Dilly-dallying. Frittering time away. Idling.
Loafing. Loitering. Procrastination takes many forms, each eating
away at your time and dulling your edge. Battle procrastination and
take action with Dr Mike Clayton's seven ways to get started when
you'd rather stay still.
We have all had one of those days. Sometimes a little too often.
We have plenty of time, but nothing gets done. Yes, we find plenty
to do, but it seems to be anything but the things we were supposed
to be doing.
Some of us even lose most of our time, because we fritter it
away, doing nothing very much. This is easier than doing something
important, which takes concentration and, significantly, involves
the possibility of failure.
So, rather like a hedgehog, it is easier to curl up into a
little ball of inaction: it feels safe. Of course, most of us feel
uncomfortable with total inaction, so we replace meaningful
activity with meaningless "displacement" activities. This is
procrastination: putting off what we know we need to do.
The first step to conquering procrastination is to own up to it.
Once you do that, you may find you can get on with the job at hand.
If not, here is a sample of seven ways to conquer procrastination
and get things done.
1. Procrastination is
comfortable
On the other hand, your task is not: it is scary, unpleasant or
daunting. So remove the cosy feeling of inaction by focusing
on what will happen if you continue to do nothing. If there were no
consequences, you could readily remove it from your to do list, but
while they seem far off, they have little power.
2. Start small
Start with a small part of the task or project. Pick one little
thing that you can do, which is easy. That way, it won't disrupt
the cosiness. Once you get started, the momentum will carry you
forward with new confidence.
3. Work in small chunks
After starting small, move on to the next chunk: don't try and
do the whole job at once. Divide it up and even give yourself a
break between each chunk. Nobody could eat an elephant at one
sitting, but chopped up into steaks and carefully frozen…
Please note: neither Smarta.com nor the author advocate
eating elephants!
4. Celebrate success
Promise yourself little treats. Each time you complete a chunk,
make a point of congratulating and rewarding yourself. Nothing
motivates us like success because when we notice it, we feel good,
which makes us more confident, and gives us a real boost.
5. Create pressure
It's easy to procrastinate when there are no consequences. Make
a promise to someone, which you know you have to keep. Some people
create pressure by waiting until the last minute. Set yourself an
early deadline, to increase the pressure further - and give you
contingency time, in case something goes wrong.
6. Choose your moment
Some of you work best with a coffee, others first thing in the
morning, some at the end of the day, some in a café. Know your
preference and use it. If there is a time and place where you are
at your most productive, harness that for special tasks or for when
you get truly stuck.
7. Focus
One of the key enablers for a procrastinator is distraction.
Having other things around you gives your mind ample opportunities
to alight on something new and seize it. Clear your desk and turn
off your computer. If you need to use your computer, turn off all
other applications. Gather everything you need for the job and go
to where you are going to do it. If you can do the work anywhere,
go somewhere else, with only the things you need.
Procrastination is a time killer. You cannot make or save time,
but you can teach yourself to use it well. If all else fails, grit
your teeth and dare yourself to get started.
Learn more about overcoming procrastination in Dr Mike
Clayton's book, Brilliant Time Management. See www.brilliant-timemanagement.com for
details.