Consultant Proficiency Resources How-2-Series continues with preparation over procrastination. According to the Cleveland Clinic, “If you’re procrastinating because you’re struggling psychologically, or are emotionally or mentally fatigued, procrastination will go away whenever what is getting in the way is addressed.” However, if your procrastination is more of a habit, this can be reversed by becoming self-aware. According to CPR, being a leader requires self-reflection. If you self-reflect, you can build self-awareness of what is causing you to procrastinate. Stomping out procrastination is as simple as doing the work.
Suffice it to say there are reasons why leaders should delay their decision-making. This post is not about intelligent delay but about habitual procrastination. If indeed there is a spirit of procrastination, here is some How to eliminate the procrastinating spirit from the Entrepreneurial You 2019 article:
1. Reduce stress
Consider a more prayerful life to reduce stress and practice self-care. This means taking a moment to get away from the stressors, whether personal or professional.
2. Commit to taking bite-sized actions toward the goal.
When you break up a goal into bite-sized pieces, the pressure of completing the task in a big chunk is eliminated.
3. Practice the five-second rule.
The five-second rule is a strategy for action posited by Mel Robbins. It simply states, “If you have the instinct to act on a goal, you must physically move within five seconds, or your brain will kill it.”. So go ahead and practice.
4. Avoid the tendency to self-sabotage.
Don’t set yourself up for failure by saying negative things like. That kind of negative energy manifests in your thoughts. Remember the power of the tongue.
5. Develop an attitude of focus.
Focus takes intense discipline and an intentional decision to concentrate on one thing at any given time. Focusing allows your brain to save energy needed for other tasks or projects, reducing the need to delay because of exhaustion.
6. Embrace feedback.
One of the reasons for procrastination may be a result of a fear of receiving negative feedback if the outcome is not as great as intended. Embracing negative and positive feedback should be leveraged as a learning tool.
7. Do the thing you tend to delay first.
Opt to do them first, so we don’t worry about not completing them.
8. Set clearly defined goals.
Knowing precisely why you need to do something and that it has a significant impact motivates you to get the job done quicker.
9. Develop a desire to invest in the future by delaying gratification.
Our brains are wired for instant gratification, especially in this digital age where everything must happen now. Completing those tasks now with low immediate gratification but a high impact in the future can be considered an investment.
10. Establish a connection between your current and future self.
Your current self somehow doesn’t believe that it should be held accountable for who you are in the future. When you recognize that this isn’t entirely true, you will appreciate that your actions today have implications for your future self.
11. Be intentional about being decisive.
Procrastination is often aided and abetted by indecision. Be intentional about making decisions. Any decision is better than no decision at all.
12. Get enough rest.
You become restless during the day when you don’t get enough rest. You are less productive when this happens and even more easily distracted.
13. Understand your reason for procrastination.
You can’t manage what you don’t understand. Do a self-examination to recognize why you are procrastinating.
14. Develop your strengths and outsource your weaknesses.
You are more likely to procrastinate when you have tasks to do that you are not good at. Solution: hire a consultant to assist.
15. Avoid being a perfectionist.
Let’s be honest: We want everything we create to be perfect. Accept that there will always be room for improvement. Don’t allow perfectionism to paralyze you and prevent action.
16. Utilize the Pomodoro technique.
Then came my discovery of the Pomodoro technique. Choosing tasks, allocating time to them, and taking breaks at intervals is a great way to avoid being bitten by the procrastination bug.
Do you agree with Entrepreneur's rationale and solutions to stomp out procrastination? Do you agree with CPR's solutions? Be sure to comment if you conquered the spirit of procrastination.
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Warm Regards,
CeeCee