Q:I have tried everything to stop procrastination but nothing is working. Do you have a method I can use to end my cycle of procrastination once and for all?
A:First of all, you should know that not all procrastination is bad. I have long touted the concepts of positive and negative procrastination. Think about your self-talk right now. Does it support you and give you legitimate reasons to delay things? Or is it an excuse you're making because you don't feel like doing something? All procrastination comes down to what you tell yourself. Sometimes we say, Oh, it doesn't really matter. I'll do it later. Nobody cares. Or sometimes we might say, you know, I just don't feel like doing this right now. This is negative procrastination.
If you do nothing, that's exactly what you'll get – nothing. If you do something, the possibilities are endless.
A legit thing to tell us, when true, might be, I need to take some time to get more valuable information before making this decision. It is a positive and strategic procrastination. Even if you say, I need to sleep on it tonight, that's positive procrastination because you know you'll make a better decision if you let your intuition run throughout the evening.
Related: Why procrastinating is okay
Generally speaking, negative procrastination delays tasks when you shouldn't. To make improvements, you need to take charge of your time and your life. Here are some ways to counter the negative self-talk that leads to procrastination.
Thought:I can do it tomorrow.
Ask yourself:What can I start with now that will help me complete this project?
Thought:I don't have everything I need, so I'll wait.
Ask yourself:What can I do now with what I have on hand?
Thought:I don't have time right now.
Ask yourself:What can I do in the next 10 minutes that will get me to the result I want?
Thought:Someone else can do it better.
Tell yourself:Even if someone else can do better, it is my task and my responsibility. I might even get better by continuing to work on it.
Thought:I just don't feel like it right now.
Say to yourself:I'm just going to do five minutes of work on this. Once I start the task, I slowly start to progress.
Getting started is the hardest part. But to produce results, you have to dive in at some point. If you do nothing, that's exactly what you'll get – nothing. If you do something, the possibilities are endless.
Let's take a quick assessment to see how much you procrastinate. Rate yourself from 1 to 10 on these four questions, with 1 being often and 10 being never.
Do you regularly push tasks aside because you tell yourself you don't have enough time?
Do you find yourself putting things off because of the lack of clarity? Are you making things too complex?
Are you not productive or fast enough because you are too focused on perfection?
How often do you let distractions become the basis of your procrastination?
How did you do? If your score was below 25, follow these simple steps to overcome your negative procrastination.
1. Get up early.
Many people have hit the snooze button for an extra five or 10 minutes of sleep rather than getting up when they intend to. It is better to start your day calm and collected than to rush into the morning. You can beat procrastination by starting your day off right.
2. Build momentum.
By identifying and doing small things when you have open minutes here and there, you can accomplish enough small tasks to become more motivated. This momentum keeps you from procrastinating and helps you complete tasks with time to spare.
3. Motivate yourself.
Make to-do lists and mark items once you've completed them. There's nothing like the satisfaction you feel when you accomplish something.
4. Practice Production Before Perfection (PBP).
This might be the most important of all my time management concepts. This applies to most people, and it probably includes you. How many tasks are you procrastinating on right now because you want them to be perfect? It's often best to step in and get things moving first, then you can hone as you go.
Let me give you an example:do taxes have to be perfect, or else perfect , close enough? Yes. Does that mean you have to wait to get started until you've gathered all of the W-2 or investment documents? No. You can start working on your taxes every month of the year by keeping track of your taxable expenses and keeping receipts.
There are some exceptions, of course. If you're building a helicopter, you have to be pretty perfect. Or if you're a doctor performing surgery, you must perform flawlessly. But for what most people do, things don't have to be perfect. Good enough is OK.
Go for it, then improve as you go!
Related: TED Talks:“In the mind of a master procrastinator”
Have questions for The RESULTS Guy? Send them to [email protected]
This article originally appeared in the February 2017 issue of SUCCESS magazine.
