80% to 95% of business managers engaging in procrastination on a regular basis

 

PROCRASTINATION

 #1 THIEF OF TIME

 

What’s one of the greatest deterrents to success? IT IS THE MISMANAGEMENT OF TIME. 

And what is the #1 THIEF OF TIME ….???

 It’s something that stops countless people from enjoying a time-of-your-life they delay or postpone acting on their priorities. 

This is called PROCRASTINATION.

 Procrastination is the act of delaying or putting off tasks until the last minute, or past their deadline. Some researchers define procrastination as a "form of self-regulation failure characterized by the irrational delay of tasks despite potentially negative consequences."

 Managing TIME is a core module of my META+COACH program.  every single participant  has a problem to overcome procrastination. Some do it all the time; some do it for certain categories of task; and some do it occasionally. So everyone procrastinates at some point and each one pays THE PRICE.

THE  SYMPTOMS OF PROCRASTINATION ?

Which of the following symptoms of procrastination do you have?

1.    You often tell yourself there are other things you should do first.
2.    You tell yourself you’ll do it after you get everything organized.
3.    You are easily distracted by other things in your life.
4.    You’re often a day or two (or more) late in completing tasks or projects.
5.    An item remains on your “list” for days or weeks.
6.    You wait for the mood to strike or the “right” time to get started.
7.    You claim you work best when “your back is against the wall.

THE COMMON CAUSES OF PROCRASTINATION

One of the biggest factors contributing to procrastination is the notion that we have to feel inspired or motivated to work on a task at a particular moment. The reality is that if you wait until you're in the right frame of mind to do certain tasks (especially undesirable ones), you will probably find that the right time simply never comes along and the task never gets completed.

Experts believe that procrastination is actually a defense mechanism. Your unconscious mind thinks it is helping you. But it is misguided. So the procrastinator’s mind uses a defense mechanism—repression—to kind of forget about the task. ‘Oh, there are so many other things I need to do.’ And the procrastinator usually minimizes the amount of time the task will take. This, of course, is the trick our mind plays with us. It hopes the task will go away. 

Indecision causes procrastination. Common reasons people struggle to make firm decisions some do it because  the  bosses do it for you most of the time; they lack  the courage to follow through on personal  decisions;. Other influences act upon  you, so you have little or no firm desires of your own or worse you take a long time to reach decisions, and you change them quickly. In summary you don’t have a strong desire to see your goals become a physical reality. If, on the other hand, you have made a committed decision to be, do, or have something, you are likely to persist in reaching the goal as quickly as possible. Without a committed decision, procrastination is likely to creep in. Those who reach decisions promptly definitely know what they want, and they generally get it. The leaders in every walk of life decide quickly and firmly

According to researchers, there are 15 key reasons why people procrastinate:⁷

• Not knowing what needs to be done
• Not knowing how to do something
• Not wanting to do something
• Not caring if it gets done or not
• Not caring when something gets done
• Not feeling in the mood to do it
• Being in the habit of waiting until the last minute
• Believing that you work better under pressure
• Thinking that you can finish it at the last minute
• Lacking the initiative to get started
• Forgetting
• Blaming sickness or poor health
• Waiting for the right moment
• Needing time to think about the task
• Delaying one task in favor of working on another

TYPES OF PROCRASTINATION

Some researchers classify procrastination in two main types: passive and active procrastinators.

 Passive procrastinators: Delay the task because they have trouble making decisions and acting on them

Active procrastinators: Delay the task purposefully because working under pressure allows them to "feel challenged and motivated"

Others define the types of procrastinators based on different behavioral styles of procrastination, including:

·         Perfectionist: Puts off tasks out of the fear of not being able to complete a task perfectly

·         Dreamer: Puts off tasks because they are not good at paying attention to detail

·         Defier: Doesn't believe someone should dictate their time schedule

·         Worrier: Puts off tasks out of fear of change or leaving the comfort of "the known"

·         Crisis-maker: Puts off tasks because they like working under pressure

·         Overdoer: Takes on too much and struggles with finding time to start and complete task

SOME REMEDIES AGAINST PROCRASTINATION

Procrastination is a habit, and the only way to get rid of a bad habit is to replace it with a good one. Procrastination is one of those things that even the most well-organized and punctual fall victim to at some point or another. Think about the last time you found yourself watching television when you really should have been doing homework. While common, procrastination can have a detrimental impact on your life, including your annual appraisal.



