How to Overcome Procrastination Part 1
First, in order to identify procrastinating, as opposed to re-evaluating priorities, it’s a good idea to have a serious think about what we do and don’t like doing. Secondly, identify those things that we don’t like doing sufficiently to postpone them.
Clearly we do review and adapt our priorities all the time. It is unavoidable these days when everyone seems to have so many things to do.
However, we generally do know which things we put off, but also we tend to pretend to ourselves that we don’t.
We all have the ability to justify our task planning decisions. We all know people who put off doing one thing by finding another ‘urgent’ thing to do.
So get out the pen and the paper, and make a list of the things you don’t like doing. By each of them, write in a short phrase, the reason you don’t want to do it. Be brave, and admit it if something is difficult, if something is unpleasant, or if it is something you feel you are being made to do by someone else.
If it is something you just don’t like doing, think about whether it will benefit you if you just do it anyway. Is the benefit of completing that task (like filling in your tax return) worth the discomfort of doing it? Generally you have to admit it. There is no question that you can get into difficulties if you don’t complete and submit your tax form.
Filling it in is a question of
a) Getting the right papers – check books, bank statements, phone bills, whatever it is that you need.
b) Spending some time getting everything in order
c) Working through the form and filling in the information.
You know that once you start, it won’t be too bad.
So already, by taking a job and dividing it into smaller and more manageable tasks, it doesn’t sound quite so daunting.
Nearly all complex tasks need some planning time and some preparation time.
So when something you have to do just begs to be postponed because you know it will take ages – just divide into manageable jobs.
Similarly, if there is something you are scared of doing because you think you might not be able to do such a good job, try and break it down into smaller and less frightening elements.
So if you need to produce a piece of work for college, or for your employer, allocate some time to just sit and think about it first of all. Think about what you being asked to do, and then about what you need to do to enable you to complete the task.
1) Do you need to do all the work yourself?
2) Do you need to provide something to someone in order that they can do their part of the job?
3) Do you need to have a proper work plan before you start?
4) Try and calm any immediate fears about the standard of the work, and concentrate on what needs to be done, and how it is to be done.
5) Identify what bits of the job seem to be frightening, and ask yourself why.
6) Ask yourself if you would benefit by talking about these aspects of the job with someone else – someone you think would find that job straightforward.
Don’t launch yourself into the project in a blind panic and start trying to do the job without planning and preparing properly.
