Procrastination is the Enemy!
Focus Newsletter, Summer 2006
Ever wonder why we procrastinate? The day slips away and some of those tasks we need to do aren't completed ~ or even started! As most of us know, we procrastinate for several reasons. I'll cover some of them and then offer some ways to fight the enemy!
- The Inner War: We are perfectionists and want whatever we do to be perfect, so making mistakes is easily avoided if we just don't start the task. If settling for anything less means we are not perfect or that we will beat ourselves up or we will take forever to complete the task, who wants to go through that?
Combat: No one's perfect, so you're holding yourself to a higher standard than anyone else expects of you. Typically, people expect the best you can offer, not perfection. So practice getting things done and letting them go even if they're at the 80% mark or 90% mark. It's better than producing nothing at all or worse, waiting until the last minute and producing something at 50%. Time is of the essence, so don't waste another minute!
- The Inner Struggle: We feel like we don't have enough time to get "into" a certain task or project so we wait for the "right" time to get ourselves centered and focused and only then do we feel that we can tackle that particular task. We wait and wait and wait and wait...
Combat: Think about how to break down projects or tasks into smaller bites. If you're putting off writing something, consider just writing an introduction to get yourself going, then do something else for a while. If you are procrastinating making a call, write down a few notes about what you're going to say on the call and why. Organize your thoughts and keep the goal in mind, as well as the rewarding feeling of getting past it once you've made the call. Procrastinating on things will not make the task go away, nor will it make it any easier to do. So jump in!
- The Inner Struggle: We don't like the task, so it falls to the bottom of the list and we do something else instead; something easier or more fun.
Combat: Start by determining if you really have to do the task you're putting off. Can someone else do it? Maybe someone else is better suited to do it or would actually like to do it, while you prefer to do other things. Maybe you can delegate this.
Also, if you're stalling by doing something else (something easier or more fun) ask yourself if this is really a good use of your time. Is this fun, easy thing really a priority or are you just procrastinating again? Is this an administrative type of task or a progressive, income producing one? What you're doing now may be easier or more enjoyable, but it may not be progressing you to the level you need or want to be. Think of that every time you feel like you're not getting the right things done. It's probably because you're stalling and if you put it into perspective with these questions, you can put aside these unprogressive tasks and move on to the more meaningful ones.
- The Inner Struggle: We are indecisive about exactly what it is we are supposed to do.
Combat: Ask yourself what the project is all about, what are the steps to complete it, and who is really responsible for each piece. Try talking it through with someone else. Sometimes it's easier to talk it out and explain it to another person. We are less likely to procrastinate when we understand what we're doing, why we're doing it and can accomplish something small in relation to it. Fight indecision by making a decision and then progressing from there.
Don't paralyze yourself because you think you may make the wrong decision. Sometimes making any decision, especially one that you really think is a good one even though you can't be sure, is better than making no decision at all. Feel good about taking action. It's better than the feeling of guilt related to taking no action at all.
So rally your inner troops and focus on the real reason why you're doing what you do every day. Make sure your purpose and your goals are clear. Take action! You'll get more accomplished in a day, you'll feel good about it and you'll beat the enemy all at the same time!
