By James A. Baker
Time Management Training Institute
September 2009
One of the biggest problems arising out of our
super busy, high achievement culture is that we all have too much to
do. This is bad enough, but very often we don’t really want to do
some of the things that are on our list, which, in turn, leads to an
even bigger problem: procrastination. Unfortunately, procrastination
only increases the number of things on our to do list, because we
are not clearing our in boxes fast enough to keep up with the other
tasks that are pouring in every day.
Of course, there are often legitimate reasons for postponing a
task. Other tasks sometimes take precedence, and, in some cases, you
must delay a task until you have all the resources you need to do
the job well. But that is not the case every time you put off
(avoid) doing a job, and genuine procrastination can be deadly. Not
only does it increase the level of stress we feel every day, but it
leads to work being done late, done poorly or both. The only cure
for procrastination is to STOP doing it. But, how?
Here are some of the common reasons for procrastination, along
with suggestions for dealing with them:
Category One: The Nature of the Job
Some jobs are just unpleasant -- Anything from cleaning out the
attic to having a difficult conversation with a low-performing
employee can be very intimidating. There may seem to be very little
upside for you in these tasks and they can drain you emotionally and
physically. Schedule them early in the day and think of something
nice you can do for yourself after the job is done. Once the job is
done, you will see that is wasn’t as bad as you thought it would be.
Some jobs are very complicated -- Maybe you have been assigned a
complicated research or writing project. Or, maybe your service
organization has put you in charge of developing a new community
outreach program. There is so much to do and you don’t know where to
start. In such cases, don’t think in terms of the whole job.
Instead, break the project down into manageable steps and set
deadlines for each one. Remember the old saying about how to eat an
elephant?
Category Two: Too Many Projects
For many busy people today, this is the unexamined source of many
of our procrastination problems. We are assigned (or we say yes to)
too many things. As our plate begins to pile high with a variety of
urgent and/or important things, it can become very overwhelming and
lead to things like:
Indecision –
the simple process of choosing which task to do next can slow you
down. You have to begin by dividing all the tasks into A, B, and C
priorities. Delegate whatever you can and decline or postpone the
least important ones.
Distraction and confusion –
this is related to Indecision. It is easy to bounce back and forth
between all the tasks on your list and never finish anything.
Instead of trying to keep everyone happy at once, pick one job and
stick to it until you are done.
Indifference –
While this can be a problem with any task, it become a chronic
condition when you have too much to do; you just loose your interest
and motivation altogether. First, determine the priority and value
of the task. If it has a high value, block out time for it on your
prime time schedule, zero in on it and get it done. If it is not a
high-value item to begin with, delegate it or scratch it off. It is
hard enough to accomplish all the tasks you care about. Don’t sap
your energy on things you don’t care about unless it is absolutely
necessary (read: important to your spouse or your boss!).
Category Three: Emotional Issues
Fear of failure (lack of self confidence) -- Maybe you don’t have
enough training to do the job well; maybe you have a boss who is
hard to please; maybe the stakes are very high; maybe you struggle
with emotional conditions that see any level of risk as a threat. No
matter what the root cause may be, when people don't want to face
the consequences of failure, they delay. Ask for help if you need
it. Set a deadline and clear your calendar of other interruptions.
Promise yourself a reward when the job is done.
Perfectionism –
This is actually related to fear of failure. In the minds of some,
the best way of avoiding failure is to always be perfect, and if you
can’t do the job perfectly, it is better not to try. Often, the only
way to overcome this problem is through counseling and behavior
modification training. On a practical level, remind yourself that it
is more important to finish the job, even if it could be done
better.
Passive aggressive attitudes
– This is a sneaky form of anger we use when
we are mad at someone but we don’t want to confront them directly.
Avoiding or dragging out a job is a way of punishing or controlling
the other person. In cases like this, you can talk out the issue
with the person, be a grown up and do the job anyway, get
counseling, or quit. Life is too short to waste everyone’s time
playing games.
James A. Baker is the Founder and Chairman of Baker Communications. Baker
Communications is a sales training and development company specializing in
helping client companies increase their sales and management effectiveness. He
can be reached at 713-627-7700.
