When did you last put off doing something important that you needed to do for your business? Well, I put off writing this blog. I procrastinated about writing a blog on avoiding procrastination! Why? What causes us to procrastinate?
A simple view is laziness. What happens if we look deeper? There is a belief that procrastination is the result of avoiding distress, that is to say, we actively seek to avoid a task that we may view negatively. By repeatedly avoiding tasks through procrastination, we likely increase our own long-term distress through our underperformance.
This blog explores some of the tools that are available to us for managing procrastination.
Keep things in perspective
Often we procrastinate because we are worried about the outcome and the potential for the worst-case scenario to come real. How often is the outcome that worst-case scenario? Pretty rarely in my experience, yet our mind can convince us that it might happen and that puts us off doing what we need to do.
Henry “T” Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company once said, “Whether you believe that you can, or you believe that you can’t, you are probably right.”
This wonderful piece of mindset advice given over 100 years ago is as relevant today as it was then. If we believe that the outcome is going to be positive, we will avoid procrastination and get on with what we need to do. Therefore, let’s picture a positive outcome and get on with what we need to do to achieve that outcome. So for me, if I believe that in writing this blog, one person will be helped by their reading it, it is worth my doing and I can stop procrastinating about it!
Start with why
Why do we need to do the thing we are procrastinating about? What is the benefit to us or someone else? If we can identify the benefit, it is easier to get motivated to start and complete the task.
Break down the big tasks
It can be helpful to break down large tasks into smaller bite-size chunks. If you have got a large task that you are procrastinating over due to its size, look at how the task can be divided into smaller units. Then turn this into a plan with smaller individual goals for each unit. These might take the form of SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-limited). Plan small rewards for yourself as you complete each unit. The rewards may be as simple as a coffee break or a walk outside, but plan to reward yourself for progress.
Diarise the plan
If it’s a big task, broken into bite-size chunks, then get the plan into your diary or calendar and plan the time to work on each element. Remind yourself in the diary of the why for the task.
Get a partner or coach to hold you to account
Having someone to hold you to account for completing the tasks you need complete is a powerful tool. Once you have made and diarised the plan, share that with your accountability partner and get them to check in with you on progress. For most SME business owners, they are their own accountability. This puts them at a severe disadvantage to larger businesses where there might be external investors and a non-executive chairperson to hold them to account for delivering the plan. So if you notice yourself procrastinating a lot, consider finding a partner or coach to help you.
Create a supportive work environment
It’s also important to create a supportive work environment. This could mean minimising distractions, setting aside specific times for work, or establishing a routine. When we have a routine in place, it can help us to stay focused and avoid procrastination. For example, you may choose to work on important tasks first thing in the morning, when you’re fresh and alert, and save less critical tasks for later in the day.
Finally, it’s important to stay positive and avoid negative self-talk. When we believe that we can’t do something, it can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Instead, focus on the positive aspects of your work and celebrate your accomplishments along the way. This positive mindset can help to boost your motivation and keep procrastination at bay.
Don’t excuse yourself and avoid procrastination
Understand your excuse pattern and don’t excuse yourself from doing what you need to do. “I don’t feel like it…” “I work better under pressure…” “I’ll just empty the bins before I….”
What are the things you say to yourself to excuse yourself for not starting or getting on with something you need to do? Recognise them and write them down. What do you need to say to yourself to overcome that negativity? Work on the basis that you need three positive thoughts to overcome a negative one. What are the three things you can say to yourself to overcome the negative thought?
For example, on the “I’ll just do…[something else]” thought, how about “If I put an hour into this to get started ], how much more positive might I feel about it?” And “Why is this [something else] more important?”
Learn to recognise and counter the negative thoughts with positive ones to move you forward.
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Don’t be a perfectionist
All too often we procrastinate over starting a task simply because we want the outcome to be perfect. Often to make progress we often simply need to get started. Then, as we start to make progress we can see the task takes shape and refine elements of it along the way. Mostly it’s better to take the task almost to completion and then review the whole process refining and correcting in one go. Doing anything in business inevitably means learning through making mistakes so if we are to achieve anything we simply need to start, correct the mistakes as we go, and refine the end product for the outcome that we desire. So, don’t let being a perfectionist help you procrastinate, get started and trust yourself to polish up the final product at the end.
Embrace failure, fail fast, learn, and move on wiser
For many years I mentored young entrepreneurs at a University who were starting out on their business journeys, often with a business-based degree behind them. The thing that held most of them back was the fear of failing, and this then became a fear of starting. In business learning largely comes from experience, unless you have a coach. Therefore it is essential to get started on the things we procrastinate over and back ourselves to sort out the problems along the way.
A few weeks before writing this blog, I had the pleasure of watching Steven Bartlett being interviewed live on stage at BiZX. He told of his business’s Friday meeting where there gather every week to celebrate the failures that week. They celebrate the failures as every failure meant someone was taking a risk trying to move a project forward and that there was a learning that had been achieved. That is a positive mindset.
Conclusion
In conclusion, to avoid procrastination requires a combination of strategies, including getting things into perspective, breaking tasks into smaller steps, setting specific goals and deadlines, getting some accountability and creating a supportive work environment, recognising when you are making excuses, avoiding perfectionism and being prepared to learn through making mistakes.
By far the biggest help to avoid procrastination is a positive mindset. “If you think that you can or you think that you can’t, you’re probably right!” Good old Henry “T” Ford.
By Tom Allchurch
Join the NoLimits Business Community
Are you a business owner looking to take your business to the next level? Join our innovative community of like-minded professionals and gain access to a wealth of valuable resources, including a community portal to chat with other business owners, ebooks, business development software, and growth events that will transform the way you do business. Best of all, these resources are completely free and will be available to you forever.
But the benefits of joining our NoLimits business community don’t stop there. By becoming part of our community, you’ll have the opportunity to connect with other business owners, share insights and ideas, and build valuable relationships that will help your business thrive. Don’t miss out on this amazing opportunity to supercharge your business and join us today!