DO IT NOW–how to stop procrastination
Responding immediately is attractive because it’s very rare even though it seems so obvious. It’s so rare because most people procrastinate. In fact, you may need to upgrade systems, streamline, automate and change your whole manner of responding to people and tasks in order to provide an immediate response.
How can you respond immediately?
My time-management mantra is “Do it now.” When I catch myself holding a piece of paper and thinking, “I’ll look at this later.” I say, “No, do it now.” Otherwise, I waste a lot of time shuffling paper around and procrastinating—which in no time has me in over my head, drowning in emails and paper piles.
Where are you procrastinating or delaying?
It’s costing you unnecessary time and energy. Anything you don’t do now is something you’ll just have to do later. If you wait, the knowledge that you have to do it will take up valuable mental space and burden you with the weight of trying to remember to do it later. If you really can’t do it now, put it in a pending file and log the time and date when you will do it on your calendar.
What changes do you need to make to restructure your life so that you can do it now and stop procrastinating?
Personal thoughts on Procrastination…
For years I’ve retained the audio rights for Coach Yourself to Success and in the back of my mind I’ve always thought I’d read and record the book and make it available for sale. I’ve had those rights for over eight years now and haven’t made the recording. Talk about procrastination! And I’m the great life coach. Ha! (A different take on procrastination that made me chuckle is available here.)
Now that I’ve committed to do it I can see just why I’ve been procrastinating all this time. First, I didn’t have the right equipment. Now that a client has given me a fabulous little H2 recorder, I have that solved. Second, I am a complete birdbrain when it comes to figuring out how to use anything even slightly technical. So now I’m finding technical difficulties are slowing me down. I can’t figure out how to use this wonderful little device so I’ve called for help. I can see, however, that once I get past these hurdles, I’ll be able to get the job done.
The point here is that we often procrastinate for some very real reasons. For example we don’t have the right tools, know how to do it, have the time, have the support we need, or don’t like doing the task.
Take a few minutes to jot down all the projects you’ve been putting off then write down what is stopping you.
Do you need different tools, are you missing some key skill or is it that you just don’t like a part of the task and have been putting the whole thing off as a result?
It is worth figuring out why we procrastinate about stuff so that we can then address those particular areas directly and then get on with the work at hand.
Read more on procrastination in the book, Coach Yourself to Success by Talane Miedaner, McGraw-Hill (2014).
Buy this book now!
