How can I stop procrastinating?
It’s a common feeling isn’t it – you KNOW you have to tackle that big important task but you find a million other things to do instead. I don't think there is anyone who can honestly say they never procrastinate. And sometimes it seems that the bigger and more important the task, the more likely we are to procrastinate. I’ve asked myself more times than I care to remember “ Why do I keep procrastinating over and over “?! And since the change to remote or hybrid working, often people are telling me they are getting distracted working from home increasing procrastination. How can we stop last minute panics caused by all this procrastination? And why do we do it?
4 Reasons why we procrastinate
1. Lacking confidence in ourselves about our ability to do the task that we are putting off. If we think we lack the skills to complete the task to the standard we would at expect this can cause us to procrastinate. This is also known as fear of failure.
2. We think the task it's boring. If we think we are not going to enjoy doing the task, then we put off doing it.
3. Distractions. If you're in an environment where there's lots going on or any kind of high distracting environment then we're more likely to procrastinate.
4. Having too much time. The longer you have to finish the task, the longer you wait to get it started. It's difficult for us to get ourselves motivated when the deadline isn't looming sometimes.
Ways to tackle procrastination
1. Break it Down. If you have a big task to get done. Start by breaking that task into as many small steps as you can. We love tikcing things off a list so by doing this, you have manageable chunks to start working on which feels less overwhelming and you can feel a sense of achievement as you tick off each step.
2. Remove distractions. Switch off your phone, turn off your email notifications, go to the loo, get a cup of tea, figure out what steps you can do in the next hour, and go!
3. Reward yourself. Set yourself a target of one or two of the smaller steps today and think up a reward that you would love. It could be a cup of tea in the sunshine or a glass of wine that evening.
4. Tell someone what you plan to complete in a certain time. By having an accountability partner in this way it can help motivate us to get things done.
5. Change your environment. try working somewhere different full stop often just a change of scenery can help get us going on a task we've been putting off.
6. Schedule the time to do the task in your calendar – by giving yourself a time and a place you are more likely to get it done.
If you would like some more tips on this then get the training team at your workplace to contact me on Litsa@unscrambleme.co.ukas I run Unscrambling workshops on just this kind of thing! Take a look at my website for more info: Banish Your Mental Clutter Cloud - Unscramble Me
