Five ways to overcome procrastination

Procrastination is defined as “the act of delaying or postponing something that needs to be done”. There are many reasons for procrastination, such as poor time management, or simply running out of time; indecisiveness; lack of motivation because the task is not appealing or interesting in any way; distraction caused by other more desirable activities, fear of making mistakes or just plain laziness.

Do you procrastinate? I certainly do! I tend to put off things I don’t enjoy doing for as long as possible. I have just had 2 weeks holiday from my ‘other’ job and had a long ‘to do’ list. It is now mid-afternoon of the last day of my holiday and I still haven’t done some of the tasks I find boring such as filing papers and clearing out cupboards. I have told myself I will get them done as soon as I have finished writing this blog. While everyone procrastinates to some extent, if you do it to the extent that you are not getting anything done, then it could be a problem.

What can you do to overcome procrastination?

1. Recognise that it is a problem, become aware of when and why you are procrastinating and try to find any patterns in your behaviour. In my case I leave things I don’t like doing until the last minute.

2. Take action and make a plan. If the task is big or complicated break it down into smaller achievable goals and work on one at a time. If it is a task that you consider boring, schedule a small amount of time regularly to work on it so that it doesn’t become a big task, like my pile of papers to be filed.

3. Using momentum is another way is to get started on tasks. Start doing a task that you like and that energises you, and then without a break quickly switch to a task that you have been putting off. The idea is to use the motivation and momentum you get from the task you like (e.g., cooking), to help you get through the task you don’t like (e.g., cleaning the fridge out).

4. Aim for ‘good enough’, the outcome doesn’t need to be perfect. If you have unrealistically high expectations for yourself it is easy to become overwhelmed and paralysed by the need to produce work that is perfect and this can easily lead to procrastination. In most circumstances 80% is ‘good enough’. If you tend to be a perfectionist, this can be a difficult concept to accept but one that can make a big difference to your life if you are able to recognise and modify your behaviour.

5. Be nice to yourself. Don’t beat yourself up if you find yourself doing something other than the required task such as spending hours on Facebook or binge-watching Netflix. If you are distracted it is better to accept it and give yourself permission to do whatever you are doing with intention. Feelings of shame and guilt are unhelpful emotions as they will block us from making the changes we need to move forward.

With awareness, identify the things that distract you and make the necessary changes in your behaviour.

I would love to hear your strategies for overcoming procrastination.

I work with men and women over 35 who want to make changes in their life or career. I help them to create a life they love.

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