Managing Procrastination

Great Things Never Came From Comfort Zones sign with a desert baHuman beings have the very unique talent of being able to procrastinate. We put things off, things we know we should be doing, to first handle those things that are squeaking the loudest; making it really easy to avoid those quiet and sometimes dreaded tasks that await our attention elsewhere!Our procrastination comes from a place of: “I don’t know if I can do that”; “I don’t want to do that”; “I don’t like doing that”; or “I’ll get to it.” And because procrastination is a part of who we are as human beings (we like being in our comfort zones), we have to put systems of accountability in place to help manage our procrastinating ways.The system you use to manage procrastination doesn't have to be complicated either. Here's a simple example of the accountability system I use and teach:

  1. Make a list with priorities and dates by-when for the tasks that need to be completed.
  2. When there is an item on your list that doesn’t ever seem to get done (it has been rescheduled 2-3 times), evaluate why that is.Are you the right person to be doing this task? Is there someone that the task should be delegated too?
  3. If you find that there is nobody else that can do the task but you, and it still isn’t getting done, what accountabilities do you need to put in place so that it does get done?
  4. Ask for help. Ask a co-worker, a friend, your spouse, to hold you accountable. Tell them what needs to be done and by-when (heck, even give them your whole list), and ask them to hold you accountable for doing it. Ask your accountability partner(s) to check in with you half-way between the time of the request and the due date, making sure the job is halfway done, that you are moving forward, and that you still agree to be your word to get the job done by the established by-when… And the job will get done!

We all need accountability and putting a system of accountabilities into place is very easily done! So, step out of your comfort zone, give up your procrastinating ways, and consider how much more mental freedom you will have when you stop putting off until tomorrow what you can do today!CSN

BlogAccountability, Comfort Zone, Procrastination