Over the past 2 days, we’ve been looking at procrastination, its causes and forms. Today is all about how you can manage procrastination.
I say manage because it is not something you can simply solve. You will still avoid certain tasks. The key is understanding the real reasons why and then managing your actions to create a solution.
And so that’s the first thing – accept that you will procrastinate with certain things. It doesn’t make you a bad person and you needn’t feel guilty. What you need to do next is plan your solution.
Make honest choices about your work. If you are going to choose to spend a minimal amount of time on something, fine, do that and stop feeling guilty. No matter what you do, there will always be consequences. Make your choice, accept it, take responsibility and act.
Make sure you understand the outcome you are trying to create. If what is expected is not clear, have it explained again.
Use that knowledge to realistically and effectively plan your steps. If need be, break the task down into small segments, so small that you feel totally confident and comfortable you can realistically complete them quickly and correctly.
Hold yourself accountable to someone else, even someone not involved in the task. And all along the way, take an action, measure the result and adjust as necessary toward the end goal.
Most importantly, whenever you do something you thought you couldn’t or wouldn’t, take at least a moment to acknowledge yourself. Reward your efforts.
At the psychological level, procrastination has pros and cons, so its not going to go away completely. Accept it as part of your humanity, plan your moves accordingly, and stay in action.
(Which of these solutions will you implement today? Leave your reply in the comment box.)
I’ve noticed when I bring someone else into my circle and let them know what I’m working on, it allows me to get some feedback based on their own unique perspective and it motivates me to complete a task I might have otherwise put off a while longer. It also gives that other person an invitation to check in on my progress later (they always do), which also helps me keep up the momentum. Going forward, I realize I should share with my team mates more often and perhaps in the earlier stages of a project.