PROCRASTINATION POINTERS
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Procrastinating the unimportant items in our day is a useful talent. The problem for many, however, is that we are procrastinating the important and crucial items in our day, reducing our personal productivity and increasing our stress levels. Here are five pointers to help you to better overcome procrastination. (You can implement them now or perhaps tomorrow or better yet, next week.)
1. Daily planning the night before. People don't plan to fail but theysometimes fail to plan. Without a plan of action in place before youarrive for work it is real easy to get caught up in stuff. The phonerings, someone drops by and you direct your time responding to the loudestvoices demanding your attention rather than to the most importantpriorities on your plate. A plan of action, prepared the night before islike a roadmap for the next day. You know what your next step ought to beto get you into productive action and away from procrastination.2. Work with a clean desk. Out of sight, out of mind. The reverse of thatis just as true. When it's in sight, it's in mind and most of us cannothelp but be distracted and our time is then directed to the less importantand easier tasks causing us to put off the more important tasks. Workingwith a clean desk or clean work environment permits us to have only themost important task before us so that we can focus all of our attention onthat task without other visual distractions.
3. Reduce large projects to bite-sized pieces. How do you eat an elephant?One bite at a time. Tomorrow you plan to work on a three-hour project. The problem is, many of us do not get three hours to work on any one item. We have to contend with interruptions, meetings, etc. (I don't know that I
even have an attention span that lasts for three hours!) And we often windup procrastinating working on this task because there's not enough time toget this done. So, instead of scheduling the entire three-hour project fortomorrow, schedule a small bite, a step or two that might take 20 or 30minutes. Then put the next step on the next day's To Do list and the nextstep after that on that next day's list, etc. It may take several days,but you will get that elephant eaten up, one bite at a time.
4. Plan around interruptions. Interruptions tend to occur in identifiablepatterns. I get most of my interruptions early in the day versus later inthe day. I get most of my interruptions early in the week versus later inthe week. So, if I plan a big project first thing Monday morning, I'mcreating stress because as soon as I begin, interruptions arrive andre-focus my attention causing me to procrastinate what I really wanted todo. It is so much easier swimming downstream with the current rather thanbucking the tide. Therefore, I plan those larger projects for later in theday and later in the week when I tend to get fewer interruptions.
5. Assign deadlines. Have you ever failed to achieve a New Year'sresolution? If so, that probably happened because you did not set adeadline. Deadlines move us to action. Without a deadline, things wind upin our as soon as possible pile, a Never Never Land where items will getattended to someday, when I get the time. Create a deadline and you willbe moved to action.
About the author
Dr. Donald E. Wetmore has been a full-time Professional Speaker for thelast 20 years having made over 2,000 presentations to audiences fromaround the Globe. He is available to conduct his dynamic Time ManagementSeminars at your location helping your people get more done in less time,with less stress. Don’s programs are entertaining, fast paced, and filedwith practical, common sense ideas. His seminars are typically rated as“the best I have ever attended”. For more information, contact Don viaemail at: ctsem@msn.com or call him at: (203) 929-9902 or visited athttp://www.balancetime.com
Copyright 1999 You may re-print the above article in its entirety in yourpublication or newsletter. For permission, please email your request forreprint to: ctsem@msn.com
As Helene Malmsio from TimeManagement Tips website says “Ensure that you have a clear idea of what you need to accomplish in your day and be realistic! You will do yourself no favours by trying to complete a week’s worth of work in one day. All you will accomplish if you try this technique is a big ball of stress in your stomach and a head ache to go with it.”
Learning time management as a tool to stop procrastinating is actually not difficult. It may take time and practice of these time management tips but once you’ve mastered the necessary skills, you will feel less pressured and be able to work better.
Being efficient and effective, by utilizing the best practices for your time management in the workplace is essential to your career development and success. When you visit the site you can check out the ebook and audio book about time management tips that shows you how to maximize your time, the types of time management techniques you can use, and much more!
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