7 Level Procrastination Buster
Have you got something on your To Do list that you’re procrastinating about? We all have times when we procrastinate about something.
There’s a Spanish proverb that says: “Tomorrow is often the busiest day of the week”
Sometimes it’s good to procrastinate because circumstances change and the need to complete a task actually goes away.
Most of the time, it’s not good for you, your business or your team when you procrastinate. There are at least 3 reasons why:
1. Firstly, you can’t feel proud of yourself when you know there are important tasks to complete that you’re just avoiding. And… however much you try to distract yourself, it’s there taking up brain space and attention units – just like it was when you were a kid putting off your homework and you chosing to go out and play instead! It was hard to fully enjoy that distraction.
2. Secondly, you may waste energy and focus on beating yourself up about it. Perhaps you even call yourself ‘Lazy’. In this session today I’m going to show you how thinking of yourself as ‘Lazy’ is lazy thinking!
3. If the task is important, not doing it is dooming your business or your career to staying the way it is.
Many time management and anti-procrastination books have great tips for what to DO, for instance, ‘just take the first step’. But if it was that easy you’d probably have done it already!
Our greatest confusion often comes around the fact that we know what we should do and we’re still not doing it – even when we know we’d get a great benefit if we did.
So here are 7 valuable tips to help you understand why you procrastinate and how you can stop procrastinating.
Tip 1 is related to the item or GOAL on your To Do list.
- How SMART is this thing on your list? SMART is an acronym where the
- S stands for Specific – It’s the difference between saying ‘make sales calls’ and ‘make 5 sales calls’. You need a clear target to be able to hit it
- M stands for Measurable – What will you see, feel and hear when you achieve it? It’s much easier to measure if it’s Specific in the first place. You know when you’ve made 5 calls.
- A stands for Achievable – Is it possible to achieve? You may be able to answer that better when you’ve heard the other 6 tips. Is it actually a project rather than a task – is it too big a chunk to have on your To Do List?
- R stands for Relevant – Is it important to you? What benefits are there to getting it done? If you don’t feel it’s important you’re less likely to do it.
- T stands for Timed – When have you got to get it done by? Having a realistic deadline on it can make it more motivating to complete.
If the task isn’t SMART it’s easy to procrastinate about it.
Tip 2 relates to YOU
- Is the To Do item on your list a task that someone like you would naturally do or be good at?
For instance, are you a PEOPLE PERSON who enjoys people related tasks like networking but who puts off routine admin tasks like putting your contacts into a database? Or are you a ROUTINE TASK person who feels shy meeting new people and puts off networking?
Tip 3 is also about YOU and what’s IMPORTANT to you
- For instance, if getting that item on your list done means stepping out of your comfort zone (e.g. talking to new people or learning a new piece of software) and being in your comfort zone is important to you, you’ll probably procrastinate.
- To get something done you sometimes have to make ADVENTURE more important than being in your comfort zone!
- What do you need to make important to get your task done?
Tip 4 is about how YOU THINK and what you BELIEVE
- What are you thinking about that task on your list that is putting you off doing it? For example, do you imagine ‘It will be boring!’ or ‘It will be difficult.’? Are you worried that you’ll have to speak to someone who is difficult to get on with? Are you afraid you’ll make a mistake?
- What could you think/do that would help you change your thoughts/emotions?
For instance, could you find a way to make the task fun to complete? How could you make it easier to finish?
Tip 5 is about YOUR SKILLS
- You may be lacking some skills or knowledge to complete the task which could be influencing you to procrastinate. Is there a skills/knowledge gap you need to bridge? For instance: how to get the best out of difficult people; how to sell a product, service or idea; where to start with completing the task; how to present impactfully; how to make small talk in social situations; how to manage your emotions so that you don’t procrastinate; how to manage your time better…
- How can you bridge that gap? Getting a Life or Business coach could be one way.
Tip 6 is about what YOU DO or your BEHAVIOUR
- We all have a strategy for doing what we do and getting the results that we get. We have strategies for everything – making decisions, falling in love, buying something, you name it, we have a strategy for it. Often we don’t know what it is because we do it without even thinking. If you are a great procrastinator, you probably have a fantastic strategy for it!
- For instance, do you allow people to interrupt you (even ‘train’ them to do it without realising that’s what you’ve done) so that your time is too fractured to get anything important done?
- What are you doing to stop yourself getting things done? What can you do to start yourself?
The 7th Tip is about YOUR ENVIRONMENT and YOUR RESOURCES
Could you be procrastinating because:
- You don’t have the right environment to help you get that task done? For instance, is your desk tidy enough for you?
- You are missing some resources you need to help you get that task done or those resources need updating? For instance, is your computer too slow? /Do you need to delegate the task to someone else? Or do you need some expert advice? If you’re the top boss or you’re working for yourself you may you need someone to be ACCOUNTABLE to, like a Life or Business Coach.
- Beware of EXCUSES like, ‘I’ll send out my newsletter when I’ve got a fabulous design’ or ‘I’ll go networking when my business cards are printed’!
We’ll be running a workshop on finding more time in your day and overcoming procrastination on Wednesday March 28
th ,at the British Racing School near Newmarket and 20 minutes drive from Cambridge, called
TIME to PROFIT. For more information please go to
www.TheAccountabilityClub.co.uk or email madeleine@TheAccountabilityClub.co.uk or phone 01223 426392
