Getting Over the Procrastination Hump
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A while ago I realized most
of the tasks I procrastinate on will only take me
5 to 45
minutes to complete. Not very long at all but yet I
would still procrastinate and the task remains incomplete. So I took a
moment to think about why I actually don't want to do the task and why I
don't want to get it done right now. More procrastination but hey, that's
the point.
One thought came to mind is the task is something I didn't want to do. Go figure. But alas, the task needs to get done, also, go figure. But how could I get myself to do the task? Eventually I would grudgingly call upon my will power and do the task that I had to do. Not the best way of doing things if you ask me. My laziness can be mighty powerful sometimes or I have what I consider "better things to do". After countless times of doing this, I had an epiphany. Once I actually start the task, about 5 to 10 minutes in, I get into a groove and get the task done. In that groove my willingness to complete the task goes up tenfold. I'm already doing it, why not complete it and in the end I feel great about completing the task. On top of that, during the task I usually start to do things faster and what I thought would take me 45 minutes actually only takes me 30 minutes to complete. Woohoo! I applied my new thought process to a few tasks. If I can get over the initial hump and get into my groove, I'll get the task done in no time. In the end those tasks didn't seem so bad. I felt rewarded knowing that I got the task done and can move on to something else such as relaxing because no TV and no beer make Jeff something... Crazy? Don't mind if I do! Any way, knowing that I have a groove doesn't necessarily help me do the tasks but knowing that I just have to get over the hump to get into my groove to complete the task helps be start the task. And knowing that there is some sort of reward in the end really helps too. The next time you are procrastinating on a task, once you actually start it, see if you notice the hump and see if once you get over the hump if the task you are doing really is that bad. Jeff Mendelsohn Liquid Mechanix Studio, LLC www.liquidmechanix.com 419.297.3364 |
Killing Procrastination in Your Office
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Procrastinators are
everywhere, and like the common cold, procrastination can be contagious and
is more prevalent during holidays and stressful times. One procrastinating
employee can set off another and another. Before you know it, many hours
are spent checking personal emails, chatting at the water cooler and
surfing the web. But is it really their fault, or did they just lose focus?
Here are some ideas to get
your employees motivated again.
Start a team: Take
a day to start a team that works well together. Team building exercises are
a great way to start. Uniting employees in a common goal makes them feel
that they are part of the solution and keeps focus on the bigger picture.
Make sure you use team building events that create a common goal so your employees
work with each other, not against one another. Teams also give
opportunities for support without drama.
Gain Employee
Insight: Take some time for an all inclusive
meeting. Getting everybody together and sharing ideas on how to gain more
business or solve complaints from customers will show employees that you
care about and respect their opinions. Remember, you hired these people
because they were qualified and met your standards, use their potential.
Make it rewarding: Offer incentives for your employees. If sales are high and mistakes are low, share the wealth. Rewards like buying everyone lunch or a small gift card shows that you appreciate what they have done for you. To make it even more rewarding include a personal note of appreciation to each employee. Employees that feel appreciated and respected are less likely to waste your time procrastinating. Tiffiny Fayerweather |
Hope! Get a Vision
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If you recoginize when you
are procrasting, get your team on board and even recognize the "hump
and the groove" and maybe you
still feel you are procrastinging, there is
hope. Well actually, Vision!
Often when I talk with
procrastinators, one of the problems is they just don't know where they
want to be or what they want to achieve. I've seen many different ways to
create a vision and authors from Steven Covey, Robert Kiyosaki, Brian Tracy, Michael Gerber and Lewis Carroll who
would agree that "if you don't know where you are going than any road
will work". Not having a vision can lead to procrastination because
the mind and heart really don't know where you are taking them so
distractions are just more places to go. Or, if you don't know where you
are going, than why do anything.
For businesses and business
owners, I use Jim Horan's (One Page Business Plan)
method of fill-in-the-blank visioneering.
By ______ (year you will
achieve this vision)
grow_____________ (name of
your business or department)
into a successful
$______________________ (gross revenue)
___________________________________
(local, regional, national international or other)
_____________________________________
(type of company)
providing or specializing in
___________________________ (describe products or services)
for__________________________________
(target market description and customer description).
Once you have filled in the
blanks, you can refine this draft to create a statement that you can
believe and follow. This alone may help with some of the distractions,
shiny objects and squirrels along the road to your vision.
A vision also makes it easier
to get your team on board with the work necessary to acheive the
vision. Think of the vision as your shiny object
and follow it.
Linda Fayerweather MBA
EA
419.897.0528
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