Procrastination

Procrastination is the art of putting off today, what should have been done yesterday, that can be done tomorrow.

Psychologists have suggested that procrastination is a psychological problem based on some form of fear. These fears include:

• failure;
• unpleasant experiences;
• boredom;

However, putting things off to the last minute creates stress and pressure. It also has an impact on the quality of the finished product, or outcome.

Procrastination can easily become a bad habit. The following tips can assist you to break the cycle, before it becomes detrimental to your productivity and your health:

• Book a time: make a time to tackle the thing that you are procrastinating about. Write it in your diary as an appointment and make sure you keep that appointment;
• Relocate: move to another area, or location to complete the task. That way, you are there for a specific reason, to do a specific task. You are less likely to get distracted and more likely to get the job done;
• Be positive: mentally state positive affirmations ie: this will not take long to complete, I will be able to do this, I can achieve this etc. Believing you can, is half the journey;
• Jump straight in! Get the task ready and just make a start. Jump right in, as you would a cold swimming pool. Dipping one toe in at a time only makes it harder to get into the swing of things and to get the job done;
• Make it public: tell a friend, share your task details with a relative, or talk to a work colleague and ask them to follow up with you and stay on your case. Whatever it may be, making your task public makes you more accountable and more likely to achieve positive outcomes;
• Take little steps: identify what you need to do to complete the task and take little steps at a time, rather than trying to tackle one huge, overwhelming project all at once. Breaking the task into smaller pieces makes it easier to work on. As you complete one piece, move onto the next, each time getting closer to the end;
• What are you scared off? Identify what it is you are scared off. What is stopping you in your tracks? From there, you will be able to work on identifying techniques that will help you to overcome your fears. For example, you are putting off a difficult telephone call, because you believe it will be an unpleasant experience. A good technique is to smile, state positive affirmations such as "I can do this" and "I am able to handle the response". Pick a good time in the day to make the call, such as first thing in the morning when you are fresh and alert. The majority of the time, the actual outcome is far less uncomfortable than the anticipated outcome;
• Reward yourself: Reward yourself once you have completed the task. Give yourself something nice to look forward to, as well as getting the job done;

Taken from Daytimer
www.daytimer.com.au

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