Ahhh procrastination. The life waster, dream crusher, energy sapper to many. “Out damn’d procrastination! Out, I say!”
How many times do you hear yourself (or others) say “I should”, “One day I’d love to…” or “Some day soon I’m going to…” Here’s a perfect example of procrastination in action;
Let’s get one thing straight, I’m certainly not immune to procrastination. When going through university, I had the cleanest house imaginable when it was exam time. Anything but study! And don’t even start with me about getting my taxes done. I’d rather watch reruns of Baywatch than organize the paperwork for that.
Over the time however, I’ve devised some sneaky strategies to help keep procrastination at bay;
My number 1 strategy is my Daisy List. Having a clear idea of my goals and dreams is very motivating. Seeing how long the list is also gives me a sense of urgency.
Knowing the date of my death. Apparently the date of my death is February 15, 2059. That is 50 years from now and would make me 86 years old. I have 50 YEARS LEFT! When you look at it like that, it puts things in perspective.
OK, so I don’t really know the date of my death. I filled out this questionnaire, whose logarithms, questions and formulas are probably questionable and it spat out a date. It does, however, give you a sense of mortality.
Thinking about when you’re going to die is morbid for most people but for me it’s motivating. I don’t want to waste my life here. Who knows what’s on the other side. I could end up coming back as a demented lemming, or worse… Elizabeth Taylor (one divorce a lifetime is plenty thanks very much).
Routines. I’m wary of overdoing it with routine where life becomes rigid and predictable, but some routine can really help with reaching goals and dreams.
For example, in order for me to reach my goal of getting in shape, I had (and still do have) a routine for my exercise; Monday 8.30am is personal training with Captain Agony, Tuesday 5.30pm is bootcamp and Thursday 7pm is touch football. Routine can be a great ally against procrastination.
Getting inspired by others. After watching the DVD Choir of of Hard Knocks, I was inspired to get off my ass and start working on a vision I have to give back. It’s currently a work in progress but all will be revealed very soon. Seeing some of the amazing things people are doing out there can help cream procrastination.
Determine why I’m procrastinating. If I’m putting something off, I’ll look at why. Is it because it’s something my heart really isn’t in and I need to let it go? Is it because I don’t know where to start and have to work out the first step? Am I just being lazy and need a kick in the rear? Am I overwhelmed and actually need to put it, or another project off for good or temporarily? Once I know the answer, I take the appropriate action.
Just do 10 minutes. Another handy strategy I use is to do just 10 minutes of what I’m procrastinating about. Once I start, momentum kicks in and I’ll often end up completing the task at hand. If not, at least I’ve done 10 minutes more than I otherwise would have.
Do what I’m putting off first. For tasks that I’m not particularly looking forward to (like ironing for instance – what moron came up with the idea that we must have wrinkle-free clothing anyway?), I’ll often tackle them first thing in the morning. This one step can go a long way to changing procrastination as a habit.
So there you have it, the 7 ways I use to overcome procrastination.
I’m curious to know, what procrastination decimating strategies do you use?
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Hey Sami,
I think the video was a candid camera of me some days. Except, I’m not a cartoon – or at least I don’t think I am. (?) I have been told I remind someone of the cartoon ‘Cathy.’ I digress…
Great stuff here, Sami, as usual. (Sigh…will you ever write a lame post?? I highly doubt it.)
Hey, I took that quiz and it spat out 0 26 2052. What the heck does the “0″ mean? Does that mean lights out? (It’s all good, but 2052 seems so soon! I know what you mean!)
The “Just Do 10 Min” options works the best for me. I can force myself to do anything for 10 minutes. Great tips here, Sami. And yeah, what is it with the dang iron and winkle-free clothing? Blegh.
Great post, Sami! I love the tips you shared… I did the quiz and got 01/11/2075…Not too bad but it still seems pretty soon! I gotta get cracking on my goals and stop procrastinating!
Sami,
Oh, shoot…I’ll just tell you later…it’s late, and I’m tired…
Sami,
Okay, I couldn’t stay away! More sad attempts at humor up above…
I find that giving myself a deadline is good for motivating me to do something. Example: I had a volunteer position I have wanted to get out of for the past year. And I kind of just kept waiting for someone to volunteer (what was I thinking???). Didn’t happen. And finally, I gave myself a deadline of August 31st of this year. And…lo and behold…I did it, and it happened. And such is life. It’s way too easy for me to put off until tomorrow that which doesn’t need to be completed today. And it can fester… The deadline works wonders for me…
The death clock idea is interesting. I like it – because it puts things in perspective – and tells me it’s time to get going!
