INTHEBLACK February 2023 - Magazine - Page 53
Tips to fight procrastination
1.
Acknowledge that you
procrastinate. Admitting there
is a problem is your first step
to addressing it with proper
strategies, says Professor
Stephen Knowles from the
Department of Economics
at the University of Otago.
2.
In this instance, procrastination may come
down to the timing – it is simply too far away
in the future to drive action now.
THE PITFALLS OF DISTRACTION
Procrastination can lead to many negative
outcomes. Fail to submit an essay on time
and lose marks. Put off completing that report
or reviewing a colleague’s work and face the
wrath of your manager. Miss the deadline
to contribute to a charity fundraiser and feel
regret or guilt.
There are also negative societal outcomes
for procrastination, says Knowles. Saving for
retirement and staying healthy with regular
exercise and a sensible diet both require action
now, to reap the rewards later.
“That’s where the effects of procrastination
can get really serious,” he says.
In the workplace, procrastination can have
implications for both individuals and businesses.
Pacor says that, for employees, workplace
procrastination can be associated with low
Ask yourself why you
procrastinate. “Are you a time
waster at heart, who prefers
socialising over success, or is the
real issue that you lack confidence
or the skill to complete the
required task?” asks Georgina
Pacor, senior content writer and
human resource specialist at the
Australian Industry Group. “Be
brave enough to open the
conversation with your manager,
because together you may even
discover that the root of the
problem is that you actually
need more of a challenge!”
3.
Write a plan, schedule or to-do
list. This is important for longer
projects and ones without a set
deadline, or a deadline that is a
long way off.
4.
Identify your distractions and
remove them. Are you lured
away from work tasks by
conversation, social media or
checking your email? It pays to
know your weaknesses. You may
be able to set up your devices
with cut-off times or use
distractions as rewards for when
you have completed a task.
5.
Use a time-management
technique. The Pomodoro
technique, named after the
Italian word for tomato is
one example. “You decide
what you want to accomplish
and how long the work will
take. Then, break the work
into 25-minute ‘pomodoros’
and set a timer. Start working,
and enjoy a five-minute break
every half hour,” says Pacor.
6.
Reward yourself. Even the
smallest rewards can be
enough of an incentive to
get past typical procrastination
inertia, says Knowles.
A reward might be a
sweet snack, five minutes
of checking social media
feeds, or watching a cat
video – whatever best
motivates you.
7.
Do not leave the hard parts
until last. Instead of putting
off the hardest tasks until last
minute, tackle them when
you are fresh and energised,
says Pacor.
8.
Hold yourself accountable.
Let others know that you tend
to procrastinate, as well as
your plan for overcoming this,
so that you are accountable
to someone else, suggests
Dr Marny Lishman, health
and community psychologist
and author.
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