Today is Fight Procrastination Day.

Wouldn’t it be nice if it was the ONLY day we had to fight procrastination?

Here are 10 tips for Fighting Procrastination today or on any day.

 

1. Size up your opponent.

Are you really fighting Procrastination?

Or is it Overwhelm in disguise?
Or is it Confusion about Priorities?
Or Lack of Knowledge about how to proceed?
Or Lack of Resources?
Or is it Indecision?
Or Perfection?
Or Lack of Interest?
Or Desire?
Or Lack of Energy?
Or sheer Exhaustion?

2. Make a list of things that have been on your to-do list for a while.

3. For each to-do, answer these questions.

a.  Why is this to-do on your to-do list?
b.  Why is it important to you?
c.  In what way will it help you achieve your goals, live a better life, feel better?
d.  Is it important to someone else?
e.  Why?
f.  In what way will it help him/her/them achieve their goals, live a better life, feel better?
g.  Can someone else do this to-do or must it be you?
h.  What will happen if you put this to-do on hold?
i.  What will happen if it doesn’t get done at all?

Using these questions can help you identify to-do’s that can be crossed off your to-do list  and moved to your “Leave Undone”(sample below), “Stop Doing”  (sample below) or “Delay” list.

After such deletions, your energy will be divided between fewer and more important to-do’s.  And you will have weakened, or perhaps even eliminated, one or more of the opponents listed in #1 like Overwhelm, Confusion, Lack of Interest, etc.

To print:  Click on Printer icon above (lower right corner).  Trouble? Try this link.

To print:  Click on Printer icon above (lower right corner). Trouble? Try this link.

 

4. Don’t stop there. Ask a boss, colleague, friend, family member or coach to go through your to-do’s with you.  They may be shocked by the volume of work on your list.  And they may give you “permission” or “encouragement” to “let go” of more than you are willing to do on your own.

Besides the noble art of getting things done

is the more noble art of leaving things undone.

Lin Yu Tang

5. Rest.

Take a break.  Get a massage.  Take 5 deep breaths before moving to step #6.

6. For each item left on your to-do list, make a list of steps needed – the smaller, the better.   Suggested worksheet below.

To print:  Click on Printer icon above (in lower right corner). Trouble? Try this link.

 

7. If you don’t have time to make a list of next steps…or don’t know what all the next steps will be, just write down “the” next step.  Suggested worksheet below.

 

To print:  Click on Printer icon above (in lower right corner).  Trouble? Try this link.

Helpful Tips:

• Read 10 Steps That Take 5 Minutes or Less
• Beside each next step, write down the estimated time it will take.

 

8. To remind yourself of your good intentions (which are easy to forget), post one or more of these quote as reminders.

 

9. To stay strong and prevent these tough opponents (listed in #1) from re-gaining strength:

a.  Adopt the habit of asking these questions at the end of every discussion, meeting or conversation with a colleague:

i. “What’s the next step?”

ii. Who is it assigned to?

iii. What’s the due date?

iv. How will we follow up?

Then be sure to follow up on the date and in the way decided.

b. Share this article with your teammates.

10.  If you still find yourself stuck in a corner or outside the ring, re-visit tips # 3-9.     If that doesn’t help, it may mean you need to listen to Ellen:

“Procrastination isn’t the problem.   It’s the solution.

It’s the universe’s way of saying stop, slow down, you move too fast. ”

Ellen DeGeneres

Note: Call Jan for more help on this!  She specializes in working with leaders to take charge, make things happen and inspire their teams to do the same. Here’s a shortcut to info on our coaching programs

Related Articles

• 10 Things to Leave Undone
• 10 Things to Stop Doing
• 10 Steps That Take 5 Minutes or Less
• 10 Steps to Get Marching
• Movie of the Week:  What About Bob?

To Remind & Reinforce

Computer screens are a perfect place to post important reminders.   The quotes mentioned in #8 above can become your wallpaper in three easy clicks.

1. Click on the desired image.

2. Right click on the image that appears.

3. On the pull down menu that appears, click on “set as background”.

Voila! There’s still plenty of room on the left side of the screen for all your shortcut icons.

 

To Print & Post

To print:  Click on Printer icon above (in lower right corner). Trouble? Use this link?

To print:  Click on Printer icon above (in lower right corner).  Trouble? Use this link?

 

More Quotes

There are 153 quotes in our Quote Library–in two different formats- for your computer screen and as a printable PDF.

Don’t have access to the library yet? Get your password here.

Note:

If you don’t like your new wallpaper, don’t want to replace it with a quote from the Business Class Quote Library and don’t know how to get rid of it……

Go to your control panel. Select “Display”. Select “Desktop”. And then choose from the designs offered.

* This weekly feature is for managers who don’t have time or don’t want to make time to read lengthy articles or even short paragraphs. We call it a Quick List. AKA – 10 by 10 on Tuesday. 10 ( ideas or tips or questions or steps or ways to Get 2 Goal or Be a Better Manager, etc) by 10 (AM – EST) on Tuesdays. Click here if you’d like to see all Quick Lists created to date

 

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