Do have something important to do, possibly with tight deadline? Something really should be done, maybe before the end of the day, but you will do just this one thing before getting into it? Congratulations, you have just entered the world of procrastination, and all of us have our own ways of doing it. Relax, all of us have done it, some of us is doing it as we speak while reading this.
Wikipedia defines procrastination as “the practice of carrying out less urgent tasks in preference to more urgent ones, or doing more pleasurable things in place of less pleasurable ones, and thus putting off impending tasks to a later time, sometimes to the "last minute" before a deadline.” -wikipedia
Sure, most of us do not like to admit of doing it, and sure, procrastinating can also be beneficial, but I can bet a good lunch, that everyone can identify at least one arc type from the list below.
Heard about The stalker or The delegator? The stalker checks their emails, phones, social media, twitter and all other accounts on continuous basis, just to see what is going on or if something has arrived/been liked/commented/shared. The delegator is someone special, someone who will delegate all of their own issues or tasks away, even the ones which he or she should not.
The Panicer, and the Feeler allow their mood or emotions to take over and waste a lot of energy while doing this. The Panicer totally freaks about since there is too much to do, too many deadlines or tasks, while The Feeler is not in the mood for it and decides to drop the task totally.
While The list maker feels he is making progress, writing things down with no schedules and action is not very productive, and The side tracker or The internet researcher possibly have moved forward in the actual doing, but get lost in the interesting world of internet, books or journals.
The social sharer and The (phone) talker do not just procrastinate, they waste others time for it also. Naturally it is nice to hear how you are doing, but shouldn´t you be doing something else?
The gamer can be doing the same if online, but most of the time the time wasted is their own. The watcher for sure will only consume his own time and coach. The very same goes for The napper.
The cleaner might need to get things arranged, and while their house or office will for sure get clean and tidy, time still runs and the important duties are not done.
The snacker, The drinker or The exerciser will combine a physical activity with the procrastination. Sometimes effective, sometimes not so much, especially if the belly is too full, muscles are too much in pain, or you think you will be more creative after one more beer.
One might ask, are these activities then bad? No, absolutely not. All of them can serve a purpose, if nothing else, they will offer a way to relax or clean the house or clear your head…when done the right way, at the right time. When you will use them for procrastination, your mind will be working on the background. Sometimes this is good, but most of the times the activities are combined with the feeling of guilt, the feeling that this..one..thing… should be done. And this is bad.
During the worst times I am the cleaner and the feeler. Sometimes I admit to myself I am not in the right state of mind or within organized surrounding of getting things done. All is not lost, I adjust, move on with my schedule and plan my next steps. Deadlines are not just a bad thing.
So, how to stop procrastinating? What to adjust? How to avoid the stress and still be effective? Here is a simple list how to win procrastination:
PLAN
- Reserve time to plan and sit down. This can take awhile, especially when doing it the first times
- Write things down you need to do by whatever means you like: paper, mind map, computer app
- Add priorities to the list. Simple A (Important and urgent), B (important) and C (neither important nor urgent) will do
SCHEDULE
- Move the activities into a timeline/calendar. Start from your A priorities and fill the time around them. Plan for at least next 5 days and not just your work time. Think of those deadlines!
- Plan time for the other activities, those activities that would cause you to procrastinate. They might be your C activities
- Stick to your timing, starting and ending times. Do not plan too busy schedule. If you do this, you are set to fail
EXECUTE
- Follow your plan. Update and adjust, when needed
- DO THEM
- When things get done, mark them as done. Do not erase them. Seeing all the things you have done will bring you satisfaction
REPEAT
If you are able to follow your plan for, say, two days, job well done! Normally at this time, more items are coming your way and you think that your plans are ruined. Do not worry, life happens. When it does, return to step 1.
In the list, there is nothing new. All of us know this, some of us do this, some ignore it and some of us simply procrastinate on doing it. Too busy to do it? Or the list would be too long? Oh, come on, really? This might be true for the first couple of times, but trust me, once you start, you will feel a lot better and even the planning will go faster.
Following the steps will not make your life a gray list of activities, which you will just execute. You need to schedule time for fun, family, me-time, friends and to other important things you value. Otherwise, one´s life simply filled with stress, disappointments and time wasted. And nobody wants that.
Be better!
-Timo Holopainen
Timo is a international trainer and consultant, who has 20 years of experience in helping individuals, companies and associations to develop and be better.