Procrastination - how to beat it, and how to use it to your advantage!
Do you know how long I have been putting off writing this post?
How much time I have faffed about not just sitting down and writing it?
Do you know what the etymology of ‘procastination’ is? I do. I looked it up in between looking for funny memes and tidying the sock drawer. *
Why we do it to ourselves, how you can stop it, and why on earth would I say that it is sometimes better not to stop it, completely?
Why do we do it?
Put the tasks we actually need (and often actually want) to do off until the very last possible moment? There are a number of very good practical reasons why our brains throw everything at us to stop us doing the thing we actually put on our own to-do list.
boredom
lack of motivation
the project doesn’t mean enough to you
frustration
ambiguity
difficulty
When the task in hand is something dull or unpleasant, I agree entirely.
All very sensible and relatable, but that list doesn’t explain why I have put this blog post off for so long. I am not bored with the subject - I am fascinated by it. I find it frustrating, but only because the procrastination itself annoys me. There is no ambiguity in ‘write a blog post on procrastination’, and it is as difficult to write as I want it to be.
If you set your own tasks, how can the list above explain the procrastination?
I can procrastinate about cleaning the house for a looooong time. But if I set myself a task that means something to me, I will jump on the hoovering quicker than you can say ‘dilly-dally’.
I think we need to go a bit deeper. I think the reasons why we procrastinate are also:
overwhelm
fear of failure
negative perfectionism
Guess who’s back? Back again? Nigel’s back. Tell a friend.
Our old friend Imposter Syndrome and his mates are back at work. Oh, goody.
When we actually need to do something, but there are a million things in the back of your head that stop you from actually just getting on with it.
When we try really hard, but that trying takes us out of our comfort zones into accomplishing a really big task
doing something that means something to us, and we risk being shot down for it
putting all the effort in for no one to read your blog post. Or think it is rubbish.
And then you get stressed because you haven’t done the thing, so your inner voices tell you that you haven’t got it in you.
So you go and audit the Tupperware cupboard instead
“It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare, it is because we do not dare that they are difficult.”
How can we beat it?
Know Yourself
This is the biggest tip I can give you. If you can understand how procrastination affects your life, the habits that cause it and what it is about any specific task that you find so hard, you will understand the causes and this insight will help you stop feeling inadequate and pathetic
Effective Time Management
If you can be sensible with your planning, and estimate how long each task will take, this will simplify the pattern for you and avoid stress, because you know how long you have to get it done.
To Do Lists
Yep. I went there too.
If you break your tasks down into manageable lists, with a maximum of 5 things to do each day, you will reduce the stress, reduce the feeling of overwhelm and rebuild faith in your own abilities.
Plus, who doesn’t love ticking things off a to do list?
Work in Productive Environments
Choose where you work, and make sure that environment is as conducive to getting-on-with-it as possible.
Don’t work with the TV on, or in noisy places, or surrounded by clutter. If your brain can find something to get distracted by, it will.
Change Your Perspective
Ask yourself why you gave yourself this task? What will finishing it give you? Identifying the personal goals attached to the task will give you more engagement in it, and make it less intimidating. And, dare I say it, more fun?
Stop Beating Yourself Up
Listen to how you speak to yourself when you are procrastinating. Chances are you will tell yourself you are hopeless, a failure, couldn’t even manage X or Y.
Give yourself a break. If you have overloaded yourself, it is no wonder you are putting the to-do list off.
Replace your negative thoughts with positive ones. Be kind. You are only human.
Give Yourself a Break. Literally.
Punctuate your day with little breaks so you can get up, move around, get the brain working again. This way you can see the big task as a series of smaller ones, which feels great to be able to tick things off as complete, and builds positive momentum.
Reward Yourself
In the same way that you need to break down the Big Task into smaller ones, give yourself rewards for completing sections of your to-do. This could be to sit in the garden for 10 minutes with a cup of tea, having a shower, playing with the cat/dog etc.
It can be a KitKat. But not all the time. Moderation in all things, people.
This makes each task feel more fun, doubles the excitement of ticking off the to-dos (if that’s even possible) and provides positive incentives to make you Get On With It
Plan For Obstacles
Before you set out on a task, think about all the things that could scupper your good intentions. Get yourself set for success. Make the cup of tea, have a wee, turn off your phone. Make the opportunity for distraction less.
Forgive Yourself
If you faff, despite all your good intentions, take a break. Give yourself permission to do something else for a while. Then get back to it.
And why did I say it was a good thing? After all that?
Again, often the negative things we beat ourselves up for can be really useful in their own right.
A - If we look at a specific task and ask ourselves why we are putting it off, and dig a bit deeper, we can find out more about ourselves and have a better chance at changing our behaviours in the longer-term.
I had put off writing this blog because our dear friends Negative Nigel and Visibility Vince. My imposter syndrome was asking me why I thought I had anything useful to say on the matter (answer, I am a bloody Pro Procrastinator. Teach what you know) and my fear of putting my head up and saying ‘look at me, I have something to say’. But now I know those voices, I can tell them where to shove it. And as we know, sometimes it is a good thing when Nigel shows up.
B - Procrastination can also serve as a useful way of catching your overwhelm before it turns into burnout. If the answer to A is ‘I am exhausted and can’t keep up, but the todo list is getting longer and I am getting stressed’, it is time to stop and take a step back.
C - If you must faff, do something productive with it. Not the sock drawer, leave that. But if you are putting things off, put things on the list first.
go for a walk. Fresh air and exercise will stimulate the brain, make you feel happier and give you more energy to get on with it when you sit back down again
tidy your working space - tidy desk, tidy mind and all that. If your desk is clear, and everything is tidied away, your brain will settle in a similar way
Recognising procrastination for what it is, don’t beat yourself up, take advantage of it, and then… Just F***** Do It.
Let me know what your top tips are for beating procrastination.
* from the latin - pro, meaning forward, crastinus- belonging to tomorrow. As a noun in common parlance, the first instances in print appear to be in the late 16th Century. Now you know, so you don’t have to look it up. Go and get on with it.