How do you beat procrastination?

[staceybarr]

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Anyone read David Allen’s book, Getting Things Done?

I’m pretty sure in there he says that procrastination is often caused by not knowing exactly what the NEXT ACTION is to do. Unless you can articlute what the next action is, you have to procrastinate because you can’t act.

I think Kathiemt wrote about listing tasks… And I think that’s fabulous because it makes you identify the action that you need to take next. If you’re procrastinating on a big project, then it’s much easier to just say, okay here’s what I have to do next, and do it.

And ticking off when it’s done almost fuels the next action! Love it!

[staceybarr]

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PlanCheck, post: 300 wrote:

Hi there,

I am find it really hard to stay focussed and be excited about my business anymore… i feel like i am a little burnt out….

Hence i constantly procrastinate… does this mean that i am in the wrong business…. or i just need a holiday..

how does one stay motivated about their business and fuel the passion again…i suppose like a marriage one needs to work at the relationship between me and the business?….

Help!

This is close to home for me too! I was burning out as a consultant working with public sector clients, so I figured out what I did love to do, and started doing more of it. Over the past couple of years, almost everything I am now doing I love.

So perhaps start with one thing you do love to do, work out how it can be profitable for you (if it’s not already) and ask yourself/the universe/friends/flyingsolo forum how you can do more of it.

Have you already tried some things to reignite your passion?

[PlanCheck]

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Hi Stacey,

thanks for your advice!…

I think that people around me are gearing up to take over the business as i seem to be a stumbling block to its success… i have been known to sabotage it….

I love drawing and coming up with business ideas… i am really terrible at running them…

Maybe i just need a really good holiday… 1 week in the last two years i don’t think really has done it for me… i am hoping a good christmas break will assist in revitalising my situation…

Also i was thinking about doing some courses from LMA (Leadership Management Australia)…. to give my relationship with my business a last go… before i hand it over…

we shall see…

[[email protected]]

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Hi there

Great advice!

I also advocate productive procrastination – this is when you go and clean up part of your office, declutter, have a cup of tea, go for a walk. These kinds of activities do two things;

1. Shift the energy, clear your head

2, Remind you that you are more than your business – you are human too and it’s important to enjoy being alive as well as getting through the task list!

Zoe

[Lisa Murray – Biz Coach]

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Well, I wrote an article on this once. Basically I figured that you don’t have to do it all yourself!
Here’s an excerpt:

Step 3: Chunk It! (AND Think Outside The Box…)

Break your task down into as many small actions as you can. List them down a page and then procrastinate differently…

Is this action essential to the outcome? If not, get rid of ‘busy work’.

Can I delegate this task to anyone? Find someone who can do it faster or better, or who would appreciate the experience!

Can I outsource this task to anyone? Paying to alleviate pain is smart!

Who can give me some support? A coach, a mentor or a support buddy will keep you focused.

In ten minutes, could I complete any part of this task? If so, do it now!

Personally for me, if I change my mindset (ie work out WHY I’m procrastinating and change the limiting belief) then I can get lots of flow into my work and I don’t tend to waste so much time.

And of course, you can have time off for good behaviour you know!!

[organiser]

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I have also written articles on this. There is a bit of a distinction between distraction and procrastination. Sometimes distraction is mistaken for procrastination but I believe that if you’re procrastinating, you’re actively avoiding a particular task (whereas I see disctraction as either actively avoiding anything so as to do something in particular, like play solitaire, or just getting hyper-focussed on a task that is not high priority). That’s the angle these tips are coming from, anyway – they focus on the active avoidance side of it

Here’s a short list of my tips:
1. Visualisation. Visualise the task being completed and how good it feels to have it off your list and out of your head
2. Break it down into small steps. (But don’t over-analyse and make lists of your lists; that’s just another form of procrastination!)
3. Think about the task as an abnormal cell that, if left alone, turns to cancer. The longer it is left without treatment the more it grows and the more dangerous it becomes. Get to your tasks before they turn into cancer. If you prefer less dramatic analogies, try keeping your molehills from growing into mountains so you don’t have to climb over the mountain when it grows that big
4. Realise that whatever you have to do doesn’t have to be perfect. Don’t let perfectionism prevent you from starting. Doing something to ‘good enough’ or simply making a start is much preferable to not at all!
5. Eliminate distractions. Turn OFF that TV, take the phone off the hook, unplug your modem, close the door, ‘plug yourself’ into your MP3 Player… whatever it takes!

I have another larger article on it that talks about the different reasons that we procrastinate and some strategies to employ but it’s too large to post!!!!

Rebecca
http://www.clearspace.net.au

[Danielle]

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The more time I have on my hands the less I seem to achieve in my day. Daydreaming (disguised as planning, brainstorming, you fill in the blanks!) has proven to be an area where I have wasted countless hours, maybe even days if you added it all up.

