Overcoming Procrastination

Procrastination gets a really bad rap, but I believe (like everything) it has a positive side. So if you find yourself procrastinating…check why you’re putting off whatever it is you’re putting off. I believe there are 7 reasons for procrastination:

1, I don’t want to do it

2. I’m not ready to do it

3. There’s a better way to do it.

4. I don’t know what to do

5. I’m trying to take step 98 before step one

6. I don’t think I can do it

7. It’s not the right time to do it.

Do you want to do it? If the answer’s no is there another way to get it done? Can someone else do it? Does it even need to be done? If there’s no other way, it has to be done and you have to do it…make it fun! For example, when I do my accounts, I put my favourite music on the stereo and turn it up LOUD then just get on with it for half an hour or so. i don’t try to do it all at once, I do it in bite size chunks. And I heard this tip for gettting your filing done if you watch CSI Miami: everytime David Caruso touches his sunglasses, file a piece of paper. It’ll all be done in minutes! 😉

If you’re not ready, what’s the next step? I had a client who procrastinated a piece of homework I’d set – when asked, he said he needed a pad to do it. It wasn’t the homework assignment that was the problem, he was just missing a bit of kit! Easy. Everytime I redo my website I procrastinate until the mental stew has marinated enough that I actually know what to do. By allowing myself to ‘not be ready’, I save myself hours of unnecessary work that I will just do again and again.

Is there a better way? I had a client who was procrastinating making some sales calls. When asked if there were a better way, it emerged that 3 of the 50 people he needed to call hated being sold to by telephone. So, for those 3 there was a much better way – go and see them! The other 47 calls were done within 24 hours, and appointments set up to see the other 3. A classic example of a teeny obstacle getting in the way of a big job.

Are you trying to take step 98 before step 1? Sometimes we get ahead of ourselves and just need to do the first steps, the preparatory steps that will allow us to do whatever it is we’ve been putting off.

Do you know what to do next? Specifically what’s the next baby step? If you don’t know what to do next, how can you possibly do it? It’s not really ‘procrastination’, it’s lack of knowledge! You need to find out what to do next.

Do you think you can do it? If you don’t think you can, you will just keep putting it off, so the work here is to either find a better way, or work on convincing yourself you CAN do it. One good way to do this is to just look for the next baby step and do that.

And lastly, Is it the right time to do it? Be careful with this – that’s why it’s last, run it through ALL the other filters first, but sometimes something else needs to happen first or there is an element of Divine Timing (when you decide to make that sales call ‘just happens’ to be the perfect time to talk to that client for example).

When you learn to trust yourself more and know yourself better, you will find you don’t put things off as much…and when you do, you really don’t worry about it because you know it will all happen in the perfect time and place.

Until then, the next time you find yourself procrastinating, rather than beating yourself up over it, just run through and find out WHY you’re procrastinating – and that will often be enough to get you moving again! And if it’s not, remember to trust yourself – you are always doing your best for yourself…even when it looks like you’re not! Trust in you.

Love

Donna.x