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Stop Procrastinating

 
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PostPosted: Dec Sun 17, 2006 1:01 pm    Post subject: Stop Procrastinating Reply with quote

Stop Procrastinating

This is so important in order to be a success! It might be a good one to print out and put on your office wall for when you think you just can't get it all done.

Procrastinating? Sure, we all do it from time to time. Here's a Top Ten list you might want to keep handy if you or someone you know fits the profile:

Ten Ways to Stop Procrastinating
Nearly everyone procrastinates occasionally. Some people make procrastination a habit. Getting out of the procrastination rut can be difficult if you've been stuck for a while. Here are ten things you can do to stop procrastinating and start moving.

1. Go beyond the action, or non-action.
Procrastination is a symptom, not a cause. Somewhere there's a reason why you don't get that project started, or you are reluctant to pick up that file that's been sitting on your desk for days. So, pick up the file and ask yourself: why am I reluctant to do this? You may have to listen closely to get beyond the rationalizations that inevitably mask the real reasons for your inability to move.

2. Separate the anxiety from the problem.
If you're a chronic procrastinator, you know that anxiety over not getting things done is part of the equation. You know you're falling further and further behind and you worry about it. I can't tell you it's easy not to worry; often, it isn't. But, anxiety and worry are never part of the solution; they're only part of the problem. So, recognize that, to the extent to which you are anxious and worried, you are frustrating your ability to solve the problem (be it procrastination or anything else). One perspective you might want to consider: action takes place only in the present. It is what you do now that makes the difference, not what you did in the past or what you may do in the future.

3. Take a couple of steps back.
Perspective is important when you're faced with a multiplicity of demands, problems or challenges. There are lots of ways to gain it. One way is to take a macro view. How big IS the problem? How many parts are there to it? And, it is entirely MY problem? (We're assuming here that procrastination is the topic at hand although this applies to a variety of problem situations.)

4. Recognize that nothing is manageable if you take it all at once.
Rule #3 in my book, Maybe It's NOT Your Fault, But You CAN Do Something About It, states: Start from where you are and take one step at a time. You would be surprised how reluctant people are to accept and follow this rule. The fact is: where you are is the only place from which you can start. If you're in a hole in terms of workload, that's where you have to start. And, to dig yourself out, you can't even worry about the big picture until you've taken the small steps that will get you moving.

5. Make the log jam theory work for you.
I've spent many years as a consultant and trainer to the United States Forest Service. In those many treks into the Oregon wilderness, I've had ample opportunity to observe thousands of logs floating down the river on their way to market. I noticed something metaphorical about this process. When there is a stoppage, a buildup of logs, it almost doesn't matter which log you move to get things moving. Move any one and the current will cause the others to shift and loosen. Hence, another rule you may want to consider. It's Rule #7: When faced with an apparently hopeless situation, it doesn't matter which piece you move first. Moving any piece will allow the other pieces to begin to move.

6. Get rid of the extraneous.
I find that many chronic procrastinators live cluttered lives. There is junk on their desks, their appointment books are a hodge-podge, and their acquaintances are often a mix master of types-some helpful, many hangers on (and procrastinators in their own right!). The question here is: do you want to solve the immediate problem or reach a long range solution? Getting rid of the clutter in your life begins with the obvious (your desk, closet, car, etc.) and moves gradually to the less-obvious-your friends and acquaintances. In the latter case, you have to get to the point where you are unwilling to tolerate those influences-human and otherwise-that support your tendency to procrastinate. Clear off your desks (put the junk in boxes and label them), your closet, AND your address book.

7. Okay, now it's time: prioritize!
You knew it was coming, didn't you. But isn't it obvious! Despite the immediate advantages of Rule #7 (above), it helps to get a handle on what's facing you. What needs to be done first? How long do you estimate that each task will take? Are some tasks interdependent? Which are the most worrisome, boring, unpleasant? You can develop a matrix in which you list the tasks and projects you've postponed on the left and then, across the page, your answers to these questions. Now, you've got something to work with.

8. As your first action project, look for something that is unpleasant, but manageable.
There's a psychological reason for your choice. Take on and complete a task or project that you have been really resisting and you will feel both a sense of relief and a tremendous high. Only be sure that your first choice IS manageable. Failure at the outset of your reconstruction does not contribute to a lack of anxiety!

9. Block schedule your time.
This is a really useful tool. Some tasks you can finish at one sitting in a definite period of time. Others have uncertain completion times or require more time that you can devote to them immediately. So, instead of trying to finish the task, allot yourself a specific length of time to work on it, and when that time has elapsed, QUIT, and come back to it later. Block scheduling takes a lot of the angst out of work and minimizes the tendency to put things off till tomorrow.

10. Adopt the practice of deliberate action.
A practice is simply a discipline, or what you might call a consciously determined habit. I've noticed that procrastinators are at the whim of the demands placed upon them. They often take on too much, delay in fits of immobility, and then rush
frantically to meet the deadlines they've accepted or imposed upon themselves. Acting deliberately means having a sense of rhythm or pace in your life-scheduling yourself so that you have time between tasks, appointments, and activities. Moreover, deliberate action, properly executed, results in an almost meditative state-the kind of state you feel when you're fully absorbed in something you really love to do-reading, digging in the garden, jogging, of just observing quietly what's going on around you.

There you have it-ten things you can do to stop procrastinating and get moving. Once again, it helps to realize that we all procrastinate from time to time. Sometimes procrastination is good. I'll leave you with just one more rule from my book. It's Rule #9: When you have reached a calm quiet state and have asked the Universe for direction, and you are still unclear what action to take, doing nothing may be your best option. Think on it!

© 1999, Shale Paul. May be transmitted or reproduced in its entirety only, including this copyright line. http://lists.webvalence.com/subscribeme.html
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