Perfect
Selfmanagement in 52 Weeks: Procrastination
Procrastination can also be
defined as the practice of carrying out less critical tasks in preference to
more urgent ones, or doing more pleasurable things in place of less pleasurable
ones, and thus putting off important tasks to a later time. Procrastinators
don't pay bills on time. They miss opportunities for buying tickets to
concerts. They forget to send out statements if they are self-employed. They
don't cash gift certificates or checks. They file income tax returns late. They
leave their Christmas shopping until Christmas eve.
We all have “reasons”
(excuses) for not getting the things done that we should, on or before
deadlines.
The excuses can be as simple
as
·
Waiting for
the right mood
·
Waiting for the
right time
·
Waiting for
others to do their part
·
Waiting for
yourself to do your part
You may notice other reasons for procrastination like
·
Lack of
clear goals
·
Underestimating
the complexity of the tasks
·
Overestimating
the difficulty of the task
·
Underestimating
the time required to complete the tasks
·
Overestimating
the time necessary to complete the tasks
·
Unclear
standards for the task outcomes
·
Feeling as
the tasks are imposed on you from outside
·
Ambiguous
tasks
· Another big lie procrastinators
indulge is that time pressure makes them more creative. Unfortunately they do
not turn out to be more creative; they only feel that way.
· Arousal types, or thrill-seekers,
who wait to the last minute for the euphoric rush.
· Avoiders, who may be avoiding
fear of failure or even fear of success, but in either case are very concerned
with what others think of them; they would rather have others think they lack
effort than ability.
· Decisional procrastinators, who
cannot make a decision. Not making a decision absolves procrastinators of
responsibility for the outcome of events.
And there are also many connections with
- Underdeveloped decision making skills
- Fear of failure or fear of success
- Perfectionism
Before this bad habit steals
your opportunities, damages your career and pride, or destroys your
relationships, let’s use this week to get a handle on the problem.
Day 1: With procrastination, you’re sabotaging without even
realizing it; you can miss opportunities that you have been dying to take
because you kept putting off signing up for it.
Today, pick out the most attractive activity you’ve
been keen on trying. Find out how to sign up for it or how to get a ticket. Then go DO IT.
Day 2: Procrastinators often lie to themselves by saying
things such as “I’ll feel like doing this tomorrow,” “Let me clean my desk
first” or “I work best under pressure”.
What project have you been putting off (clean the
basement, finish your tax return, the important project at work that seems so
formidably complex)? Set your
timer for 15 minutes. Focus on
what you have to do (not on how difficult or tedious it seems), analyze
(quickly) the steps needed and take at least the first step.
When the timer goes off, you may still have lots of
momentum. Feel free to set the timer for another 15 minutes if you will. But
you don’t have to.
Day 3: Write down all the
things you have been putting off. (If the list is more than two
pages long, make an appointment with a shrink.) Pick out one thing that would
be so amazing to have finished. Either you get money back or maybe avoid losing
it, your boss would rethink firing you, the impending divorce could be
diverted, or something equally important.
Ask yourself the following
questions:
· What are the
advantages to having this done?
· What will happen
if I don’t complete it?
· What is my gain if
I still don’t finish it?
· What are the first
five (5) steps I’ll need to take?
Day 4:
Procrastinating leads to stress, worry, and fear. Procrastination can lead to
lower grades because students will put off work until the last minute and not
have enough time to finish it (well). There is almost always something more attractive
to do than whatever you are putting off!
What about
·
Email
·
Facebook
·
Twitter
·
Reddit
·
Google
·
Tumblr
to mention a few.
Even cleaning off your desk or color-coding your pens seems attractive.
One method for preventing procrastination is avoiding
the internet in order to stay on task. The Internet seems to be a foil even for
secret super heroes, so beware!
Another method is to make a mind map of all the steps necessary
for completion of the task. Some steps can be taken while doing other tasks,
like picking up the plastic bags for the basement cleanup while you are out
shopping for food. It is like carving a piece of wood. Piece by piece the block
of wood gets cut into a lovely shape.
Mind Mapping:
Today, make a quick plan for a task you’ve been
putting off. This shouldn’t take more than 5 minutes. Find time for each step
in your daily planner (You DO have one, of course.) or some form of calendar
you look at daily. ("Telling someone who procrastinates to use
a weekly planner is like telling someone with chronic depression to just cheer
up," -- Joseph Ferrari, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology at De
Paul University in Chicago)
Now, sit back, relax (Yes, even if you have sooo much
to do!) and imagine yourself doing each of the steps. Or at least the first
one. Then imagine the task being finished: Feel how good it feels, how proud
and relieved you are. See everything as a finished product. Perhaps you can
even hear the praise from others. Ahhh.
Find a block off undisturbed time and get started.
Focus on the goal.
Day 5: Some common ways to avoid procrastination include
doing some part right away, working at the time that suits you best, and keeping
an organized workspace. In addition, for those who simply cannot resist getting
on the internet one last time, there is help there also.
Website-blocking programs, which prohibit you from
using a particular site for a set period of time, might be the answer to your
procrastinating prayers. These applications are available on computers and on
some smart phones. A few of these programs to investigate: ColdTurkey
(Selfcontrol for macs), Concentrate, and Freedom.
Check them out, use them, and start kicking that procrastination in the hind
end (but don’t procrastinate fixing your procrastination!).
Having said that, you might enjoy: http://vimeo.com/9553205 or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4P785j15Tzk
So, now I am off to plan the seminar I am giving tomorrow. But first, I think I'll have a bit of breakfast...
Time for a relaxing weekend. Don’t wait until
tomorrow. (Funny, we rarely put off weekend fun.) Enjoy yourself!
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