Everyone procrastinates. We put things off because we don't want to do them, or because we have too many other things on our plates. Putting things off—big or small—is part of being human.
If you think you are a hopeless procrastinator, take heart! No one is beyond help. The fact that you procrastinate does not mean that you are inherently lazy or inefficient. Your procrastination is not an untamable beast. It is a habit that has some specific origin, and it is a habit that you can overcome.
You may not be surprised to learn that procrastinators tend to be self-critical. So, as you consider your procrastination and struggle to develop different work habits, try to be gentle with yourself. Punishing yourself every time you realize you have put something off won't help you change. Rewarding yourself when you make progress will.
“Procrastination is the fear of success. People procrastinate because they are afraid of the success that they know will result if they move ahead now. Because success is heavy, carries a responsibility with it, it is much easier to procrastinate and live on the “someday I’ll” philosophy.”
Denis Waitley
Why we do it
Because we are afraid.
Fear of failure
Fear of success
Fear of losing autonomy
Fear of being alone
Whether these fears appear in our conscious or subconscious minds, they paralyze us and keep us from taking action, until discomfort and anxiety overwhelms us and forces us to either a) get the piece of writing done or b) give up
Because we expect ourselves to be perfect.
Because we don't like our writing.
Because we're too busy.
Because it works.
What to do about it
Be patient; improvement will come with practice.
Take an inventory.
How do you procrastinate?
Try to ignore the task, hoping against hope that it will go away?
Over- or under-estimate the degree of difficulty that the task involves?
Minimize the impact that your performance now may have on your future?
Substitute something important for something really important? (For example, cleaning instead of writing your paper.)
Let a short break become a long one, or an evening in which you do no work at all? (For example, claiming that you are going to watch TV for ½ hour, then watching it all night.)
Focus on one part of the task, at the expense of the rest? (For example, keep working on the introduction, while putting off writing the body and conclusion).
Spend too much time researching or choosing a topic
Once you better understand how you procrastinate, you will be better able to catch yourself doing it. Too often, we don't even realize that we are procrastinating—until it's too late.
Create a productive environment.
Challenge your myths.
Myth #1: "I can't function in a messy environment. I can't possibly write this paper until I have cleaned my apartment."
Myth #2: "I know it's time for me to start writing, but I just haven't done enough research yet. I'll spend one more night at the library, and then I'll start writing my paper."
Myth #3: "I do my best work under pressure."
Myth #4: "In order to work on my paper, I must have six uninterrupted hours."
Myth #5: "What I write has to be perfect, " AND/OR "I can't write anything until I have a perfect thesis statement/intro."
Break it down.
Get a new attitude.
Ask for help.
Get unblocked.
Leave your work out.
Ask yourself:
When do I usually start on a paper?
What tools do I need (or think I need) in order to write?
Where do I write?
Do I like quiet or noise when I write?
How long a block of time do I need?
What do I do before I start?
What do I do at the end?
How do I feel at the end (after I have turned it in)?
Then ask yourself:
What do I like about my writing process?
What do I want to change?
Hone your proofreading and editing skills.
Learn how to tell time.
Make an unschedule.
Set a time limit.
Be realistic
Time Management Tips to Beat Procrastination
One word of advice: follow the KISS principle (Keep it Simple, Stupid).
Make a list of what needs to get done. This can be listed in no particular order and will give you a handle on just what you need to accomplish.
Prioritize these.
