So what are the real reasons you procrastinate? It is safe to say that a large percentage of us have put off high priority tasks until the last minute and attempt to crank it out just before the due date. I am sure you have heard someone say, “I work better under pressure.” With so many daily distractions vying for our immediate attention it is easy to let an important task go to the wayside because Instagram is much more interesting.
Next thing you know half of the morning is gone and none of your important tasks have been accomplished. More often than not we let the fear or dread of an important task cause of anxiety and we elect to do something that makes us feel better temporarily, i.e., scroll through Instagram, check our snapchat or browse the web. But unfortunately, the tasks have not gone away.
We all procrastinate to a degree, so why not procrastinate with a purpose. Oftentimes delaying action on a task or project can lead to a better outcome than jumping in quickly. The key is to procrastinate with a purpose or structure your procrastination.
If you have a big task or project ahead of you, take advantage of your inclination to procrastinate by creating a list. Break the project down into smaller pieces and check it off your list as you go. Do you have a marketing brief or sales report to prepare? Break this down into smaller chunks, which could be 10, 20, 30 or 100 smaller pieces. Make each piece a manageable piece, and it will diminish the size of the total project. As you check off the items on your list you will feel relief.
Procrastination can become very destructive if avoidance of a project trumps your will to complete it. We all do it so find a way that you can make it work for you, not against you. Be honest with yourself about your progress to avoid the problem-causing type of procrastination. Remember, procrastination does not have to mean inactivity. Shape the structure of task completion in a way that gets work done.
How are you using procrastination to work for you?
