Procrastination - prolonging the pain.

Procrastinating is something we all do at times. I even procrastinated a little about writing this article! You have a task that you need to do, and for some reason there is something else more interesting and urgent that pops into your head. Suddenly, cleaning the bathroom simply cannot wait another 10 minutes! We’ve all done it, and we all have specific types of tasks that we tend to procrastinate more over. For me, it’s cleaning the floors and writing. The problem is that procrastinating is really only prolonging the pain and heightening your stress levels in relation to that task. And, if this pattern is repeated, it only reinforces the notion that the task is something we don’t want to do and we procrastinate further. Basically, it serves absolutely no purpose at all, except to cause stress and pain!

So why do some people procrastinate more than others, and some people seem to be hyper-organised and productive? Have you ever wondered how those with a knack for getting things done, manage to do it? Well, here’s a few tips to help you turn from a procrastinator to a doer:
Recognise your internal dialogue and what tasks you normally apply this to. Whenever you catch yourself saying; “I have to finish this. It should be done already and I just need to crack on and do it” or “I really don’t feel like doing this right now. I can do it later.”, stop yourself and note what kind of task this applies to. Chances are you will see a pattern as to the types of tasks this relates to. So when faced with this type of task prepare in advance with the below.
Remember that you don’t ‘have’ to do anything. ‘I have to’ is every procrastinator’s favourite expression. It’s also the most dis-empowering. Every time you say to yourself that you have to do something, you imply that you don’t have any choice, that you feel forced or coerced to do the task — that you don’t really want to do it. That perception, of course, elicits a strong feeling of being victimized and resistance toward doing the task. The solution to this problem is to work out first, whether it is actually necessary to achieving your goal and if it is, changing your dialogue accordingly. So, instead of “I have to clean the bathroom”, say “I don’t want to live in filth, so I’d prefer to clean the bathroom”.
Concentrate on starting the task, not on the finish line. When we think about finishing a task, it can often lead to overwhelm. By concentrating on starting the task, we focus on the specific steps we can do right now and we break it down to more achievable chunks. So, instead of thinking about cleaning all the floors in the house, think about just vacuuming or sweeping the kitchen first.
Similarly, if the task still seems too overwhelming, break it down to time frames. Spend just the specific period of time you allocate to it and then get on with something else for a bit. For example, today I will just write for two hours, and then do the same tomorrow until the task is complete.
Don’t think that it has to be perfect the first time round. This will certainly lead to overwhelm. We’re all human and we all make mistakes. Just get started and you can proof read or get the spots you missed later.
Reward yourself when you’ve completed the task or even a portion of the task as planned. If you’ve completed the two hours you set out to do, have a coffee break or go for a walk. A little recognition that you have achieved something will go a long way in motivating you to complete the task. Success is not the completing of the task, but of the action in doing it.
Give yourself a big reward for completing the task, so that you will look forward to the moment you finish. I always schedule in a one hour walk along the beach after I have finished cleaning the floors. The earlier I start the floors, the earlier I can go for a walk!