrastinate to some degree - but some
are so chronically affected by procrastination that it stops
them achieving things they're capable of and disrupts their
careers.
The key to controlling and ultimately combating
this destructive habit is to recognize when you start procrastinating,
understand why it happens (even to the best of us), and take
active steps to better manage your time and outcomes.
Why do we Procrastinate?
In a nutshell,
you procrastinate when you put off things that you should be
focusing on right now, usually in favor of doing something that
is more enjoyable or that you’re more comfortable doing.
Procrastinators work as many hours in the
day as other people (and often work longer hours) but they invest
their time in the wrong tasks. Sometimes this is simply because
they don't understand the difference between urgent tasks and
important tasks, and jump straight into getting on with urgent
tasks that aren't actually important.
They may feel that they're doing the right
thing by reacting fast. Or they may not even think about their
approach and simply be driven by the person whose demands are
loudest. Either way, by doing this, they have little or no time
left for the important tasks, despite the unpleasant outcomes
this may bring about.
Another common cause of procrastination is feeling overwhelmed
by the task. You may not know where to begin. Or you may doubt
that you have the skills or resources you think you need. So
you seek comfort in doing tasks you know you're capable of completing.
Unfortunately, the big task isn't going to go away – truly
important tasks rarely do.
Other causes of procrastination include:
- Waiting for the “right” mood
or the “right” time to tackle the important task
at hand
- A fear of failure or success
- Underdeveloped decision
making skills
- Poor organizational skills
- Perfectionism ("I don't have the right
skills or resources to do this perfectly now, so I won't do
it at all.")
How to Overcome Procrastination:
Whatever the reason behind procrastination, it must be recognized,
dealt with and controlled before you miss opportunities or your
career is derailed.
Step 1: Recognize that you're Procrastinating
If you're honest with yourself, you probably know when you're
procrastinating.
But to be sure, you first need to make sure you know your priorities.
Putting off an unimportant task isn't procrastination, it's
probably good prioritization. Use the
Action Priority Matrix to identify your priorities, and
then work from a
Prioritized To Do List on a daily basis.
Some useful indicators which will help you pull yourself up
as soon as you start procrastinating include:
- Filling your day with low priority tasks
from your To Do List;
- Reading an e-mail or request that you've
noted in your notebook or on your To Do List more than once,
without starting work on it or deciding when you're going
to start work on it;
- Sitting down to start a high-priority task,
and almost immediately going off to make a cup of coffee or
check your e-mails;
- Leaving an item on your To Do list for a
long time, even though you know it's important;
- Regularly saying "Yes" to unimportant
tasks that others ask you to do, and filling your time with
these instead of getting on with the important tasks already
on your list.
Step 2: Work out WHY You're Procrastinating
Why you procrastinate can depend on both you and the task.
But it's important to understand what the reasons for procrastination
are for each situation, so that you can select the best approach
for overcoming your reluctance to get going.
Common causes of procrastination were discussed in detail above,
but they can often be reduced to two main reasons:
- You find the task unpleasant; or
- You find the task overwhelming
Step 3: Get over it!
If you are putting something off because you
just don't want to do it, and you really can't delegate the
work to someone else, you need to find ways of motivating yourself
to get moving. The following approaches can be helpful here:
-
Make up your own rewards. For example,
promise yourself a piece of tasty flapjack at lunchtime
if you've completed a certain task.
-
Ask someone else to check up on you. Peer
pressure works! This is the principle behind slimming and
other self-help groups, and it is widely recognized as a
highly effective approach.
-
Identify the unpleasant consequences of
NOT doing the task.
-
Work out the
cost of your time to your employer. As your employers
are paying you to do the things that they think are
important, you're not delivering value for money if you're
not doing those things. Shame yourself into getting going!
If you're putting off starting a project because
you find it overwhelming, you need to take a different approach.
Here are some tips:
-
Break the project into a set of smaller,
more manageable tasks. You may find it helpful to create
an
action plan.
-
Start with some quick, small tasks if
you can, even if these aren't the logical first actions.
You'll feel that you're achieving things, and so perhaps
the whole project won't be so overwhelming after all.
Key points:
To have a good chance of conquering procrastination,
you need to spot straight away that you're doing it. Then, you
need to identify why you're procrastinating and taken appropriate
steps to overcome the block.
Part of the solution is to develop good time
management, organizational and personal effectiveness habits,
such as those described in Make
Time for Success! This helps you establish the right priorities,
and manage your time in such a way that you make the most of
the opportunities open to you.
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Logs, the next article in this series, and an important tool
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Locke's
Goal Setting Theory - Understanding SMART Goal Setting
Golden
Rules of Goal Setting - Five rules to set yourself up for
success
Backward Goal-Setting - Using backward planning to set goals
Prioritization
- Making best use of your time and resources
Action Priority
Matrix - Making the most of your opportunities*
The
Urgent/Important Matrix - Using time effectively, not just
efficiently*
Treasure Mapping
- Visualizing your goal for greater achievement*
How Good is Your
Time Management? - Discover tools that can help you*
Pickle Jar Theory
- Make your schedule work. Leave time for fun!*
Managing Interruptions
- Maintain focus. Keep control of your time.*
In Flow - Maximizing
productivity through improved focus
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