Overcoming the Habit of Delaying Important Tasks
Procrastination is a trap that many of us fall into. In fact, according to researcher and speaker Piers Steel, 95 percent of us procrastinate to some degree. In this article, we look at why it happens, and explore strategies for managing and prioritizing your workload more effectively.
Is procrastination the same as being lazy?
Procrastination is an active process – you choose to do something else instead of the task that you know you should be doing.
- In contrast, laziness suggests apathy, inactivity and an unwillingness to act.
- If we procrastinate over a long period of time, we can become demotivated and disillusioned with our work, which can lead to depression and even job loss.
Step 3: Adopt Anti-Procrastination Strategies
Forgive yourself for procrastinating in the past
- Commit to the task
- Focus on doing, not avoiding
- Ask someone to check up on you
- Minimize distractions
- Tackle tasks as soon as they arise
- Rephrase your internal dialog
- Identify the importance of the task by looking at its meaning and relevance
- Become a master of scheduling and project planning
- Cure your procrastination by focusing on the long game
Step 1: Recognize That You’re Procrastinating
If you are briefly delaying an important task for a genuinely good reason, you are not necessarily procrastinating.
- However, if you start to put things off indefinitely, or switch focus because you want to avoid doing something, then you probably are.
- Fill your day with low-priority tasks, leave an item on your To-Do list, or read emails several times over without making a decision.
Step 2: Work Out Why You’re Procrastinating
Understand the reasons why you are procrastinating before tackling it.
- For instance, are you avoiding a particular task because you find it boring or unpleasant? If so, take steps to get it out of the way quickly, so you can focus on the aspects of your job that you find more enjoyable.
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