To try and combat my own tendency to procrastinate, I have set aside several small chunks of time a day where I allow myself to sit back and think about or plan what I need to do to reach the goals I have set. Even thought ‘thinking’ is a beneficial and necessary part of the overall picture, I try to to limit the amount of time spent on this as it is time I could be spending taking action.

Ultimately, success comes when you take consistent action towards your goals.

Each day I list six ‘action’ requirements to be fulfilled. Having a definite plan of attack for the day helps you to feel more organised, plus you get the feeling of accomplishment when you check each item off of your action list.

Danielle
http://www.WantUrOwnBiz.com

[Angela communic8 design]

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Mascot, post: 291 wrote:

By NOT joining another forum. Whenever I want to procrastinate, I log on to a forum!

Um, guilty shuffle of feet, sounds awfully familiar. I found myself with an extra pocket of time today due to a canceled meeting. Am I using my new-found time wisely? Not sure, forums are great but they do suck time.

[Robert Gerrish]

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Maybe we should start a procrastinators area on here where the member is immediately logged out and a ‘GET ON WITH SOME WORK’ message flashes up. I’ll get the tech people onto it!

Always remember “The time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time” Bertrand Russell.

[Angela communic8 design]

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staceybarr, post: 505 wrote:

Anyone read David Allen’s book, Getting Things Done?

I did and it was great! I’m still a big fan of ‘what’s the next action’, two years down the track.

[Burgo]

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No No No Robert, I would be logged out every time I log on

[Lauren -Jewellery Lady]

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I write a ‘To DO’ list & reward myself everytime I cross off one of the to do’s.
It acts as a way to beat procrastination & is excellent motivation.
REWARDS could be anything from chocolate to a bubble bath.

[Geoff Kelly]

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This is a big subject, but try these 6 things – they will make a massive difference if you trust me and give them a go each day for a month.

1. Don’t work from your To-Do list. You’ll only cherry-pick low value easy stuff just to keep ticking items off.
2. Instead, each day decide the 6 most important things you need to do tomorrow. Then prioritise them, estimate how much time each will take, and stick each in a slot in your diary.
3. Commit to spend 40 to 60 percent of your day on these priorities.
4. Turn off email and your phone (and time-wasting people – this is seriously important) when you need to focus for periods of time. Small interuptions have no right to your attention when you need to be in your zone.
5. To write fast, I use the 60:60:30 system. I set an egg-timer to 50 minutes and go fast on nothing by my project. Then I take a 10 minute break from it, and do anotehr 50 minutes uninterrupted. Then a 10 minute break, followed by 30 minutes doing something entirely different to my project. This results in huge dividends. When I can, I repeat this cycle to double the outcome.
6. If you are still having trouble, take out a blank sheet of paper and write all the reasons WHY this project is important and possibly urgent. If you’ve got a big why, you will be unstoppable.

Let me know how you go.

Best

Geoff

[LeelaCosgrove]

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I think there is FAR too much focus in our modern society on use of time!

Everyone is so busy running around and feeling guilty if they take two seconds to zone out on something not related to being busy … seems like an awful waste to me!

I embrace my procrastination. It’s part of the creative process (and I believe everything about business is creative!) – ‘procrastination’ is my brain taking the time to boil ideas together to come out with a new and great tasting idea stew.

I have seen one thing in common with everyone who has SERIOUS ‘procrastination’ issues – and that is that the issue is NOT procrastination at all.

It’s that they don’t have a big enough WHY.

If the goal isn’t big enough, you’ll never do what you need to do to get there. Worse, of course, are those who have no goal whatsoever … and then wonder why they procrastinate all the time.

I mean … okay – let’s say you’re on a lovely path in the country. You have no place to be – no one is waiting for you, you have all the time in the world to yourself.

Are you rushing to the other end of the path? To get home? Or are you wandering around, smelling the flowers, taking naps underneath the tree, enjoying the serenity?

Chronic procrastination is your brains way of telling you that you’re lacking inspiration. That’s why those silly little tricks of rewarding yourself with a treat work (in the short term, if you’re disciplined) – there’s inspiration there, you’re working towards something.

How much MORE inspired would you be if you working towards something big and soul-satisfying? It doesn’t matter WHAT (it doesn’t even matter if you ever achieve it) all that matters is that it inspires you – excites you – that thinking about it makes you smile and feel a rush of joy.

Then, procrastination all but disappears – and when it does turn up, you know it’s not a bad thing … it just means your brain needs a break to work a couple of things out … and you can go with it and not feel guilty.

[Lisa Humphries]

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It depends on why we procratinate. There are various reasons, and for me they include: not wanting to do something because it’s a yucky task, being unsure of how to do something, and having too much to do and the resultant brain clutter that can cause.

There are certain things I procrastinate about but I reckon as long as you recognise you are doing it, you’re halfway to beating it. I find guilt can work for me, as in the guilt of knowing that I shouldn’t procrastinate. The other thing is as soon as I procrastinate, *if* I have the discipline to jump into it then and there, I’ve taken action, and it’s much easier to keep going once you start.

[Author]

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