Everyone Talks About It, but Nobody Does Anything!
Imagine the space this article fills as blank.
Imagine the time and energy it might have taken someone who procrastinates to:
- think about doing the article;
- put it on a ‘to-do’ list;
- talk about doing it;
- promise they will start it tomorrow;
- promise they will definitely start it tomorrow;
- promise…
well, you get the point!
As the deadline for the article draws near (it’s midnight the night before the article is due), imagine the stress the writer must feel as he brews yet another pot of coffee and sets themselves up for a couple of hours to research the topic, organise the information, create an outline, come up with a dynamite opening line, write the article, rewrite the article, rewrite it again, print it out and rewrite it one more time. And, of course, the whole time they’re beating themselves up for waiting so long to start and telling themselves that they’re no good at this job anyway and the article will useless.
This is procrastination in full, weedy flower.
Delay. Broken promises and unfulfilled expectations. Feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem. Worry. Fear. Stress. Overwork. and probably not as good an end product as the writer would have produced if they’d tackled the job in a timely, reasonable, professional manner.
Procrastination isn’t good for anyone, at any time. So why do so many of us do it? It’s not just the important things such as making decisions, filing income tax returns or completing the holiday shopping but with everyday tasks such as cleaning the desk, straightening up the garage or starting a project at work.
In truth, the more difficult, inconvenient or risky the task is perceived to be, the more procrastinators procrastinate. They come up with semi-convincing self-talk (also known as excuses) that makes the delay appear reasonable, but in the end it’s a self-defeating behaviour that causes all sorts of problems.
Here’s a few remedies to help you overcome procrastination:
1. Set goals. Decide what you want in sensory or empirical terms, what needs to happen to get it, when you want it, how you will know when you have it (in terms of I will see or I will hear – feelings are not enough). Be positive and specific.
2. Commit. Make a contract with yourself. If you can’t or won’t hold yourself accountable, tell a friend, colleague or family member your plan. Ask them to hold you to what you have committed to doing.
3. Think now. Don’t let the whole of the project overwhelm you. Stay in the present and do what you are doing.
4. Break tasks into parts. The ‘elephant-eating’ approach to getting any major project completed is to break it apart and work on one piece at a time. Reward yourself when you complete each step.
5. Set priorities. Make a list of things that need to be done in order of their importance.
6. Get organised. Have the right tools and equipment to do the job. Make lists. Keep a schedule.
7. Recognise excuses. When we refuse to let excuses govern our way of operating, we free ourselves with rational, realistic thinking and increased effectiveness.
8. Realise there is no such thing as perfection. Don’t wait until conditions or circumstances are perfect. They never will be. Begin the thing knowing it can never be done perfectly. You’ll do your best, just as you always do.
9. Reward yourself. Often, generously and appropriately for accomplishing the smallest of tasks. Celebrate. Pat yourself on the back. Enjoy your progress and accomplishment.
10. Talk and think positively. Behave and speak as if it has already happened. Self-fulfilling prophecies do happen – more often than you may realise. As Henry Ford said “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right!”
Like many other self-defeating behaviours, procrastination can be overcome. The place to begin is where you are. The time to start is now. If that’s too daunting – just get yourself a Meta-coach!
