Habitual Offender When It Comes to Procrastination

How to Beat Procrastination

” Never put off until tomorrow what may be done day after tomorrow just as well. ” — Mark Twain

Habitual Offender When It Comes to Procrastination. Alright, I’ll admit it. In case you missed it, I’m reprising an “oldie but a goodie” synopsis from 2016 in the Harvard Business Review. As is the case again today, and as the HBR article aptly points out, I might resolve to tackle a task today but find endless reasons NOT to tackle it.

For me, as I scan the landscape of opportunities constantly in front of me, if I perceive that it is going to take me many/many hours to conquer the beast, my first instinct is to defer the complex task until later. Additionally, if I perceive that I can slay the beast in under two (2) minutes, best practice is to do it while I am thinking about it (lest i forget!). I tend to jump in the pool!

However, what jumps to the top of my to-do list for today is the TREMENDOUS DISAPPOINTMENT that I feel because I left a major, complex task delayed for another day. At this point, and certainly exasperated, it is simply between the ears for me!

Habitual Offender Defeatism

The Secret

Make the benefits of action feel bigger, and the cost of action feel smaller.

Rewire our (mis)perceptions

Habitual Offender When It Comes to Procrastination

In short, procrastination is a state of mind and learned behavior. We choose to procrastinate. Keep in mind the opposite—we can choose not to. Our behaviors frequently become our habits. In my case, an undesirable habit. Thus, as a leader, this is going to require me to lean in. By that I mean, study the habits of “non-procrastinators”, “R&D” (replicate and duplicate) and simply do what they do —-thanks David Perkins.

“You may delay. But time will not.”— Benjamin Franklin

How Habitual Procrastinators Make the Benefits of Action Feel BIGGER

Visualize how great it will be when the task is done

In an introspective moment, paint yourself a picture of achieving the benefits of getting the complex task post-accomplishment; this may be just enough to push you past the mental block of getting started. Using this blog post as an example, if I can encourage just one of my readers with procrastination affliction, to click on the link, read the blog post & turn the corner on this troubling topic then my near-term mission here is accomplished!

Go Public with your Commitment Plan

Let’s face it, in these days of social media, we’re all overly obsessed with our standing in life. As I age, I find myself less concerned with that. That said, how do I look to other people? In these times, being a bit vulnerable can be your friend. For me, and making every attempt to lead by example, I have great respect for folks that walk the talk. The converse of that is also true and as I additionally cover here in Jim’s Leadership Axioms.

“God takes an interest in the doers.”

Confront the Brutal Facts of Your Present Reality

We far less often consider the pros and cons of not doing that thing. Continuing from my blog post example from above, I told myself that I wanted to be an influencer. How? By doing a weekly blog post Thursdays of each week by 10:00 AM. Reinforcing this in the hope that similarly afflicted individuals will benefit from my own experience. There, I’ve publicly proclaimed it. please, hold me to it.

Habitual Offenders Make the Cost of Action SMALLER

Take the first step: break down the big, complex tasks into baby steps

As they say, “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” I suspect that same can be true of a big, complex task that you may be thinking about right now. START! For example, If I wake up this morning (by the way, it’s Tuesday) with writer’s block and I have a Thursday 10 AM deadline for my next blog post, maybe it would be wise to simply come up with the topic today! Amplify on why it is a.) important for me, b.) important for interested members of my audience. This may trigger me to see that the benefits outweigh the costs of action.

Tie that first step to a treat

In my world, I enjoy walking outside for 45 minutes a day. A reward so to speak as it quiets my busy mind. Using this as an example, no walk until I take that first step towards writing my next blog post. After all, this is the natural order of things for leaders like you.

Remove the mental block

Let’s face it, sometimes, in spite of our best efforts, we still procrastinate. “Yeah, I see the value in writing this blog for my readers but no, I just don’t feel like it today.” As HBR points out, it’s time to ask yourself some pointed questions about that which you find unappealing in the moment about your pending action(s). It could come down to facing the 4 fatal fears.