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How To Limit Procrastination

∞ posted 1 year ago in Gumption Factor Procrastination time management contains 1 note

by Randy Clark

Are you putting off more and accomplishing less? Have you tried time management tools, like daily planners, but feel like you’re getting nowhere? (Does this sound like a commercial?) Do you want to understand why you procrastinate? Okay, start with the two minutes it will take to read this post. Do not do it later! Do not touch that dial. This post is designed to help you understand procrastination, offer a few strategies, and link to more resources.

Make decisions
Indecision leads to procrastination. Everyone has the fear of making bad choices; however, you must not let fear stop you from making a decision. Gather information, ask for input, and make a decision.

You are not perfect
You should not be expected to be right all the time (except for air traffic controllers when I’m on the plane, and my doctor!). What should be expected is a thought process, or the reasoning behind the decision. Do you suffer from perfection paralysis? If you cannot do it perfectly – you don’t do it at all! Stop! No one is starting a religion after any of us, so sometimes you will be wrong!

Have the courage to learn from your mistakes
If you had a plan that did not succeed, analyze the plan and learn from your mistakes. Okay, really… nobody wants to make decisions, because nobody wants to be wrong. You are not alone. Everyone is afraid of making a poor decision. Do your homework first, and make the best decision you can, based on the information available, because making no decision is a decision, and probably a poor one.

The Gumption Factor
We all put off tasks that are not as enjoyable as others. The gumption factor is defined as beginning and completing the least attractive, most demanding task. Try it — the feeling of accomplishment is wonderful. Procrastination can be the byproduct of a lack of prioritization. How are you prioritizing tasks? What type of tasks take priority? Are they important tasks, urgent tasks, or tasks you enjoy? What tasks and activities have been postponed? Do the tough stuff first! 

Understand the stress you create
The stress of procrastination interferes with production, and it becomes a time waster — especially when it is caused by indecision, and the indecision process is recycled. This is stress amplified!

Procrastination is seldom a time management problem. It is a thought process problem that affects time management. To improve procrastination, the decision making process must be improved. Joseph Ferrari, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology at De Paul University in Chicago states, “Telling someone who procrastinates to buy a weekly planner is like telling someone with chronic depression to just cheer up!”

Want to learn more?
The first two chapters of  “Procrastination: Why You Do It, What to Do About It,” written by Jane B. Burka, PhD and Lenora M. Yuen, PhD., are available at no cost.

We are starting a procrastinators club as soon as we can find the time — gettoitlater.com will be coming soon. 

In the next post, I’ll outline time wasters such as a lacking of organization, poor planning, and ineffective meetings. Was it poor planning not to discuss planning first? But seriously, what strategies have you used to limit procrastination? What sites have you found useful?