We’ve been examining the concept and phenomenon known as procrastination in recent weeks, touching on why we do it and how it often manifests itself in business processes. For our final few parts, we’ll be focusing on how you can stop procrastinating by utilizing both quicker, short-term tactics and long-term, sustained changes. Let’s start with some short-term tactics.
We’ve talked about some of the quote-unquote “reasons” that people procrastinate already, so it’s important to acknowledge them as we seek out our fixes. For instance, some people tend to procrastinate as a means of avoiding failure or criticism, while others procrastinate by trying to make sure everything is perfect before they’ll progress any further. If this describes your patterns, you might try just switching things up somehow.
It’s easier to act if there is an intentional goal to act on there to motivate you into actually acting. Proactively taking the time to establish a plan to follow is therefore a smart idea, not only in terms of keeping you organized but also as a means of keeping you accountable.
Keep in mind that, in most things in the workplace, you have other people around you as a means of support. Turning to them can help you overcome your temptation to succumb to procrastination, and that’s something that you can reciprocate for them as well. Your teammates are and should be seen as a resource.
Of course, this may be enough to help you beat procrastination in the moment, but fundamentally changing your habits might be a different story. We’ll wrap up our discussion next time with an examination of how you might approach this aspect. Make sure you check back for that!