Ok, it's confession time. "My name is Linette, and I'm a procrastinator." Does it surprise you that someone who trains others how to be productive suffers from the dreaded "disease" of procrastination? It's true. Having confessed this, though, I must also tell you that I work hard at overcoming this limiting behavior; and I'll share some ideas that I hope will help my fellow sufferers out there.
Chances are, if you are a perfectionist, you also procrastinate. How do I know? Well, I suffer from that wonderful trait as well. So, what can you do when plagued with these "diseases"? Plenty!
The first step to recovery is to figure out why you procrastinate. Is it a fear of failure or a fear of success? Are you unclear about what action you need to take? Does the task bore you? Are you an adrenaline junky who loves the rush of just beating a deadline?
Once you discover your motivation for putting things off, spend some time figuring out how you can change your perspective. Talk with people who don't procrastinate as much to learn how they view unpleasant or difficult tasks. Perhaps they can offer you some insight. Here are some additional suggestions:
Don't seek perfection. Tell yourself "80 percent is good enough." It's certainly better than doing nothing at all; 100 percent perfect is an unrealistic expectation.
Make a "one-day to-do list" with no more than 5 action items. Strive to achieve 80 percent of your list, and reward yourself for your efforts.
Break an overwhelming task down into "bite size" portions and complete one bite at a time. For truly unpleasant tasks, just do 10-15 minutes at a time, give yourself a break, and then come back and work on it for another 10-15 minutes until it's done.
Get an accountability partner to hold you to your commitments. I can't say enough about the value of my accountability partner, Donna. I had to get up extra early the morning of our last call so I could complete my task, but I wouldn't have done it without that added pressure of our weekly accountability call.
Play classical music--or whatever helps you to focus and stay motivated. When I have to work on something unpleasant or challenging or if I'm feeling especially distractible, I listen to classical or dance music to help me focus and to motivate me--works every time.
Don't put off what can be done quickly. If it takes two minutes or less, do it now, and then move on to the next task.
Limit your "checking in" time to a minimum. As wonderful as modern technology can be, it has given us more excuses to do things other than what we need to be doing. Facebook, Twitter, texting, instant messaging, and emails give us plenty of reasons for distraction. Schedule "checking in" time in your day; for example, only check in every two hours or once in the morning, at lunchtime, and once in the afternoon, etc.
Clear the clutter. A lot of time is wasted looking for misplaced items, which delays what you really need to be working on. Organize your desk space so you can focus on the task at hand and eliminate the excuse to procrastinate.
Work on the most important task first--preferably first thing in the morning. If you're not a morning person, pick your most alert time of the day.
Procrastination is a learned behavior, which means it can be un-learned. So, stop making excuses and do something about it... NOW!
On April 17 I had the pleasure of attending TEDx Memphis - Simple By Design. Six provocative speakers shared their insights and expertise in various genres related to simplicity in 18 minutes or less. Four TED videos related to the theme Simple By Design were also shown. Two of the presenters were:
Chris Crouch, creator of The GO System (the workplace productivity training program offered by Get Organized by George, Inc.), who shared his view of The Ultimate and Universal Social Network. Chris, a very entertaining presenter, shared a simple way to build a solid network of friends and associates to help advance your business and yourself.
Steve Levinson, Ph.D., co-author of Following Through presentedWhy the Human Mind Should be Recalled: Exploring the Great Disconnect Between Intention and Action. Steve's presentation was especially exciting for me because I'm designing a course based on his amazing book, Following Through. Although I have had several phone conversations and many email exchanges with Steve, it was the first time I met Steve in person. So even though it was an eight-hour drive down to Memphis, it was well worth the trip!
If you have a chance to attend a TEDx event in your area, I highly recommend you do so.
