Any habit of mind or body that interferes with taking decisive action contributes to your tendency to procrastinate. Think about your good habits and the environment that leads you to be most productive. Consider your preferred working hours, your optimum concentration periods, and the ways you have been successful in the past. You can begin to build on your good points first by recognizing them and giving yourself credit for them. Then, enhance the skills and techniques you already have with those presented here and beat the specter of procrastination once and for all.
1) Manipulate your environment to your advantage by making your actual work-space fit your ideal as much as you can.
2) Use your best working time to concentrate on the jobs that give you the most difficulty. Set aside a specific period of time for a task and stick to your commitment.
3) Keep track of your time and how you spend it. If it slips by unnoticed, it will usually slip by under-used.
If you can identify your work patterns you will see how procrastination weaves itself into your work-day. Few of us say, "OK, now I am going to procrastinate for forty minutes." Instead, we let procrastination slip in under some other guise. To focus your thoughts on your habits, ask yourself these questions: What are my daily work patterns? (Keep a written record for 3 days, noting activities in fifteen-minute intervals) -- 1) When do I try to tackle tasks that I dislike? 2) When do I socialize or concentrate on "easy-work" instead of undertaking more important tasks? 3) How do I usually handle large, annual projects?
If you can identify your work patterns you will see how procrastination weaves itself into your work-day. Few of us say, "OK, now I am going to procrastinate for forty minutes." Instead, we let procrastination slip in under some other guise. To focus your thoughts on your habits, ask yourself these questions: -- 1) How do I usually handle daily, record-keeping, or follow-up tasks? 2) How do I usually handle the responsibility of communicating sensitive material or bad news? 3) Which of my job's regular requirements do I like least and how do I usually handle them? 4) Which skills that my job requires do I feel I do not have or could improve upon? If I am called upon to use those skills, what do I do?
Once you have a work habit record, take the time to analyze it: When you do so, be thoughtful and honest as you answer the following questions. Remember, you are striving to improve productivity, not to reinforce procrastination.
1) Do I avoid making and refining decisions and thus deny myself the opportunity to apply myself to the goal at hand?
2) Do I take the least active option?
3) Do I allow negative ideas about a task to balloon?
4) Do I fabricate reasons for postponing action?
5) Do I need imposed pressures to finish a task?
Copyright ae schwartz & associates All rights reserved. For additional presentation materials and resources: ae schwartz & associates and for a Free listing as a Trainer, Consultant, Speaker, Vendor/Organization: ae schwartz & associates
CEO, A.E. Schwartz & Associates, Boston, MA., a comprehensive organization which offers over 40 skills based management training programs. Mr. Schwartz conducts over 150 programs annually for clients in industry, research, technology, government, Fortune 100/500 companies, and nonprofit organizations worldwide. He is often found at conferences as a key note presenter and/or facilitator. His style is fast-paced, participatory, practical, and humorous. He has authored over 65 books and products, and taught/lectured at over a dozen colleges and universities throughout the United States.
Lincoln Stretch rentals Alsip ..Why waste your precious time working on tasks, which are... Read More
When trying to achieve a quality education, everybody knows that... Read More
Setting goals is the easy part -- but sticking with... Read More
Time and money are both very important in business. Yet,... Read More
Goal Planning-Achieving balance in a person's life requires assessment of... Read More
An appointment is simply a mutual agreement to meet with... Read More
What does it mean to practice self care? It's creating... Read More
Time, time, time. It seems there is never enough of... Read More
Recently I was working with a new client who had... Read More
In working with and coaching people across the country, one... Read More
Do you believe that the best way to deal with... Read More
Recently I saw an advertisement for a time management booklet:... Read More
Let's look at your time management skills. Most of us... Read More
Here's some time management tips to try:1) Set strict office... Read More
Many of us get so caught up in day-to-day pressures... Read More
Why Read?It's been said that there are three kinds of... Read More
Here's a smart system for doubling or tripling your daily... Read More
Do you feel guilty about all the publications you purchase... Read More
When do you want to make time for a networking... Read More
From Potential to PerformanceOne of the great things about life... Read More
Partnering with the University of Pennsylvania Law School and the... Read More
How can you get an extra hour out of each... Read More
Get a grip. Is it possible to manage time? Can... Read More
Does it ever feel like there is never enough time... Read More
Riding the subway home yesterday, my typically silent car was... Read More
Western Springs shuttle limo ..As a business owner, wouldn't it be great if you... Read More
If you operate any kind of home business, you must... Read More
I'm sure we've all had the experience of having a... Read More
Hey - Did someone press the FFW button?Have you ever... Read More
Isn't it amazing that some people can produce huge results... Read More
As a home-based, self-employed woman, mundane tasks can be as... Read More
When is the best time to plan your day? Well,... Read More
Time management consultant Stephen Young claims that the average time... Read More
You can lose, damage or waste some things in life,... Read More
When a good friend asked me to contribute a little... Read More
An expert in time management was speaking to a group... Read More
There are two types of time killers in everyone's life.... Read More
If you work from home, you know the kind of... Read More
There is no such thing as time management. You cannot... Read More
Years ago when I started in this business, it seemed... Read More
Everyday life can present us with opportunities to make us... Read More
"TIME CANNOT BE 'MANAGED.' THE WHOLE CONCEPT OF TIME MANAGEMENT... Read More
One of the most challenging situations people face when planning... Read More
Riding the subway home yesterday, my typically silent car was... Read More
Whenever you have projects that can't be done in one... Read More
"Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces up, snow... Read More
* If you were paying you to prioritise emails over... Read More
One of the issues most often raised by my clients... Read More
TIME MANAGEMENTWith the creation of the universe, God gave humankind... Read More
Get a grip. Is it possible to manage time? Can... Read More
Time Management |