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I’m so glad that you didn’t procrastinate on reading this blog post! While National Procrastination Week is in March, we all know that the pesky habit can creep up during any time of the year.
Procrastination is the Enemy!
The biggest difference between a neat home or office and a messy one is the amount of time between task identification and task completion. Most of us will eventually pick up, put away and do most the tasks required around the home or office. But many procrastinate so much so that the process turns into a huge undertaking. This causes more procrastination! The best way to tackle the hassle? Stop putting things off!
Beat Procrastination Today —
- If you took it out, put it away.
- Put things away as you go along, BEFORE moving on to the next thing. (This is a great one to teach kids regarding their toys. I recall my grandmother was a stickler on this one! Although I’m not sure why she was so disciplined about the toys because her dining room table was always piled up with paper! Hmm…)
- 30 second rule – If it takes less than 30 seconds to do, DO IT NOW
- Forget perfectionism – Good and DONE is better than none
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Eat the frog first – Tackle the worst task first and get it over with!
- Rethink what you think – What’s the consequence of the procrastination behavior; dispute your own irrational thinking; effect (desired effect/get it done)
- Take responsibility for that which you have ownership. Forget about everyone else’s stuff. You cannot control their behavior, only yours
- Develop a compulsion-to-closure attitude! Find the joy in crossing a task off your to-do list (I’m sure you won’t be surprised, but crossing items off my task list makes me extremely satisfied! I can’t wait to cross off “write blog post on procrastination”)
- Make it fun! Be creative, find a partner, add music and rewards
Tips from (Other) Pros
In ADD Crusher’s article on “Procrastination Brain Hacks,” three experts on the issue weigh in and give their advice for people who can’t kick the habit of putting things off. Sound like you? Take it from me, these guys know what they’re talking about. I’ve seen the ADD Crusher, Alan Brown, and psychologist Ari Tuckman speak at the NAPO conference and they know their subject matter inside and out.
Re-Frame the Task: When you look at a task to be completed, you can likely think of a hundred other things you would rather be doing. To beat this roadblock, psychologist Ari Tuckman suggests that you consider the task differently. Instead of thinking about what you would rather be doing, think about what “10 pm you” will be thinking if the task isn’t completed.
Understand What is Boring: If you recognize what it is about the task that bores you, you will be one step closer to getting it finished. Eric Tivers recommends setting time aside to “process” the boring parts of the task. By assigning a specific time to work on these parts of the task, you can tough it out and be better assured that you can and will complete it.
Recognize Why It isn’t Getting Done: Have you ever become frustrated that you’ve worked for two or three hours, but nothing seems to have gotten done? If this happens to you, take time to evaluate what about the task is so difficult. Attention coach Jeff Copper suggests that by simply considering what is so difficult about the task, you can “work different” rather than “work harder,” and therefore make the task easier for yourself.
What’s your number one way to stop procrastinating? Please share!
Call me today, not tomorrow, if you can use assistance with managing your time more effectively!
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