How to Overcome Procrastination

"I am going to stop procrastinating…once I get around to it." (Author Unknown)

Procrastination is the habit of putting off a specific action or decision until a later time. While some people like to tell themselves that procrastination is harmless, nothing could be further from the truth.

The problem is that we often delay doing things that really need to be done immediately, and when this happens our effectiveness and productivity are severely reduced.

It is no exaggeration to say that careers can languish, businesses fail, and relationships fall apart, all because of procrastination. Procrastination is nearly always counterproductive to success because it slows achievement of current goals, and restricts future opportunities as time is clogged up.

To one degree or another, everyone puts off doing something in the present moment until some future time when they think they'll have more time. At what point, however, does this choice become procrastination?

Are you doing it?

Here's a simple way to determine whether you are procrastinating. You're procrastinating if:

• By putting something off, you never accomplish it;
• You leave so little time for the task that it gets done poorly;
• During the time you've put it off, it bothers you or leaves you feeling guilty.

When your procrastination habit begins to affect your productivity and relationships at work, school, and in your home, you know that you can no longer put off overcoming your procrastinator tendencies. It's time to address the problem head- on.

So why do we procrastinate?

People procrastinate for many different reasons but here are four very common causes:

1. Procrastination gives us a short-term reward of "free" time and can reduce immediate stress (even though it will almost certainly increase our stress levels later).


2. We procrastinate when we are too overwhelmed, lazy, or are afraid of failing because we lack confidence in our abilities.


3. We secretly hope that the task will eventually go away or that someone else will pick up our slack.


4. We have experienced instances in the past where we procrastinated but still succeeded, thereby producing a greater sense of satisfaction because we beat the odds (and also often due to the adrenaline rush of getting it done at the last minute). Some people actually thrive on that, and a very small number of people might produce their best work by procrastinating.

Regardless of why people may procrastinate, it's a dangerous game to play with our careers and our relationships. In order to be successful in pursuing our goals and dreams, it's necessary that we turn our "do it later" habit into a "do it now" habit!

Seven effective strategies

Here are some specific steps you can take to move into action when you find yourself procrastinating.

1. Weigh the consequences.
Consider the cost of procrastination -- the opportunities that could be potentially lost, both immediate and long term -- if you never complete the task or do so poorly.

2. Don't worry about finishing the job; first get it started.
Too often we procrastinate because the task seems overwhelming. Instead of focusing on the enormity of the project, just focus on getting started. Once you've built up some momentum, it's much easier to keep moving toward completion.

3. Do the thing you keep putting off first.
Don't make the mistake of thinking that if you start the day by doing a few easy or fun things, you'll be more in the mood to tackle that task you've been dreading. It's always best to do your toughest jobs when you have the most energy. Reserve your most productive periods for those jobs that absolutely cannot or should not wait.

4. Use a calendar or daily planner and a check list.
Schedule both your "getting things done time" as well as your play time, so you can work within a time reference and are less likely to do something impulsive or something that sounds like more fun than being productive.

5. Divide the dreadful into micro-moments (a.k.a., "Make a molehill out of a mountain").
If the activity is something you truly dread, divide it into micro-moments and set a low limit for each chunk. For example, if you've been putting off clearing your desk, decide that each time you enter your office you will process the first ten paper items that you happen to pick up. If you're lucky enough to grab ten papers that can be tossed, you'll be done in seconds! Rarely should you need to process papers for more than ten or fifteen minutes if you use this rule. You'll be amazed how quickly the paper chaos melts when you use this micro-moment approach to drudgery.

6. Act on anything that will help you get closer to the successful completion of the task.

7. Create short-term deadlines.
Many people feel they work better under pressure. But if you always work under a lot of pressure, you are increasing your stress load. Create for yourself just a little pressure to work under. Decide to reach some short-term goal before stopping your work for the day. If your only deadline is the long-term one for a large task, the pressure doesn't arrive until it is too late and too great.

Procrastination keeps you from achieving your goals in life. If it's a problem for you, dedicate yourself to overcoming it. This may be difficult at first, but you'll find it gets easier, and the reward is the realization of your dreams.

© 2009 Morris Taylor.

Reprinted with permission from Morris Taylor's bimonthly Internet newsletter, The Training Clipboard For your own personal subscription, go to www.talismantraining.com/subscribe3.htm or cut and paste this address into your web browser.

Keynote speaker and training consultant Morris Taylor has been involved in education and training for over 25 years. He is is owner and President of Talisman Training Associates, LLC.

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