You know have to complete a task. You might even start feeling a little uncomfortable or guilty about the fact that you should have already started on it. And suddenly you find yourself doing things like scrubbing your shower tiles with a toothbrush when you should be working on your priority #1 task.
We’re talking about procrastination, of course.
If you’re a procrastinator, you’re not alone. It’s probably one of the biggest productivity killers around. But you can beat it. Here’s how…
* Understand why you’re procrastinating. You can’t solve a problem unless you know what’s causing it. And in this case, you need to know why you’re procrastinating if you really want to stop.
Take out a piece of paper and write “why am I procrastinating?” at the top. Then spend 20 solid minutes writing everything that pops into your mind. Don’t over-think it – just write as quickly as possible without editing or censoring anything.
At the end of 20 minutes or so, you should have your answer. Then you can work to solve your problem so you can reduce or eliminate your tendency to procrastinate.
* Tackle the least-pleasant task first. Your next step is to commit to tackling the worst task first. Don’t spend any time thinking about how much you dislike the task or how little you’re looking forward to doing it. Instead, just jump in and get it done.
It’s like jumping into a cold swimming pool. The more time you spend thinking about how cold it is, the more you’ll dread jumping in. But if you just jump in and get over with, your fears melt away instantly.
Which brings us to our last step…
* Take action – in small steps, if necessary. If a task is too large (and especially if it’s unpleasant as well), the tendency to procrastinate will grip you and not let go. So break up the task into bite size chunks and take action… fast.
The key to beating procrastination is to first identify the cause and then commit to taking fast action. That’s because procrastination usually is just a symptom of fear. You might fear the success or failure that comes with the task (e.g., writing a book). Or you could simply dread this particular task (e.g., doing your tax paperwork).
But whatever the cause, the cure is the same – take action. Because once you take action, the fear evaporates… instantly.