Well I tried the clock thing and got 0 – 7 – 2067… I don’t like where starts counting down for you though – that is just plain scary!
Strategies for procrastination? I think about it for ages and then say to myself – “For god’s sake – just do it!”. Then I make a list and it usually gets done.. if it is in my head then it won’t but if it is on the list it usually does.
Thank you for another great post!
Kirsty
@Lori
Hey girl.
Not sure if reminding someone you’re a cartoon is a complement or not. I guess it depends on whether the cartoon is She-Ra Princess of Power or Elmer Fudd!
Aww, thanks Lori, believe me, I do have the occasional attack of lame postitis. I wouldn’t be human if I didn’t.
Hmm, 0, a questionable formula me thinks! Perhaps that date is armageddon or something. I tell you, despite the questionnaire being a little on the questionable side, it really does make you think. I mean 50 years! Bloody hell, I have to get my ass into gear. So much to do! And yeah, the 10 minute rule works wonders. I use that a lot myself.
As for the ironing thing. Let’s start a revolution! All hale ye wearing wrinkled clothing!!
@Positively Present
Thanks PP. Yeah, that questionnaire makes you realise how short a time we really do have left eh? 50 years sounded way to short to me!
@Lance
That was my poor attempt at humour. Gimme a break, it’s early OK?
Thanks Lance!!
Hey Lance, always the comedian, or should I say, procrastinating comedian!
Oh yeah, deadlines are a great way to keep procrastination at bay. Should have included that because I use deadlines myself. They can be really effective.
The death clock could be seen as a bit morbid but I found it interesting too. Actually, interesting wasn’t my immediate reaction when I filled out the questionnaire, it was more panic than anything – “What?! 50 years! What? That’s it? Only 50 years!”
@Kirsty
Hey Kirsty. What’s with the 0? Lori got 0 too! Weird.
The counting down thing does freak you out a bit. It really makes you realise your life is actually disappearing. It put things into perspective because you don’t often contemplate where those seconds are going and that they are rapidly counting down.
The old Nike adage – Just Do It. Yep, that’s a great one. Sometimes it’s just a case of giving yourself a good talking to! Thanks Kirsty!
Sami, you know I love you, but I’m going to take this opportunity to play know-nothing know-it-all and improve your vocabulary.
Decimate means reduce by a tenth. Nobody gets off their ass and sets out to whoop procrastination by a TENTH. You’re looking for a word like “annihilate-to-the-point-of-obliterated-volcanic-destruction” or something.
Otherwise, typically strange and sublime post. I’m coming to Australia next year. I want you to be my tour guide.
Hi Josh, I am pleased you did not procrastinate with asking Sami to be your tour guide.
Procrastination for me has to do with completion.
I consider my day’s work one to be of completing things. I am not working, I am doing completions with everything I do and that concept works for me.
When I start things I think ‘can I complete this’ and if not then I will not start it or I consider breaking it down in small pieces as your 10 minutes suggestion as I can complete those.
Routines help as well.
Things become automatic and routines do not have to be rigid and can be changed to serve me.
When I have to do things I do not like, I see if there is someone else to do it. Or if it is things like study for example, if I really do not feel like it, I actually go and do it for a small amounts and then do something I really like doing. I also consider why I am doing it?????
I think we are untrained to develop systems that work for us and procrastionation is a symptom not the problem itself.
It can be unserving work habits, not fully choosing and thus sabotaging yourself or doing something you actually could consider stop doing.
It sure deserves looking at what is going on, as procrastination is painful.
Hey Sami!
I am an expert procrastinator! For example, reading your entry and replying to it is a form of procrastination at work for me. Keep them coming!!
The key reason I procrastinate is boredom – the list of tasks I have to do I consider boring, so I put them off, and off, and off – it’s like ironing, you know it’s going to be awful – so why do it!?
To overcome the time-waster, I try and reward myself for being brave and taking on the boring things – half an hour here and there, and you can take a break – and eventually it gets done!
Now.. to take my own advice…
Well put, Sami — when I think about procrastination I remember someone called it “living on Someday Isle (someday I’ll…)” and I know I don’t want to live there!
As for that quiz? Heck, I ain’t taking no stinkin’ quiz to tell me how much time I have — I’m choosing to have all the time I want because I believe in fairy tales, wizards, and magic. Oh, and Camelot
Procrastination is indeed a formidable enemy of success and I’m guilty of having this negative attitude in my life. As time goes by though, when want want something achieved in our life, we must start to understand our procrastination. In doing so we’ll be able to work against it.
