Great Time Management - Procrastination
3 Reasons We Procrastinate and What to Do About It
I read about 3 reasons we procrastinate 20 years ago and still remember them today! The only thing I don’t remember is who said them so I can give credit for something so helpful. We tend to avoid things that are:
- Difficult
- Unpleasant
- Tough to Decide
An example of something difficult for me is learning to invest wisely. What do you do when you’re faced with something difficult? Do you procrastinate? I did until I found someone skilled in that area to help me. When things are difficult we often need help to get past the procrastination hurdle.
Submitting medical claims is a task I dread. It’s unpleasant for me. I’m embarrassed to confess I put it off for six months because I thought it would be a miserable task. Guess how long it took when I finally quit procrastinating? Would you believe I got it done in 15 minutes? I felt foolish for having lived with unnecessary dread for six months!
It’s tough to decide how to create a business plan. So many variables! It’s easy to procrastinate on something that seems fuzzy, especially if it really matters. Do you want to do things perfectly? This one could be a real barrier for you. Needing to be right is a “stopper!” If we wait till we’re sure we may never get started! Do you suffer from procrastination? What are you putting off?
Things I’m Avoiding and Why |
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Things that are difficult |
Things that are unpleasant |
Things that are tough to decide |
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Want some suggestions about how to stop procrastinating and get started?
1. If it’s difficult: What do you need to know to take the next step? Put that single step on your To Do List. Who knows more about this than you do? Make a list of people who could be resources.
2. If it’s unpleasant:Think about the feeling you’ll have when it’s done. Relief? Gladness? Sense of freedom? Plan a reward for your accomplishment. I enjoy Reader’s Digest and have bribed myself to do unpleasant tasks by reading an article every time I finished a task I didn’t want to do. What would propel you?
3. If it’s tough to decide:What information do you need to start? In my case, I needed a framework for a business plan. Once I had that I could start gathering information. Data is very helpful in making tough decisions. Figure out what you need to know to make an informed decision and get to work gathering the data. You can break it into single steps on your To Do List. That will help you get going.
The common theme to getting unstuck is getting started. Take a big step towards Great Time Management by conquering procrastination. Figure out why you’re procrastinating, acknowledge the reason, choose a next step and get started. You can do it!
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Article by Marie Golden