We all, at some point in our lives, procrastinate over something. That telephone call we’ve been dreading making, the “difficult” conversation with our boss, maybe that “talk” with our teen kids… we really wouldn’t be human if we didn’t try to avoid anything which we find a bit uncomfortable.
We hear a lot about the negative connotations of procrastination, but have you considered the positive side, too? (hint…is it procrastination, or percolation?)
I am known as the GOgirl…and as a Productivity Coach….well, I “do” well. I am learning an important skill, though. To NOT do. To hang back. To allow. These skills are a critical ingredient in the cake of getting things done, getting the right things done, and being masterful.
I am finding myself inserting “Percolation” time. For example, a colleague is really busy and she’s REALLY good at being productive. But she’s maxed out now, and stressed out. I recommended that she take a RETREAT with herself. It’s not procrastination….it’s percolation. The insertion of Being into the truth of Doing is a lesser known skill.
Procrastination can be your friend and ally when there’s a decision to be made. You remember the last time you hemmed and hawed over a difficult choice? Have you considered that your apparent procrastination could have stopped you from making the wrong choice? Procrastination gives you time to think of all the options open to you before you make that choice. Have you been guilty of delaying over a task? Maybe you’ve gone back to your to-do list and struggled to remember why that task even featured? A little bit of procrastination can give a whole lot of perspective to the tasks that once upon a time seemed oh, so urgent!
But, when procrastination really does get the better of us, how can we reframe our mind and, instead, plan to get it done?
1. Baby Steps
Firstly, we often find that, once started, that task that we’ve been avoiding isn’t really that bad. Once you start, you’ve got some progress to show for your efforts. Okay, the task may not be completed, but is it really as bad as you anticipated, or, surprisingly, is it less unpleasant than you thought it would be? The moment of actually taking that first step can carry you forward and before you know it, that dreaded task can be checked off the list. By telling yourself you’ll just start the task, not finish it, mind you, but just take the first steps you can fool your brain into a path of less resistance.
2. Accountability is your friend
By committing to getting something done, you’re more likely to see that task through to the end. None of us like to feel that we’ve let anyone else down or let them witness our failure, do we? So, use this to your advantage and rope a friend in to keep you on track.
3. Reward Yourself
What’s at the bottom of your procrastination? Why are you delaying? By identifying what you perceive you are missing, you can make a commitment to fulfil those needs later, not only giving yourself some motivation to get on and complete the tasks in hand, but also to reset your brain into associating that previously dreaded task into something that brings an enjoyable conclusion.
4. Say new things about yourself
It’s easy to perceive yourself as “never getting anything done” and to experience negative feelings as a result. Instead, try reframing your perception of yourself to someone that “gets stuff done” and see what a difference that makes. Cast your mind back to times in the past when you haven’t delayed, when you have got right on and done something. Remember what it felt like to complete the task with minimal delay. How productive you were! This reframing will shift those negative thought-patterns and assumptions and there really will be no stopping you.
In our next blog post, we’ll be delving deeper into procrastination, when “just do it” doesn’t get it done.
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