I guess I have to determine the date of my death so I’ll feel more inspired.
I think we procrastinate out of a type of disrespect to ourselves, or perhaps a lack of love for ourselves. If we respect and love ourselves we will always want the best for ourselves. This stops all procrastination for things that are important for ourselves and our success.
So, my way to overcome procrastination is to learn to value, love and respect myself more.
Thanks for this Sami — I liked your observation about taking a moment to ask what’s having you put something off — ideally it sounds like this would be done in a compassionate way, as opposed to saying “what the hell is wrong with you” — because in my experience that simply creates more of this inner resistance.
@Josh
Well Josh, today I learnt something new. Here’s what dictionary.com had to say; The earliest English sense of decimate is “to select by lot and execute every tenth soldier of (a unit).” The extended sense “destroy a great number or proportion of” developed in the 19th century: Cholera decimated the urban population. Because the etymological sense of one-tenth remains to some extent, decimate is not ordinarily used with exact fractions or percentages: Drought has destroyed (not decimated) nearly 80 percent of the cattle. Who knew?! (except you and my Dad, who studied latin as part of his medical degree).
As much as I like your “annihilate to the point of obliterated volcanic destruction” headline, that won’t fit on one line in the headline area of my theme and I also wanted a “D” word so will go with “destroy” instead (as meek as that now sounds compared to your version).
As for being your tour guide, happy to oblige. I hope you know what you’re getting yourself into though?! I’ll be expecting an impromptu Flashdance routine from you upon arrival, you know that don’t you?
@Wilma
Hi Wilma! Oh yeah, I’m all about completion. I love to complete things. It’s probably half the reason I’m obsessed with lists. Nothing gives me greater satisfaction than ticking things off a list. And I totally agree with procrastination being the symptom, not the problem. That’s why it’s important to understand why you’re procrastinating in the first place. You’ve given some great insight Wilma. Thanks for contributing.
@Katie
Hey Katie, I was an expert procratinator in previous jobs myself. You’ve highlighted a great point; procrastination is a red flag that something underlying isn’t working. You’ve identified boredom so in order for you to stop procrastinating, you need to work out how to feel less bored. Rewarding yourself is a great tactic but is the real problem that you’re not inspired and/or challenged by your job?? Wine helps too by the way.
@Jeanne
Hahaha! You crack me up! You know with your outlook and lifestyle, if you did the quiz, it’d probably come back that you have another 100 years to go!!
@Walter
Hey Walter. Truth be told, you wouldn’t be human if you haven’t procrastinated at times! Totally agree; there’s always an underlying reason to procrastination. As mentioned by Wilma, it’s a symptom, not the problem itself.
@Lisa
Hi Lisa. That is such a great point! I’d not looked at it like that before but it’s true. If you had total respect and love for yourself, why would you procrastinate on the things that are important to you? The best part is, not only does learning to value, love and respect yourself help overcome procrastination, it has many other far-reaching positive effects. A win-win me thinks! Thanks Lisa.
@Chris
Hey there Chris. Too true. Yeah, it is ideally done in a compassionate way. Although, having said that, I have found that giving myself a stern talking to does also have it’s place. Sometimes if it’s just laziness causing the procrastination, telling myself to get my shit together does work!
I don’t procrastine per say. My problem is starting project and then starting another project and then another.
I all of a sudden find myself juggling 4-5 projects all at the same time and wonder why I feel stressed.
My goal (now that I’ve noticed this) is to start and FINISH a project even if it means “killing” other projects.
This is truly a great post and I hope a lot of people will read it.
Krizia
Very nice post and inspiring to me. It can’t be a coincidence that the very same day I decided to put in my calender that I *must* do my “stuff” tonight, is the same day I stumble over this post
At least now that you’ve provided some of your tips, I hope that I can be able to do my stuff that I’ve been putting off for a month now.
You hereby have one more RSS subscriber!
@Krizia
Hey Krizia! Yes, I can relate. I have a tendency to take on too many projects myself. I’ve gotten better but still have to watch that. Here’s a link to an article about how to manage projects that you might find helpful; Zen Habits. I’ve used these ideas myself and found it works really well. Thanks for your lovely comment. Great to have you here.
@Klaus
Hi Klaus. Thanks very much. I’m glad it had the desired effect. I don’t think it’s a coincidence myself, just sychronicity at work. Good luck with working on your goals. Come back and tell us how you go! Stoked to have you as part of our community here too!