ILLUSTRATED BY CAITLIN OWENS. There is perhaps no greater day-killer than the dreaded scourge of procrastination. Once it sets in, thats it: Youre trapped in a fog of avoidance and anxiety, and just one more YouTube video. Then, one more. Then, another. Then, the day is gone. For a step-by-step breakdown on crushing this life-ruining habit once and for all, check out this excerpt from Julie Morgensterns latest book, Time Management from the Inside Out. Morgenstern is a productivity master, and procrastination is the beast she battles every day. Heres how its done.Conquering Procrastination Excerpted from Time Management from the Inside Out, by Julie Morgenstern. There are many causes for procrastination. Fortunately, many of them are simple to fix. First, ask yourself whether you procrastinate on only some tasks or on practically everything. If you procrastinate on only some tasks, the cause is probably technical. There is something about the way you are approaching those tasks that has you at a standstill. You may need to learn to break the task down into smaller components or think of that one type of task differently. If you procrastinate about everything, it’s likely that your motives are psychologically based. In either case, the tips below may help you get unstuck. • Trust your instincts. In many ways, procrastination is simply about putting off decisions. Making swift decisions is essential to completing projects and staying on schedule. So, how do you make good decisions quickly? By trusting your instincts. • Focus on your goal. When you keep your eye on the benefits of the task, rather than on the dreaded task itself, it can make any process more tolerable. Recognize that each task is only one aspect of a larger plan, and that no one decision is going to make or break your success. It’s a very liberating realization, and it makes it easier to move quickly through the decisions you have to make. If you make a decision quickly, you will then have time to do a reality check on how that decision feels. • Do a different step. Sometimes, you procrastinate because you really aren’t ready to move ahead. You may not have all the information you need to make a decision yet, or you may not be prepared for the outcome the project will produce. For example, you may be procrastinating about hiring a new employee because you aren’t really ready to commit to another salary right now. You may be procrastinating on purchasing a new camera because you feel you are lacking certain skills to master how to use it. If you aren’t ready to tackle a particular task, what you can do is focus your efforts on steps that will get you ready. If you are putting off hiring an assistant because you aren’t ready for the additional expense, your next step could be to reanalyze your profit margin or add another revenue stream. If you are postponing that proposal because of a skill you lack, try taking a course or reading up on that skill as your next step. Refinery29 ift.tt/1vUXyI1
Posted on: Fri, 07 Nov 2014 17:36:37 +0000