Why We Procrastinate and How to Stop
Do you procrastinate? As I talk to business owners about ways to get business back on track, procrastination is one topic that comes up again and again. I think we are all familiar with pandemic lethargy. The real question this Spring is how to re-energize, stop procrastinating, and get back on track.
Why Do We Procrastinate?
Putting things off is not about being lazy or undisciplined.
The word comes from the Greek, meaning “doing something against our better judgment. This means that we are acting against our best interests. We know we should do something, but we can’t seem to make ourselves do it.
I’ve found that many factors lead to procrastination, especially when it comes to bookkeeping and financial tasks.
(Source: Why You Procrastinate (It Has Nothing to Do With Self-Control), The New York Times, 4.5.2021)
Inability to Prioritize
With so much information and many demands coming at us, it can be challenging to choose what is most important.
If this is you, here is a strategy that can work:
- Step back and look at each item on your list
- Set a deadline for the task.
- Assign a value of importance to each task (be realistic)
- Work on one task at a time.
If you are unable to prioritize on your own, it is time to get help. Go to your team for support, delegate some of the tasks, or engage a professional to take the task off your list.
So Many Distractions
We are social creatures, which means we are always aware of the community around us and looking for opportunities to engage with others. The pandemic has provided many distractions to navigate.
- How will you care for employees?
- How will you continue to create revenue?
- Will your business even survive?
- How will you take care of your family?
Add on the technology distractions of email, text, phones, our attention is constantly being diverted. All of these distractions lead to procrastination because they pull our attention away from our priorities. Although distractions aren’t necessarily our fault, managing them is our responsibility.
The most effective way to make sure you’ll have time for what’s important to you is by practicing time blocking. Time blocking means deciding what you’re going to do and when you’re going to do it. Creating a plan for how to spend your time each day will eliminate white space in your calendar.
It doesn’t matter what you do as long as that is what you planned to do. Want to read that industry article or update your LinkedIn profile? No problem. Block out a time for that on your calendar. Now you can complete the task in a relaxed way, because you set time aside for it. You don’t have to sneak it in at the expense of other things you want to do, like spending time with your family.
Daydreaming Creates Inaction
I am a dreamer. To combat the procrastination that can result from this tendency, I deliberately set aside time for daydreaming. Because I blocked time for it, I can thoroughly consider all the details and figure out my plan. Daydreaming leads to inaction when too many ideas create an inability to prioritize and a tendency to freeze. List-making is your best friend here. It adds structure to your process.
Have a dedicated place to record your daydreams. That might be a notebook, your cellphone, or a Word document. As ideas and thoughts come to you, write them down. In this way, you can focus on what you are already working on and still not lose your next best ideas.
Perfectionism – Holding You Back?
Perfectionism can come from a fear of failure. Procrastination can be a way to protect you from your fear of failing. If I don’t do the thing, I won’t fail.
Being a perfectionist may produce unrealistic expectations, loss of opportunity, loss of creativity, and possible resentment from those around you who cannot meet your expectations. Dig deep for this one and figure out what causes the fear. Reframing your beliefs is essential and may require some support to do so. It also includes taking your fear of failure and making it something positive. “Failure” can become a road to success. As entrepreneurs, we have all taken a chance to start something new.
“Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising every time we fail.” -Confucius-
Source: Why you have a fear of Failure (And How to Overcome it), Lifehack, 4.5.2021
Feeling Overwhelmed
This is the big one, and each of the above items can add up to being overwhelmed. It does not feel good to be overwhelmed, it does not feel successful, and it takes action to get out of the feeling of inaction that comes from being overwhelmed. (Source: What is Procrastination and How to Stop it (The Complete Guide), 4.5.2021, Lifehack)
We have already discussed some strategies that can help you move forward. There are many additional strategies for you to try.
- Walk away and take a breath and gain some perspective on what you are trying to accomplish.
- Be aware of deadlines. Create a timeline so you can see what needs to get completed and when.
- Do the hard tasks first. If you leave them for later, you may be more likely to put them off.
- Make a To-Do List to help you focus. Cross tasks off as you complete them. It feels good to see the list get smaller.
- Make rituals part of your day. (Source: The Power of Ritual: Conquer Procrastination, time Wasters and Laziness, Lifehack, 4.5.2021)
Create a Daily Ritual
A ritual is a habit that helps you stop having to think about what is next and get down to work. A sample of daily work ritual:
- Leave for work 15 minutes early – being unhurried sets the tone for the day
- Check-in with staff – stand up meetings in the AM work wonders for collaboration
- Return phone calls & emails – 3 times a day (AM/Noon/PM) to minimize distraction
- Before you leave work for the day, create your To-Do list for tomorrow.
- Leave a clean desk
- Set all your work items (purse, laptop, files/folders, etc.) at the door for an easy, organized departure tomorrow.
Most of all, be gentle with yourself. When you feel overwhelmed, do the things that are positive and comforting, like taking a deep breath and changing your posture. This will calm your nerves and help you start to move forward.
No matter what focus your business takes on (Bookkeeping, Consulting, Sales, etc.), procrastination is a barrier to meeting your goals. As we move into what it looks like to get back in the swing of business, be prepared to overcome the challenges that could hold you back.