Dealing With Procrastination at Work
Sometimes, procrastination can creep in and take over your entire day without you knowing. You might be sitting at your desk with a list of things to do right next to you, convinced you will finish them by the end of the day. The end of the day comes and you find you really haven’t completed as much as you should have. But there are days when you just know you are procrastinating, in fact, you find yourself planning your procrastination better than your work! The occasional day of procrastination can happen, we are all human, but if it is a regular occurrence it can really have an impact on your career.
Procrastination can get confused with laziness, but they are very different things. Procrastination is when you choose to do something else instead of the task that you have been given to do. Laziness on the other hand is an unwillingness to do anything at all! Procrastination usually involves pushing aside an unenjoyable task and swapping it out with something more enjoyable or easier to do. We have all done this, it's human nature and in the end, we all feel a twinge of guilt for doing it! But, If procrastination takes over it can lead to low productivity and harming the chance of achieving your goals both personally and professionally. The problem is that long periods of procrastination can lead to demotivation, which can then lead to more procrastinating!
Don’t despair and beat yourself up, it is not just you, procrastination is a very human habit. In fact, a study by Piers Steel found that 95% of people procrastinate! We just need to acknowledge this is a human habit and put strategies in place to manage it within a work environment. Below we have listed some strategies that may just make your days easier and beat back that pesky habit!
Realise That You Are Procrastinating
If you are briefly putting off an important task for a genuinely good reason, then you are probably not procrastinating. But, if you start to put the task off constantly or just flat out avoid doing something, then the procrastination train is in the station and you are boarding!!
How do you know you are on the train? Well, you fill your day with low-priority and more enjoyable tasks. You start the task and then 10 minutes later go for a chat with a colleague or have a coffee, or both! You leave it on your To-Do list for a long time, kidding yourself you are about to start or, you wait for inspiration and motivation to start the task. Sound familiar? All these are signs are you have boarded the train and you're on your way to Guiltsvill Tennessee!
Why Are You Procrastinating?
To put strategies in place to help you get off the procrastination train you need to understand why you are doing it and how to implement those strategies that help. Let's look at some scenarios and solutions:
1 - Is The Task Irritating, Uncomfortable or Boring?
One of the first issues that always comes to mind is are you sidestepping the task because you are finding it irritating, uncomfortable or boring? It can just be as simple as that! If so, the best solution for this is to grit your teeth and clear the task as quickly as possible! Give yourself a goal, do not think of the size of the task and put the first mark down straight away, by this we mean to send the first email, draw the first graph, or write the first sentence. By doing this you create momentum that can swing you into action. Then treat yourself for finishing the task, like a coffee break, a walk and then your next task can be something you really enjoy doing.
2- Are You Unorganised?
Be truthful, as this one thing can lead to masses of procrastination. If you don't have active to-do lists, regularly update your calendars and use systems like CMS, CRM or project management systems then things can’t really run away with you without knowing. Some people feel it is a waste of time being detailed in logging what they want to do and what they have done. But people who actively do this are far less prone to procrastination, so try and get more organised.
3- Feel Overwhelmed?
If you are organised you can still feel overwhelmed by a task. If you are not organised you are probably going to feel overwhelmed by most complex tasks. So get organised then when you have a task that looks so big you don't know what to do, try a bit of mindfulness or meditation just for a few minutes. You will be amazed just how calmer and rational you feel after. Then break the task down into smaller chunks (back to the organisation), and visualise how you will feel when you have achieved your goal. Again, attach a little reward for yourself at the end of it too!
4- Are You a Perfectionist?
This can be a big one! Some people start to procrastinate when they’re worried about their work and they want it to be perfect. Striving for perfection has been the death of many brilliant ideas, products and businesses. Therefore, it’s important that you let go of the idea of perfection. The longer you stare at a blank page, the more difficult the task becomes in your mind. Just remember, something is better than nothing. Therefore it’s vital that you just start working and let your ideas grow. You can edit and edit until you finally get the perfect piece – it’s just not going to happen the first time around.
