What are you putting off?
Picture the scenario. It’s 3pm on a Friday afternoon. You’re working furiously to complete a task before its five o'clock deadline, while silently cursing yourself for not having started it sooner. And at the back of your mind, you know you should have made a start on it on Monday because that’s when you meant to. But a combination of losing your focus, finding a million excuses and of course constantly checking your social media channels and tidying your office, all suddenly seemed more important.
We’ve all done it. Put off, or delayed, doing something because we don’t have the time, the energy, or it’s just easier not to do it anything at all. It could be something as simple as basic admin, i.e. not making a call or sending an email, to coming up with a million excuses to avoid attending an event, postponing a meeting, or putting off a difficult conversation.
The thief of time
Benjamin Franklin said, “Don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today.” I think that this is good advice for us all. Because let’s face it procrastination is a bad habit that prevents us from achieving greater results in life. It can also mean that we:
Lose precious time
Miss a deadline
Squander an opportunity
Make poor decisions
Tolerate unacceptable behaviours from people
Plus, over time the effects of procrastination can build, leading to stress, anxiety and loss of confidence.
The reason we procrastinate varies from person to person and is not always obvious. It may happen when we fear/dread something, are suffering from anxiety, feel overwhelmed, unmotivated, suffer from perfectionism or are struggling with abstract goals or rewards that are too far in the future.
Just do it (JDI)
But instead of letting procrastination take hold, here are some top tips to help you to nip it in the bud, so you can feel happier, more engaged and increasingly productive:
Change your mind-set. Don’t think of yourself as an avoider, think of yourself as a doer
Create a work environment that inspires and motivates you
Get enough rest and make sure you have sufficient opportunities to boost your energy levels
Design a to do list with specific deadlines.
Break bigger projects into manageable sized chunks
Minimise distractions
Reward yourself with breaks and treats
Tackle the most challenging or hardest tasks first (just like Brian Tracy advocates in his book ‘Eat that Frog!’)
Focus on doing one thing at a time
Undertake tasks as soon as they arise and don’t let them build up
Ask for help
Procrastination is a habit and like many habits can be successfully broken. For help in recognising the signs, identifying why you might be stalling and then working with you to break free of its constraints, get in touch. Through bespoke one-to-one coaching, or development programmes, I can support you develop greater levels of self-control and be more motivated and successful.