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Do you find that you have more and more to do, but it is getting harder and harder to deal with any of it? Are you getting behind, yet you find silly excuses to avoid buckling down and doing what it takes to catch up? You are becoming a procrastinator. Some people believe that procrastination is another word for laziness or indolence, but it is more complicated than that. People may procrastinate for several reasons:
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Fear of failure, often connected to not feeling qualified or prepared for the job. When there is confusion about how to do the job, or if people feel like they don’t have what they need to succeed, they will postpone it.?
Fear of success, because once they complete the job, they fear people will hold them to a higher standard of performance from now on (increasing the potential for stress and the risk of failure in the future).?
Fear of consequences. Some jobs are just unpleasant or painful, and therefore difficult to face.?
Anger or rebellion arising from hard feelings in a relationship; alternately, these feelings can be rooted in general stress and burnout. Either way, they just decide NOT to do the task.Is Procrastination an Issue for You?
Rate yourself on the following procrastination scale, with 1 being "never" and 5 being "always." Circle a number for each question.
When I am unsure how to do the job, I will put it off. 1 2 3 4 5
If I think success on this job will lead to more pressure later, I will put it off. 1 2 3 4 5
When I am faced with an unpleasant task, I will put it off. 1 2 3 4 5
When I am angry at someone who has an expectation ofme, I will put off tasks that are important to them. 1 2 3 4 5
When I am feeling generally stressed, overwhelmed and burned out, I will put off tasks I know are important. 1 2 3 4 5
Assess Your Procrastination Tendencies
If you circled "3" in three or more categories, you likely have a problem with procrastination. If you circled "4" or "5" in any category, you have a definite problem with procrastination. By "problem," we mean that procrastination is having a serious impact on your ability to effectively management your time and get things done.
What Can You Do?
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Learn to ask for clear instructions when given assignments, and ask for whatever tools and training you feel you need to get the job done. If you don’t ask for help, people assume you don’t need it.?
Do not hesitate to set clear boundaries. This is part of learning to say NO. Just because you do a job well doesn’t mean you have to accept all tasks, projects and promotions offered to you. Learn to work within your own capabilities, and don’t be afraid to draw the line. You may be surprised to discover that people will respect you for doing this.?
Put unpleasant tasks on your schedule and set a clear deadline. Plan the task carefully, and make sure you have the resources to do the job. You may need to clear the rest of your schedule around it, to make sure you have the emotional energy to get the job done. Then do it. You will be glad when it is over.?
Assertively address any relationship issues that are holding you back. Procrastination based on anger or rebellion is actually passive-aggressive anger; it is symptomatic of a bigger problem. It is also childish. Grow up, work out the relationship problem, and get the job done.?
Stress and burnout are among the most debilitating causes of procrastination. If left unchecked, they can lead to depression and productive paralysis. You will need to rebalance your schedule, learn to say NO, reevaluate your priorities, and maybe take some time off. If you can’t do this by yourself, talk to your supervisor or someone else who can help you. People around you don’t want you to burn out; they need you.
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November Quick Tip – Is the Process Really the Problem?
In time management, we often end up "fighting fires" because we either lack – or do not follow – an effective process for handling an issue. This is manifested three ways.
1. Sometimes there is no process – no one has been given responsibility for handling the issue.
2. Sometimes the process is broken – the strategy for handling the issue doesn’t work. Either the resources or the persons assigned are not well-suited for the task.
3. Sometimes you assume ownership for the process when it really belongs to someone else, creating extra work for you that steals from your other tasks.
Take a moment to ask yourself which one of the above creates the most problems for you. Now, what steps could you take to improve the situation? Figure this out, and you are well on your way to putting fires before they start.
