Procrastination. We’ve all been there. You’re stuck and can’t seem to get started or complete the task at hand. It’s a vicious cycle.
And, it’s not like you want to procrastinate. But there’s something— conscious or subconscious—that’s holding you back. Even on days when you feel like you have the best intentions, you still find that you just can’t get started.
Procrastination prevents you from being your best self, doing your best work, and finding joy in the process. It plagues our productivity and produces anxiety and stress. And, it’s avoidable.
You may be thinking: how do I dump procrastination for good, Lauren?
Here are two strategies I have found that help me to avoid procrastination:
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Identify the Cause
Beating yourself up over procrastinating when you don’t know what’s causing it is just mean.
First, when you find yourself procrastinating, ask yourself why you continue to put it off. Is it fear? Perhaps you’re scared of failure, criticism or uncertainty? Do you lack a skill set to get it done? If so, address that underlying cause first. When you learn the skills needed or to just feel the fear and push yourself to do it anyway, you’re less likely to procrastinate.
Some tips to deal with fear as the cause of procrastination:
- Break it into smaller tasks: If it’s a big project that you have looming over your head, break it up so it doesn’t feel so daunting. Smaller tasks that don’t take as much time are often less intimidating. Therefore, by breaking it up, you can successfully complete the larger tasks without feeling overwhelmed by the complexity of the entire project.
- Create a schedule: Creating a schedule can help you prioritize tasks. Instead of continually juggling all the items on your plate at once, a schedule allows you to block time to focus on one task at a time. Simply having a plan can alleviate the stress and anxiety of needing to find time to get to everything.
- Allow imperfection: Often, if a task is complicated, confusing, or time-consuming, procrastination is a result of feeling like you don’t know how to go about the task or you’re scared you won’t get it right. Remind yourself that perfection is not the goal. Instead, allow yourself to be part of the process. Do the work, take time for reflection and revision, and learn throughout the process. This may help you enjoy even the most complex and intimidating tasks much, much more. The goal here is progress, not perfection. To be transparent, this is the one that gets me more than anything else! “Hi, I’m Lauren, and I’m a recovering perfectionist.”
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Categorize the Task
Once you’ve identified the cause of your procrastination, you can then categorize the task to assess how to approach it.
You have three options:
Do it
If you really enjoy something, do it yourself. You’re less likely to put something off if you really enjoy doing it. This is an easy choice most of the time.
Of course, completing jobs we don’t love is an inevitable part of life. Sometimes tackling even the most dreaded tasks can help you enjoy work and life more.
For example, if you’re someone who hates organizing, but finds that you’re constantly wasting time looking for things because your home or office is disorganized. Imagine how much more productive and joyful you’ll be when the proper organizational systems are in place that allows you to find things immediately when you need them. Sometimes you just have to face it and get it done.
Delete It
Ask yourself: Can I live without it? If you can, then stop wasting energy on it. If you don’t need it in your life, free yourself of the burden.
Also, assess whether you can live with continuing to put something off. Is it something that won’t have significant consequences for your business or life if you don’t accomplish it now? Is this a task that can be done later when you’re less busy? Only assign yourself tasks that must get done right now.
If it’s something that you can’t live without, but still find yourself continually putting it off, then you may find it beneficial to:
Delegate It
There’s no shame in admitting that you despise doing something—even a task that needs to be done—and delegating it to someone else. In fact, hiring someone else to take on the tasks that send you into the black hole of procrastination allows you to increase your productivity by spending your energy to focus on important tasks that you enjoy.
There you have it! Do it, delete it or delegate it. Just get it done and move on.
If you really struggle with procrastination, let’s talk! Email me at lauren@coachwithlauren.com or check out my most recent class, Mindset Makeover. We will be tackling fear, resistance, and excuses to boost your productivity and get you back to feeling great!