There was probably no more of a perfectionist than Steve Jobs, but Steve had a famous saying “Real artists ship”. He was referring to the fact that everyone has ideas, but real artists deliver on them or ship them. It is exactly the same for tasks. Even Steve knew you had to draw a line under perfectionism or you will not get anything done. Make your perfection about hitting deadlines rather than the content that is going into hitting the deadline. If you try your best between the hours that you have assigned yourself, then nobody can ask for any more. But constantly shipping late will get you nowhere, even if your work is perfection!
5- Fear of Large Tasks
One of the main causes of procrastination is the idea and fear of starting a large task. However, all of these tasks can actually be broken down into smaller, more manageable tasks. If you concentrate on one small thing at a time, you will find that you can tick more tasks off your to-do-list, which increases your motivation to continue with the task! You can apply most of the strategies from feeling overwhelmed to this one as they largely fall into a similar mindset.
6- Are you Motivating Yourself Correctly?
People often procrastinate because they’re not feeling motivated enough to actually get the work done. The best way to overcome this is to think about the end game and what you hope to receive in the future. For example, are you aiming for a promotion? Where do you want to be in a year's time? When you think about your future and how you need to accomplish your tasks to get there, you are likely to feel more motivated when it comes to completing your work!
This tip also works with personal goals and other things you might be putting off. For example, if you’re wanting to lose weight but just can’t find the motivation to diet or start exercising – start thinking of the end game and how fabulous you will be feeling once you’ve lost the weight.
7- Set Strict Deadlines
It’s important that you set deadlines for everything you do in order to keep you motivated when it comes to finishing your work. Some people prefer working under pressure, other people believe it forces them into getting things done and they don’t enjoy them. Either way, deadlines are vital in getting productive and stopping procrastination in its tracks! As you start setting your own deadlines, make sure you set yourself up for success and schedule more time than necessary. Projects often take much longer than expected, so make sure to schedule the extra time to make it easier for yourself. As mentioned earlier, project management software is fantastic for this. After you have measured a few projects you will know how long things take and will be able to communicate this to your manager. Managing time and giving realistic deadlines can really help with procrastination.
8- Take a Walk
If you’re finding it hard to stay motivated, you should take a quick walk around the block and clear your head. This may seem counter-intuitive, but it has been proven that stepping away from a task can be beneficial to completing it. There have been lots of studies that show people perform better mentally after light to medium exercise, again mix this with a bit of mindfulness and meditation and you will be cooking on gas!
9- Do Not Beat Yourself Up
It’s important to remember that you should stop beating yourself up about your past procrastination events, let it go. If when you are about to start a task you’re having thoughts like ‘I should have started earlier,’ it will only make matters worse. Research actually shows that forgiving yourself for past procrastination will help you stop putting off working on a task, so wipe the slate clean, forgive yourself and move on with motivation.
10- Get Yourself Monitored
Sometimes having someone look over your shoulder is a good thing, after all, it is the well-trodden concept behind self-help groups. Try it once to see if it works. If you don't have anyone to ask then there is a great online tool called Procraster that can help you to self-monitor and motivate yourself, give it a try!
11- Autopilot Action
If a task or an email only takes 3-5 minutes to complete just do it there and then! Say no to 'I will do that later', just action it! Make this a personal rule you always follow. Ask yourself, will this take a few minutes? If the answer is yes then clear it there and then! If you tackle tasks as soon as they arise rather than letting them build up you will be surprised what a big difference this can make to your workday. Then when that important task comes along you have less work to distract you on your to-do list!.
12- Do You Have Debiliting Procrastination?
If procrastination consumes your life then there may be a serious underlying health issue. Depression, anxiety, ADHA and OCD can all be big players in procrastination. For these people, procrastination can be a cause of serious stress and illness. So, if you do suffer from chronic or debilitating procrastination then you should seek the advice of a trained professional.
Conclusion
Dealing with procrastination can be tricky, however get organised, put some strategies in place and it will all work out for you. Just remember that when you are on a task minimise your distractions by turning off your email and social media, these two things can throw a big spanner in the works. Also, commit to yourself to get those tasks that you find least pleasant out of the way early in the morning when you are as fresh and motivated as you can be. This will give you the rest of the day to concentrate on work that you find more enjoyable. Lastly, forget the past, forgive yourself for all the past procrastinations and move forward with newfound vigour. Remember to keep off the procrastination train to Guiltsvill Tennessee and stay on the platform of production gratification!