Synopsis
Procrastination gets in the way of achieving your professional and personal goals and traps you in a vicious cycle of failure and self-hate.
If it weren’t for the last minute, I wouldn’t get anything done,” goes the quote. And it does not apply to you alone. All successful people have struggled with procrastination at some point. Surprisingly, procrastination is sometimes a good thing when it prevents you from expending energy on unimportant stuff. At other times, you can get a bunch of smaller jobs done while avoiding a bigger task. But more often, procrastination gets in the way of achieving your professional and personal goals and traps you in a vicious cycle of failure and self-hate. Here is how you can break through the wall and get serious stuff done instead.
SAY NO
The first step is to declutter your life by prioritising demands on your time. Have you often found yourself with an endless to-do list at work and avoiding the most important tasks on that list? Cut down your task list to a maximum of 3 items and say no to everything else. This exercise forces you to think why something matters and what has no place in your priorities. Identifying your motivations helps you increase meaning in a task and thus gets you going faster.
GIVE IT 5 MIN
Start your big project with baby steps. Give it 5 minutes right away and get going with something really small. Are you avoiding working on that marketing presentation? Make an introduction slide NOW. When you simply show up for a task and make a small input, a great portion of your resistance disappears. To keep the momentum going, invest yourself in tiny blocks of time and soon you will find the enthusiasm to continue beyond your initial commitment. Want to start running in the mornings? Put on your shoes and go outdoors for a 5-minute walk to begin with.
GAMIFY IT
Make it fun. Break it up into small parts and pick something that you like doing or club it with another pleasurable activity. Want to get started on cleaning your closet? Put on your favourite song while you tackle only the top shelf. Reward yourself with a treat when you send that proposal to your client. As you poke holes in your project while keeping your mind engaged with a fun target or activity, the task seems to be less daunting.
BURN YOUR BOATS
In 1519, Hernando Cortez, the Spanish explorer, landed in Mexico to battle the vastly superior Aztecs. Thereafter he burnt the ships that brought his men ashore leaving them no choice but to win the battle. Similarly, face your fears and figure out what’s really stopping you. If you are afraid of public speaking, get yourself nominated to lead the sales team training. Cut off your cable TV connection if that prevents you from managing your sleep and family time after work. Give yourself no choice but to complete your target.
DO THE POMODORO
“Pomodoro” is the Italian word for tomato and the Pomodoro technique is a time management tool used to maximise focus and creativity in order to complete a project in minimum time and stress. Budget your time in 25 minute slots with a 5-minute break for every large project. Every time you finish one Pomodoro, mark a tick and after every 4 Pomodoros give yourself a 15-20-minute break. Many professionals find that this technique is equally effective with a large task list as with a single project.
GET A BUDDY
Make a commitment to a friend or a colleague that you will get a task done by a deadline. Start a Whatsapp group of people who like to eat healthy and post your daily calorie intake details. Research says that people who make themselves accountable and give periodic updates to another person, are twice as likely to reach their targeted goals. Give your buddy the space to motivate you to get back on track when you are feeling low.
LOVE YOURSELF
Learn to forgive yourself and practice celebration. Don’t be harsh on yourself if at first you miss a small commitment. Everyone is prone to de-energising self-criticism which then sparks an endless cycle of loathing, increasing your tendency to procrastinate. So, you didn’t wake up early today? Let it go. Each time that you do wake up early, congratulate yourself and put a large tick on your calendar.
RECOGNISE SUNK COST
Just because you invested a lot of time and emotions into an ongoing project does not mean that it is worth completing. This is known as the sunk cost fallacy. So, you decided to learn software coding in your spare time? Months later, you don’t seem to be making headway by way of enthusiasm or time. Maybe coding is simply not meant for you and your life can progress faster if you switch pursuits to another professional goal.
ADOPT A GROWTH MINDSET
Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck found that people with “fixed mindsets” believe that character, intelligence and creativity are fixed assets. On the other hand, those with “growth mindsets” love challenges and perceive failures as a stretching and growing of capabilities and thus end up more successful and happier. Be in the latter category, where you will look forward to tackling your projects without being disheartened by temporary setbacks and emotions.
GET UP EARLY
The best part of waking up early is it is quiet and you have nothing on your calendar. Use that time to get a task done that would otherwise be impossible through your packed day. Most successful people use that time for thinking and planning.
STOP BLAMING
When you blame circumstances or people for your situation, it is an excuse not to find solutions. Hold yourself responsible for whatever is happening, even if it is not true. By holding yourself accountable, you will soon come up with ideas and solutions.
STOP CONTROLLING
Too much time and mindshare is taken up influencing others or getting them to do what you want. You cannot control another person. What they choose to think is their privilege. Give up on control and find immense peace and energy to do stuff that really matters.
CHOOSE YOUR COMPANY
Stop hanging around negative people who drain your energy and who are fixated on problems instead of solutions. Choose company wisely and find yourself energised and on the path to success.
WRITE YOUR GOALS
People who write down their goals achieve more than people who don’t. Write down your current goal and list 20-25 actions that will get you moving towards it. Put up the goal sheet on your computer wallpaper. The reminder will get you moving towards your target.
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