Procrastination is an extremely common time management problem. For some people, it’s habitual; for others, it’s something that only occurs occasionally. It can be one of the most difficult time management hurdles to confront and overcome, partly because it can be difficult to even recognize when you’re doing it. There is a genuine psychological basis for this strange lack of self-awareness.
Procrastination can often function as a self-reinforcing cycle. It you have a task that you are putting off, that task collects emotional “baggage” in your mind. Fear of failure, guilt and shame associated with ignoring the task, worry about the approaching deadline – these emotions gather and wrap themselves around the task, making it seem even bigger and uglier and less doable. Whatever reason you initially had for putting it off becomes an even stronger deterrent. You find yourself trying not to even think about the task, in order to avoid all the negative emotions it stirs up when you do. It can be quite a challenge to break out of the procrastination cycle, assuming you recognize that it’s happening. If you are successful enough in not thinking about the task, you may actually forget!
So how do you break the procrastination holding pattern? Here are five ways you can change your thinking about that nasty task and help you stay out of the cycle.
1. Ask yourself why you're procrastinating.
What result are you getting by procrastinating that seems better than what you would get by doing the job? How is the delay benefiting you? What fears or other de-motivators are associated with executing the task?
You will probably find that there is a reason or reasons you are procrastinating, but they may be operating on a subconscious level. Consciously thinking about and articulating your reasons for avoiding the task can bring the underlying issues into perspective. Once you know where the real problem is, you may be able to solve it.
Many people find themselves daunted by tasks because they have impossibly high standards for their own work. If you set yourself up for failure in this way, you will end up turning in a last-minute, slapdash product, making your fear of imperfection a self-fulfilling prophecy!
Fear of imperfection, failure, and loss of face can be powerful de-motivators. Realize that if you go ahead and work on the task before the time pressure hits, there will be more time to polish and refine your product before the deadline.
If out of sight is out of mind, keep the job in your sights! Put entries in your calendar and your to-do list. Create and write out a plan for the steps involved in the project. Schedule blocks of time just for working on each task.
If you keep the job visible and set up a system of reminders, you won’t be able to avoid thinking about the project. This makes it impossible to forget about, and much more likely that you’ll actually start working on it!
Many habitual procrastinators work for the deadline; they can’t get really motivated until they are almost out of time. To simulate this time pressure, set your own deadline before the external deadline and work to meet it.
In order for this “artificial” deadline to work as an effective motivator, you may need to attach a reward or penalty system to it. Make sure this deadline is the one featured most prominently in your calendar.
5. Start working on it now.
Getting started is often the hardest part. If there’s something you’re putting off, go ahead and start now! Once past that first hurdle, finishing the project becomes much easier. You can never finish what you haven’t even started!
Baker Communications offers leading edge time management and personal productivity solutions that will help you address the goals and achieve the outcomes addressed in this article. For more information about how your organization can achieve immediate and lasting behavior change that will help your team members consistently achieve their high value goals while eliminating time wasted on interruptions and distractions click here.
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