Don’t shy from tasks, move forward slowly
Abhay has the habit of postponing work till the last moment. He starts work when the deadline is just a few days away and then works round the clock to finish the job on time. He claims to give his best when he is up against a deadline. His colleague Vidya too leaves her assignments until the last minute but for a different reason. She finds new tasks overwhelming and therefore puts off starting them. Very often she misses the deadlines because she runs short of time. The
tendency to procrastinate is quite common and most of us do so to some extent both at home and work.
The reasons for procrastination may vary but its consequences are always the same. Important tasks get delayed or in the worst case never get accomplished. The quality of work suffers too on account of rushing through in the last minute. Increased stress levels take a heavy toll on your health as you struggle to meet the fast approaching deadline. You are aware of all these ills of procrastination and have experienced them several times but still find it difficult to put this habit behind you? Take heart.
There are ways to beat procrastination and stay organised.
A strong resolve to improve is all you need to taste success. Here are some simple clues to get rid of your tendency to procrastinate:
Get to the root: Identify the true reason behind why you procrastinate and then sincerely try to tackle it. Some common reasons for procrastination are:
• You are plain lazy.
• The task is unpleasant or boring.
• You fear failure.
• The task is too complex and you do not know where to begin
• Perfectionism
Putting things off is the easiest thing to do especially if you are a lazy person by nature.
When you receive a new assignment and the deadline is several weeks away, so you feel you can start it much later.
You may even hope if you put it off for now your boss will soon forget about it and you need not do it at all. But the task will not disappear just because you have not started working on it. Before you realise the deadline stares you in the face and then you are forced to work extra hard to complete the task on time. Drive away laziness at the outset itself to avoid getting into trouble later on.
Perhaps you need a strong incentive to get off the mark on time.
So try rewarding yourself with something you really cherish every time you resist the temptation to postpone work.
Most of us tend to postpone doing tasks that are monotonous or unpleasant. But putting them off does not make them any easier. Instead do them early in the day when you are still fresh and full of energy.
You can carry on with the other tasks feeling much relieved once you tick the unpleasant task off your to do list.
Fear of failure leads to procrastination too. But the best way to handle fear is to face it. If you fear you lack necessary skills or resources to get the job done seek help from your boss or colleagues. Plan in detail each and every step that you must take to complete the job successfully.
This helps to build your self- confidence and the inclination to procrastinate will soon go away.
Some jobs are so complex that you don’t know where to start. In such situations just jump in.
Once you have started you will discover ways to move forward productively. Another effective way to tackle complex tasks is to break them into simpler manageable parts and arrange them in a logical sequence.
Begin with the first task in the sequence and keep inching forward.
Sometimes your personal attributes come in your way of doing things on time. For instance if you are a perfectionist, you may be reluctant to start projects for fear that they won’t be perfect.
Don’t become obsessed with perfection.
After all no one is perfect in this world. To avoid procrastination on account of perfectionism learn to settle for slightly lower standards.
Procrastination always makes you lag behind. If you want to move ahead you must get over your temptation to procrastinate. The next time you find yourself dragging your feet try using one of these remedies.
N. PURNIMA SRIKRISHNA
faqs@cnkonline.com
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