Determine Your Procrastination Personality
Brook Noel is the author of The Change Your Life Challenge: A 70 Day Life Makeover Program for Women. Learn more at www.changeyourlifechallenge.com
Let's face it: at one point or another, we are all bound to procrastinate on something. Even the most efficient time-manager will have a bump in the road now and then. But what happens when procrastination becomes the norm instead of the exception? While Nike? tells us to "Just Do It," what happens when we "Just Don't!"
Procrastination is a frustrating diversion for many. In Day 9 of the CYLC book we explore a Prescription for Procrastination. However, given this is such a hot-topic for many, I wanted to offer further exploration. Now, this exploration won't do you any good if you don't explore with me. So create a new file in Word or grab a pencil and paper. Go ahead, I'll wait here. (Come on? go? if you procrastinate you'll be missing the point! And don't do this in your 'head' because you don't like to write things down-just follow the instructions and grab that paper.)
Make five headings at the top of your piece of paper.
1. Procrastinated Task: List out at least 10 tasks you are currently procrastinating on, or remember procrastinating over in the past. (The more you list, the more revealing this exercise will be.)
2. Extent of Procrastination: How long has the task remained unfinished?
3. Life Area: What area of your life does it fall into? (Consult the sections of the CYLC book if you need help determining the different life areas, i.e. spiritual, self-care, relationships, time-management, etc.)
4. Deadline Driven: Is there a definite deadline; if so, list it out.
5. Solo or Not: Does this task involve other people? If so, list the people.
6. Reason: (We will get to this column in a moment)
Leave some space below each task that you record.
Give yourself as much time as you need to list 10 or more tasks before completing the next section of this Challenge.
Let's analyze each column.
1. Procrastinated Task: Look at this column in conjunction with Life Area. Is there a certain life area where you tend to procrastinate? (The tasks may fall into a couple of life areas-if so list them out.)
2. Extent of Procrastination: Look at how long you have procrastinated on your tasks. Then take a moment to write down all the cons of this procrastination on another piece of paper. If you are delaying exercise, could you be seriously impacting your health and your family and you might pay for it later? If you have been procrastinating on taxes or budgeting, are you furthering financial stress that will continue to weigh on your shoulders? Take a realistic look at the cost of your choices. Also, evaluate whether you are a "dawdler" or not. Dawdlers take mini-steps, just enough to say they aren't procrastinating, but never seem to finish a project. Renounce dawdling and start doing!
3-5. Deadline Driven and Solo or Not: These columns offer an interesting insight into common themes among procrastinated tasks. Some people find that the tasks they procrastinate on do not have deadlines. If this is the case, an easy remedy is to assign a self-made deadline to everything. Other people find that it is the solo activities where they procrastinate most. A quick solution is to find a support partner to be accountable to.
6. In the space that you have left blank, write down what you have learned about each of your procrastinated tasks. List a new action based on what you have uncovered. Keep this list right next to your keyboard and read through it everyday along with the page you wrote on the cost of procrastination. Continue to do this, each and every day, until you have crossed these items off of your list. Overcoming procrastination is a lot like riding a bike. Once you understand the logic behind your specific choices, you can make better choices moving forward.
Brook Noel is the author of The Change Your Life Challenge: A 70 Day Life Makeover Program for Women. Learn more at http://www.changeyourlifechallenge.com
Airbnb cleaning service Arlington Heights ..Despite the best of intentions, most of us don't use... Read More
Many of the clients I work with in success coaching... Read More
All too often we can feel overwhelmed by the amount... Read More
When trying to achieve a quality education, everybody knows that... Read More
How many times have you remarked to someone that there... Read More
We all face decisions that involve doing things that affect... Read More
Benjamin Franklin wrote: "If you want to enjoy one of... Read More
Do your dishes really need to be dried, or could... Read More
As a business owner, wouldn't it be great if you... Read More
We are constantly inundated with routine (often boring!) tasks around... Read More
There is an old way of goal setting and a... Read More
Here's some time management tips to try:1) Set strict office... Read More
How do you know what's the best use of your... Read More
Still awaiting the birth of my baby (I am overdue),... Read More
"Fashionably late" is no longer in fashion. In today's heavily... Read More
Last week I attended a presentation from Parenting Expert and... Read More
Your time and energy are the two most precious gifts... Read More
The concept of Mercury Retrograde is very well known even... Read More
How you spend the first sixty minutes of your day... Read More
Not 1 in 10 people can tell you where money... Read More
Setting goals is the easy part -- but sticking with... Read More
As a home-based, self-employed woman, mundane tasks can be as... Read More
"Can you find four extra hours in your day?" a... Read More
* spreading yourself too thinTaking on too many things at... Read More
Time management consultant Stephen Young claims that the average time... Read More
reliable maid service Winnetka ..Are you drowning in a sea of unread papers? Do... Read More
I have worked with so many people over the years... Read More
If you can regularly ask yourself "Am I regularly and... Read More
Isn't it amazing that some people can produce huge results... Read More
* spreading yourself too thinTaking on too many things at... Read More
When a good friend asked me to contribute a little... Read More
"Because there will always be something more to do, we... Read More
Where does your time go? We all know we are... Read More
How you spend the first sixty minutes of your day... Read More
Do you manage your time or does your time manage... Read More
Balancing a family's varying schedules can be near impossible. Soccer,... Read More
Any habit of mind or body that interferes with taking... Read More
Women's health issues often are focused on goals to reach:... Read More
Partnering with the University of Pennsylvania Law School and the... Read More
Goal Planning-Achieving balance in a person's life requires assessment of... Read More
Of all the Attraction Principles, the most popular class I... Read More
Time, time, time. It seems there is never enough of... Read More
Many of the clients I work with in success coaching... Read More
Once you have completed your day you can boost your... Read More
Looking out through my picture window during a recent winter... Read More
When you decide to become self-employed, you automatically become the... Read More
Determine Your Procrastination PersonalityBrook Noel is the author of The... Read More
How often have you tried to manage your time in... Read More
"Time management" is a myth. Time ticks by, whether you... Read More
One of the tried and true organization and time-management tools... Read More
Time Management |