Based on my last PROCRASTINATION BLOG, the title of this blog is on target. In fact, when you have to choose among several tasks to complete, such as write the meeting agenda, grant proposal, blog, or research article, it is perfectly natural for you to go to the fridge in your office kitchen first and make a salami sandwich on rye with mustard, lettuce, and a juicy pickle. No. Actually I meant to say: Pick the easiest task first, the one that even Dopey in "Snow White" could whip, such as polish your golf clubs or wax your skis. It’s motivating, energizing, and satisfying to accomplish a task you know you can finish on time. Conquering those skis builds confidence and self-esteem. “Wait. Excuse me. Time out. What happened to the salami sandwich?” That was a joke. “You’re kidding me.” Right. “But that sandwich made me hungry.” Go make one. We now have to end this overbloated paragraph.
Unfortunately, that victory doesn’t help you finish the toughest task, which may be writing the proposal with a bunch of colleagues by deadline. Putting the difficult tasks on the back burner delays their completion and puts you at risk of not doing them at all, especially if you run out of time and are functioning in crisis mode. You don’t want to be labeled with the “p” word. You know: “party pooper.” I mean “procrastinator.”
If you are NOT a chronic procrastinator and are in control of your “to-do list” and schedule, time-management gurus recommend (Are you ready?): Start with your most difficult task and a salami sandwich, the one that’s screaming: “YIIIKES! Do me. Do me NOOOW!” (Note: The screaming is coming from the task, not the sandwich. Had it been the sandwich, there would have been mustard on it.)
You need to totally focus on the proposal. Don’t even think about your other tasks until the proposal is submitted. Consider the feeling you will have when it’s finished and in the hands of FedEx. That’s empowerment. Your confidence and self-esteem levels will be through the roof, shooting waaaay beyond the levels previously attained with the Snow-White, Mickey-Mouse tasks, at least until the reviews and scores come back. For now, the worst is over. The remaining tasks for the week should be a piece of cake, or rather, a salami sandwich. You can do those with your left hemisphere tied behind your back.
What strategy do you use to tackle the toughest tasks? Which ones do you do first? What works best for you? Any suggestions?
COPYRIGHT © 2009 Ronald A. Berk, LLC & Coventry Press
Causes of Procrastination
What are the most common causes of procrastination? Fear of failure is frequently the primary cause. Tasks that seem difficult or overwhelming can be the objects of this fear. Rather than trying to tackle them, you just push them aside and avoid them altogether. Once this procrastination begins with one task, such as writing an article, it can become a cycle that’s repeated with other similar tasks, such as writing reports, grants, etc. It will be increasingly difficult to break this cycle. In writing, for example, “writer’s block” becomes the rationalization or justification for procrastination in any writing project. It legitimizes the procrastination.
In addition to failure, the literature identifies other possible causes:
• Fear of rejection, responsibility, criticism, disappointing others, imperfection, making a mistake, change, inadequacy, or success
• Feeling overwhelmed
• Desire for attention
• Boring or difficult tasks
• Resentment
• Unclear goals
7 Steps to Overcome Procrastination
The challenge is how to regain control and conquer the tasks that produced your procrastination. Here are seven steps you can try:
1. Identify the source of the problem
2. Break down your tasks into subtasks
3. Apply the “Swiss Cheese Method”
4. Focus on the outcomes and deadlines
5. Review your daily, weekly, and semester schedules regularly
6. Find an accountability partner
7. Reward yourself for small and large victories
My next blog will describe these 7 steps. I hope this is helpful to you or a friend who could use a bit of guidance to snap out of a procrastination rut. Let me know your thoughts. Have you tried any techniques not listed above that have worked? Please share.
COPYRIGHT © 2009 Ronald A. Berk, LLC & Coventry Press
Do you procrastinate? “NO!” Are you kidding me? I think most people procrastinate on professional or personal tasks at one time or another. If you can do it and get away with it, who’s harmed? What’s the problem? Why does it have such an evil reputation?
It is so easy to slip into procrastination behavior because it’s the default to doing something— to do nothing until later. Failure to do your work in a timely manner can have serious consequences. If you delay acting on your tasks occasionally or get a little lazy sometimes, but can catch up and turn on all cylinders when it’s necessary, you probably don’t have a problem.
However, if those delays occur regularly and you’re always behind, there is cause for concern. Do any of these behaviors characterize you?
• falling short in your administrative responsibilities
• not prepared adequately as committee chair
• not prepared adequately for class on several occasions
• not finishing writing projects
• not responding to communication (e-mails, TMs, or phone calls) in a timely fashion
• not finishing your writing piece on time for a grant
Not doing your work in a timely manner is a time waster. What are you doing in place of what you should be doing? Perhaps trying to figure out the grammatical structure of that yellow sentence.
If you are an admitted, self-confessed procrastinator, you might need help. It is unlikely you will survive the demands of academia or any other work environment. If you are not a procrastinator, but have a colleague, student, friend, or family member who is, check out my next blog. You might be able to provide this person with some help.
My next blog will address some of the typical causes of procrastination and proffer several suggestions and guidelines to overcome it. Let me know your thoughts.
COPYRIGHT © 2009 Ronald A. Berk, LLC & Coventry Press