Get yourself a calendar with room to write notes in
Overcoming Procrastination
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| ACT AFTER YOU PLAN |
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- start with a written plan of action to avoid getting distracted
- keep your plan simple and straightforward
- start with the one thing you must get done today to feel productive
- should be a manageable item you can complete in 10-15 minutes
- break the day up into a number of "action sessions" for other tasks
- balance the time spent planning with time spent creating or doing
- avoid over-planning -- another method of procrastination
- before ending your day, spend 10 minutes reviewing your progress
- take time to plan your actions for the next day
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| BE VISION-DIRECTED |
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- your tasks should match your values or purpose
- if not, you will find it hard to summon the energy to tackle them
- bring each task into congruence with your basic mission
- if you can't, take it off of your list
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| BITE-SIZED PIECES |
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- don't put any "to-do" on your list that takes more than 30 minutes
- if it takes longer, it's actually a series of smaller "to-do's"
- break each step out and list it separately
- you don't have to tackle all the steps of a project in one sitting
- spread a large task out over several work sessions
- you will see greater progress as you check more items off your list
- you will avoid getting bogged down in one large task or project
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| DECIDE TO SCHEDULE IT |
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- determine how much you can do or tolerate at a time
- don't push yourself too far or you'll get bored or frustrated
- plan these project "pieces" into your daily activities
- set a "completion point" for accomplishing each small task
- completion points give you an end in sight to look forward to
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| GOOD ENOUGH IS GOOD ENOUGH |
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- don't try to do everything perfectly
- perfectionism often causes procrastination
- perfectionists would rather put it off than do an incomplete job
- rather than perfection, aim for progress
- any small step toward completion is an accomplishment
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- do the worst job (or part of the job) first and get it out of the way
- once you tackle the part you are dreading, the rest is a breeze
- stop spending time planning and just jump into doing it
- set a time limit -- "I'll file papers for 5 minutes"
- alternate unpleasant jobs with tasks you enjoy
- delegate out items you can't make yourself do
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- interruptions tend to occur in identifiable patterns
- notice when interruptions occur, by whom, and why
- take steps to prevent those interruptions before they occur
- if they can't be prevented, learn how to delegate to someone else
- if they can't be delegated, learn how to delay until you are finished
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| REMEMBER TO MAKE IT FUN |
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- make the project and environment as pleasant as possible
- play music, open a window, have a cold drink, etc.
- give yourself the best tools and work space for the project
- take a few minutes to organize your work space
- a clean desk allows you to focus without visual distraction
- it's only a chore if you think of it as a chore
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| STAYING MOTIVATED |
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- find an "accountability partner" to track your progress
- schedule a regular time to check in with a friend or colleague
- rewarding your accomplishments encourages productivity
- give yourself a break, a treat, a nap -- whatever is a reward for you
- reward every step along the way, not just the end result
- the bigger the accomplishment, the bigger the reward
English Tips
However smoothly negotiations or meetings go, there will inevitably come a moment when you have to express criticism or negative feedback. Maybe the quality of someone’s work is unsatisfactory, or they haven’t met a deadline – or maybe they have broken a point of agreement in a contract.
1. Soften the blow.
Using the words “I’m afraid (that)…” or “I’m sorry to say (that) …” shows you have an opposing opinion, but will soften the blow and avoid giving offence. For example: “I’m afraid the work wasn’t up to its usual standard,” or, “I’m sorry to say we were disappointed by your answer.”
You can also start the sentence with “I’m sorry, but …”, or “Sorry, but …” For example: “I’m sorry, but I think this is an important point,” or, “Sorry, but I don’t think it’s the right decision.”
2. Try not to make it sound personal.
Focus on the actions, not the person. For example, instead of saying, “I thought you were going to finish this by Monday,” you can say, “Sorry, but I thought this would be finished on Monday.” Or instead of, “Didn’t you say you would finish it today?” say, “Was this not supposed to be finished today?” or, “Wasn’t the original plan to finish this today?”
3. Be polite.
When possible, use phrases like: “It would be good if …”, “It would be great if …”, “Do you think you could possibly …?”, “Might it be possible to …?” For example: “It would be great if you could send us a new version by Monday,” or, “Do you think you could possibly correct it by end of business today?” or, “Might it be possible to discuss this with your colleagues and find out how it happened?”
4. Reaffirm your faith in the person.
Make sure the person knows you are talking about this one situation, not about their attitude or work in general. Say things like, “I’m sure you’ll understand that we have to improve the situation” or, “Up to now, everything has worked really well,” or, “You’ve always been great to work with, so I’m sure we’ll sort this out quickly.”
Speak as though it’s obvious that you are both on the same side: even if you are in a state of confrontation, frequently emphasising this will actually help it happen. You can say, “OK, well we agree that things haven’t been perfect,” or, “Could we arrange a time to discuss it?” or, “I appreciate your help in sorting this out.”
5. Look forwards, not back.
Once you’ve expressed the fact that you’re dissatisfied with what’s happened, move things forward: try to think about how the situation can be improved.
You can say, “How can we avoid this happening again?” or, “Let’s sort this out and get back on the right track.”
We hope that these phrases will come in handy sometime!
