Often, Stack says, it boils down to one of a few common issues: feeling overwhelmed, fearing failure, or disliking the task.
Another form of procrastination Stack mentions involves putting off tasks out of fear of finishing them too soon, because running out of work too soon can often have implications. This happens most often in jobs that continue only as long as the work lasts, Stack says, like construction or temporary positions, although its a risk any time a workers future seems uncertain. When jobs are scarce, this mindset can become more apparent in some industries.
Some jobs, Stack points out, are set up for procrastination when the worker knows that the only reward for finishing early is getting more work piled on, without added compensation. It doesnt take long for an employee to figure out the pace that best serves their self-preservation, and chances are, theres some foot dragging involved in keeping pace.
Usually, however, people procrastinate because they simply dont feel like doing whatever it is they should be doing.
Its usually a simple lack of discipline, Stack says. Bottom line: procrastination wastes time; its no less a time-waster than excessive socializing, personal business, or Internet usage.
But unlike those activities, procrastination doesnt always stand out as an obvious productivity drain, so rooting it out mostly comes down to self-policing.
Heres the reality: sometimes you are going to procrastinate no matter what. You know what you need to do. You dont feel like doing it. You know youre
procrastinating and choose to do it anyway. In that case, Stack suggests to readers that they do the next best thing: try to do something less productive than the task being avoideda practice she calls resourceful self-distraction.
I consider it a lesser form of procrastination, Stack says. On a scale of one to five, if the number one worst thing you could do is play a Sudoku puzzle and the number five best thing you could do is your top priority of the day, lets settle on something rated a three.
Stack suggests distracting oneself with one of the following resourceful tasks instead:
1. Work on tackling an important but non-urgent task.
2. Clear out the Email inbox, or clear off the desk.
3. Transfer attention to a medium-priority task that needs to be completed today.
4. Check in with those to whom specific tasks have been delegated but feedback is not forthcoming.
5. Knock out a low-priority task such as delivering mail to a colleague, refilling your pop-up note dispenser, or watering your plant.
6. Take a brief walk to clear your head, vowing to get to work immediately upon returning.
7. Clean out a few files.
8. Plan out a new project on a whiteboard.
Stack contends that when someone is not procrastinating entirely, at least theyre doing something somewhat worthwhile, rather than wasting time performing a low-impact task. For instance, if youre already putting off an important deadline, you shouldnt be filling that time downloading songs from iTunes or blogging political on Huff Po. Instead, you should cross a few less important tasks off the to do list. Stack says it might result in enough head clearing and momentum to motivate a dive into the high priority task youre avoiding.
While Im a big critic of staying busy just to stay busy, I do have to admit that sometimes you can use low-value items this way to springboard you into a greater accomplishment, Stack says. Just get moving, and before long, you may find yourself on a roll.
For information on making good use of time spent procrastinating, visit TheProductivityPro.com website, Email Laura@TheProductivityPro.com, or call 303-471-7401.
About Laura Stack:
Laura Stack is a time management and productivity expert who has been speaking and writing about human potential and peak performance since 1992. She has implemented employee productivity improvement programs at Wal-Mart, Cisco Systems, UBS, Aramark, and Bank of America. Stack presents keynotes and seminars internationally for leaders, entrepreneurs, salespeople, and professional services firms on improving output, lowering stress, and saving time in the workplace.
The president of The Productivity Pro, Inc., a time management firm specializing in high-stress environments, Stack is the bestselling author of five books: What to do When Theres Too Much to do (2012); SuperCompetent (2010); The Exhaustion Cure (2008); Find More Time (2006); and Leave the Office Earlier (2004). The 2011-2012 President of the National Speakers Association and recipient of the Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) designation, Stack has served as a spokesperson for Microsoft, 3M, Xerox, and Office Depot. Widely regarded as one of the leading experts in the field of employee productivity and workplace issues, Stack has been featured nationally on the CBS Early Show and CNN, and in USA Today and the New York Times.
###
Liz Ernst
The Productivity Pro, Inc.
Denver Colorado, 80303
303-471-7401
Source:
Productivity Expert Laura Stack Tells Readers to Use Time Spent Procrastinating More Wisely
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