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10 Ways To Kick The Procrastination Habit
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Squashing the Procrastination Demon
We all know a procrastinator . . . that person who does
Christmas shopping on December 24th, pulls an all-nighter to get
a report done, or avoids making even the simplest decisions.
Many times the procrastinator puts forth a defense of "well, I
do get it done, don't I?" Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Even if
things do get done, though, the stress put on the procrastinator
(and those around him or her) is greater than it needs to be. If
you know of a procrastinator (or are one yourself), use these
tips to help make life a bit easier for not only the
procrastinator but for those around him or her as well:
Decide that you're going to be serious about dealing with your
procrastination issues - just as with any other issue, the first
step is acceptance that you have an issue. If others have told
you that procrastination is a problem then internalize it and
decide you're going to do something about it. Until you're ready
to admit it's a problem area don't bother trying to address it,
because it simply won't work.
Spend time at the beginning of each week scheduling time to get
things done - on Monday mornings take 30 minutes before you
start your day to set your calendar for the week and schedule
time to get your to-do's done. Need to get a report done by
Thursday? Schedule a realistic amount of time in your calendar
on Tuesday and Wednesday to get the report done. Being realistic
is key here; don't try to schedule 16 hours worth of work into
an eight-hour day.
Avoid being distracted by "shiny objects" - the biggest
procrastinators I've seen allow for non-urgent disruptions to
interrupt their day and divert their attention from working on
the important tasks. If something comes up that is truly urgent
and needs your immediate attention, then by all means address
it. Play that card judiciously, though. Don't let the
shiny
objects drive your day.
Break big tasks down into smaller tasks - one reason for
procrastination is the person feeling overwhelmed with the task
at hand, particularly if it is a task that the person doesn't
like doing. If you hate cleaning your house, don't do it all in
one day; consider cleaning the bathrooms on one day, vacuuming
on the next, and dusting on the third day. It won't seem as
daunting a task and will give you more flexibility in your day.
Look for ways to simplify the task or eliminate it altogether -
let's take doing your income taxes as an example. Rather than
letting receipts pile up in a shoe box for the entire year, set
up folders for your major expense categories at the beginning of
the year and drop receipts in the appropriate folder throughout
the year. You'll spend only a little amount of time setting up
the folders at the beginning of the year but you'll eliminate a
large task at the end of the year sorting your receipts into
categories.
Think about the finish line, not the starting line - when you
catch yourself procrastinating on a task, don't think about the
degree of work ahead. Think about the relief you'll feel at the
end of the task and the satisfaction you'll experience by doing
a job well done. You'll still have to do the task, but you'll go
into the task with a more positive attitude as you think about
the finish line.
About the author:
Lonnie Pacelli has over 20 years' experience with Accenture and
Microsoft and is currently president of Leading on the Edge™
International. Lonnie's books include "The Project Management
Advisor: 18 Major Project Screw-Ups and How to Cut Them Off at
the Pass" and "The Truth About Getting Your Point Across". Get
the books, leadership products, other articles, MP3 seminars and
a free email mini seminar at http://www.leadingonedge.com
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