Commit to important tasks.

Focus on doing, not avoiding. Write down the most critical tasks you need to complete each day and specify a time for doing each one. This will help you to tackle your work efficiently and become far more productive.

Recognize early signals

As you start to tackle items on your list, pay attention to when thoughts of procrastination start to creep into your mind. If you find yourself thinking "I don't feel like doing this now" or "I'll have time to work on this later," then you need to recognize that you are about to procrastinate. When you feel tempted to procrastinate, don't give in to the urge. Instead, force yourself to spend at least a few minutes working on the task. In many cases, you might find that it is easier to complete once you get started.

 

 Rephrase your self-talk. 

 

Replace the phrases “need to” and “have to” with “choose to” or “get to.” Saying the first two phrases implies that you have no choice in what you do. This can make you feel disempowered and unmotivated to take on large, important tasks. However, saying “I choose to” or “I get to” implies that you want to do the project, and it makes you feel more in control of your life.

Here are few questions to reprogram your inner self-talk and you mindset-Do I want to be, do, or have this?. Will being, doing, or having this move me in the direction of my goal?. Is being, doing, or having this in harmony with my overall plan;

 

Minimize distractions. 

Ask yourself what pulls your attention away the most—whether Instagram, Facebook updates, or the local news—and turn off those sources of distraction. Turn off your email and social media and avoid sitting anywhere near a television while you work. Each person has his own patent style of wasting time or procrastinating ... find out your own after careful self observation of a month or two and then do a self analysis 

 

 Focus on the long game. 

 

If you’re procrastinating because you find a task unpleasant, identify the long-term benefits of completing it. For instance, could it affect your annual performance review, health, or the value of your home?

 

Sense Consequence of delay

For some people, understanding the consequences of avoiding or delaying something makes the task more enjoyable. If that sounds like you, identify the unpleasant effects of avoiding the task. Ask yourself what will happen if you don’t complete it? How might it affect your personal, team, or organizational goals?

Take baby steps: 

When you are faced with a big project, you might feel daunted, intimidated, or even hopeless when you look at the sheer amount of work involved. We often assume that projects won't take as long to finish as they really will, which can lead to a false sense of security when we believe that we still have plenty of time to complete these tasks. At this point, take an overall ' project' view of the task and  break them down into a series of stepsso that your immediate tasks don’t seem so overwhelming.

 

Recognize the warning signs

 Pay attention to any thoughts of procrastination and do your best to resist the urge. If you begin to think about procrastinating, force yourself to spend a few minutes working on your task.

Pat yourself on the back: 

When you finish an item on your to-do list on time, congratulate yourself and reward yourself by indulging in something you find fun. Once you have completed a task (or even a small portion of a larger task), it is important to reward yourself for your efforts.Give yourself the opportunity to indulge in something that you find fun and enjoyable, whether it's attending a sporting event, playing a video game, watching your favorite TV show, or looking at pictures on a social sharing site.

   

ROUNDING UP

There is no magic pill that will put an end to procrastination forever. But these tips will help you take concrete steps toward achieving more and feeling a lot better about yourself. Breaking the procrastination habit isn't easy. After all, if it was simple there wouldn't be an estimated 80% to 95% of business managers  engaging in procrastination on a regular basis. While procrastination might not be something you can avoid entirely, becoming cognizant of the reasons why you procrastinate and how to overcome those tendencies can help. By implementing these strategies, you might find that it is easier to put your nose to the grindstone and get started on those important tasks.

With best wishes

Dr Wilfred Monteiro