Procrastinate Much?
I’m the worst person to be writing about how not to procrastinate but here it goes anyway. It’s been a while since my last post. I’m supposed to be doing this about once a month. Where have I been? Procrastinating! This is something that I struggle with on a daily basis. Here are 5 reasons I think we do it, or at least me, and things I’ve found helpful in overcoming it.
1. You just don’t want to
Yup. It’s tedious, laborious or boring. WAHHH I DON”T WANNA! We all have stuff that we just really don’t want to do and put it off until later. And later. And later. I’ve learned to do things one of two ways. Make a list of your tasks. Then work on them from the hardest thing to the easiest OR from easiest to hardest. The latter usually works a little better for me. It feels like I actually did something when I’ve completed a small task and I can move on to the next one with confidence. It also doesn’t hurt to have a little treat waiting for you when you’ve completed that yucky hardest task. I prefer Dos XX 😉
2. Being creative
So this might just sound like an excuse, and it kinda is. BUT, I think that this is one of the reasons I procrastinate. In my opinion, creative people can be easily distracted by new ideas and stimuli. Or maybe they’ve set aside time to do something for just an hour, and then it turns into four because they got so lost in what they were doing! I know that for me, when I find something that catches my interest I want to dive into whatever it is RIGHT NOW! What’s my solution for this one? I don’t really know yet, but going back to that list helps. By the way, there’s a great app I’m using right now that helps me stay on track called Swipes. If I manage to post again in a timely manner, you’ll know it works.
3. Being busy
Our lives are packed with to-do’s nowadays. But is it that we’re really busy or are we lacking prioritization? Hmmm. There’s that list again. It’s easy to say, you know I really HAVE to go shopping right now (instead of writing). Or, wow my toenails really need a new coat of polish (instead of painting). Now, I’m not saying neglect your tootsies, but I am saying that sometimes we forget to prioritize what’s really important when it comes to our goals.
4. It will get done-eventually
Sometimes we procrastinate soooo long that it does eventually get done-at the last dang minute. Some people do their best work under pressure right? My college professors didn’t think so haha! One way I’ve learned to avoid this, especially with big projects, is to start right away even if the due date is “far away”. “Far away” is gonna sneak up on your butt at 2:30 in the morning the day before it’s due. When I can break a project down into smaller chunks, its easier to manage. Let’s say I have a month to get something done. I make a list (again!) of all the things that need to be done and put them in chronological order. Then I assign tasks by week, then again by day. That way I’m not doing everything at the end of the month.
5. Fear
This is the big one. Fear is one of the biggest reasons I get behind on things. Fear of failure, what people will think, fear of success(?!), it won’t be perfect, what if something goes wrong, blah blah blah. All of those nasty little voices essentially say- ehh just do it later. Later. Read that book-later. Travel across the world-later. Enter that competition-later. All those laters start to add up and before you know it you’re looking back thinking, why didn’t I ever do that? What do you do? Here’s my thoughts. Take a deep breath, prepare yourself for whatever it is you need to do and jump in. Call that person anyway. Send your resume anyway. Do it anyway, show up anyway. And keep showing up, even if it’s uncomfortable. It will pay off and you’ll get it done. Eventually.