When time management strategies don’t work!
Getting a grip on procrastination
Procrastination is a common problem of people of all ages and professions. It has plagued the executive, the student, the housewife and the self-employed. Many personal and professional goals for the future have never been realised because of procrastination.
The definition Procrastination is “to postpone or delay needlessly.” Procrastination is the destructive behaviour of postponing what needs to be done. It is the cause of stress and negative emotions that can affect a person’s wellbeing and self-confidence.
Procrastinators are often labeled as lazy, non-achievers that have no motivation or ambition. They often live with feelings of guilt over their behaviour and wonder why they continue to procrastinate and not take the necessary action to complete an important task. This only reinforces the labels that they are lazy.
The popular solution for procrastination is to attend a Time Management Seminar and learn about how to organise your life and accomplish more out of your day. The message we receive is “if you are organised, then you will succeed.” But so many of us who have adopted these time management solutions e.g., using a day planner, a to-do list, and setting goals and plans of action, still find ourselves procrastinating. Many are still stuck in delay, putting off tasks until the last moment or not starting at all.
I conducted a survey to look at procrastination traits and the relationship between procrastination and time management. In my survey 98% of people said they have tried time management tools and 64% of people said that those techniques only worked “some of the time.” These TM strategies are only successful if the person’s inner world is in a powerful place to begin with.
For those of us who haven’t found time management helpful in overcoming procrastination, THERE IS HOPE FOR US.
We need to explore the underlying mindsets, beliefs and emotions that are common to the procrastinator. If we have a belief about ourselves that says, “I don’t have what it takes to succeed” then there is a subconscious voice that is constantly sabotaging even the best efforts of self-discipline and time management. It is like a self-fulfilling prophecy that plays out over and over that causes failure to start, or we may get within reach of the finish line, but then fail to finish.
When we live out of sabotaging mindsets and beliefs we can also experience strong emotions that compound the issue. When left unchecked these emotions and beliefs can lead the person to stall or even give up. I know from personal experience action only happens when my thinking and my heart are aligned and enthused. Only then does my To-Do list and action plan become the road map to achieve my tasks and goals for the day.
Here are 4 keys to manage your inner world so you can finally overcome procrastination.
1) Ask yourself, “What is my perspective on the task?” Is it that you are overwhelmed, can’t be bothered or not see it as a priority? Identifying what your mindset is will put in you a powerful place to either choose differently or decide to delegate or erase the task from your To Do List.
3) Listen to your thoughts. What are they telling you? Is your procrastination coming from a belief from a past experience that is still sabotaging you? Do you have a fixed mindset that is limiting your options?
2) What do you feel when you think about doing the task? Understand the role your emotions are playing in the act of procrastinating. Can you discern fear or a sense of risk involved? Once you understand your emotional reaction to the task you can manage it differently.
4) After you have transformed your heart and mind into an open and creative space, then it’s time to implement your favourite time management tools to get moving.