“Procrastination is like a credit card: it’s a lot of fun until the bill arrives.”
Christopher Parker
We’ve all procrastinated on activities or tasks at some point. We put off a task now knowing we have to tackle it later. We get a little reprieve but that task will still be hanging over our head.
What are some of the reasons we might procrastinate?
- The task feels boring
- We have a fear of failure
- It feels too difficult
- The directions are unclear or vague. It’s difficult to get started when you don’t understand what to do.
- We just don’t like the task in front of us
Do you feel like you work better under pressure? Maybe you’re putting things off knowing you will have to work under pressure when you don’t have any more time on your side.
- Some people wait until the last minute so they are forced to complete a task
- Working under presssure can be a stressful way to work on a regular basis. Every once in a while can be okay, but not every day.
- Working under pressure can cause us to make mistakes which leads to a ‘do over’ which takes more time
- The end product of your work may turn out poorly if it’s done too quickly
- Burnout can occur when you continually run on adrenaline and stress under pressure
These tips will help you beat procrastination:
** Create good work habits to deal with procrastination
** Use a timer to put a limit on how long you have to work on something. Aim to beat the clock.
** Break projects down into smaller pieces so they are manageable and not overwhelming
** How do you eat an elephant? “One bite at a time”
** Plan properly so you have what you need to complete a task
** Get help or training if you don’t know how to do something
** Have something to look forward to when you finish task. A reward goes a long way!
** Don’t expect perfection from yourself and remember that, “Done is better than perfect.”
** Use an accountability partner who you can give updates to on your progress
** Ask yourself: “What’s the next action?” to keep moving forward (David Allen).
** Sit with your task and do nothing for 15 minutes. You’ll probably just get bored and start working on it.
Get Addicted to Completing Tasks
- We’ve all felt that great feeling of getting something done that we’ve been putting off. That feeling of relief and a weight that’s been lifted
- It usually turns out that it takes us less time than we anticipated to complete the task
- Get endorphins flowing and feel that high of knocking out tasks you don’t want to do
- Gain confidence that you can tackle things that you don’t want to tackle and come out on top
- Enjoy those positive feelings when you don’t have a task hanging over your head anymore and the pressure is gone
Wrap Up Reminders
- Don’t work under pressure on a regular basis by by putting things off to the last minute
- Create good work habits to deal with procrastination when you feel tempted to put things off
- Don’t expect perfection from yourself because you probably don’t expect it from others
- Get addicted to getting things done! Get those endorphins flowing.
“If you want to make an easy job seem mighty hard, just keep putting off doing it.”
Olin Millerd
