I’m a perfectionist. I’m also a procrastinator. Anyone willing to admit they’re just like me?
Well, thanks! I’m glad to know I’m not alone. And, I’m happy to tell you that I’ve been getting help for my perfectly procrastinating ways. I have some tips for you, my friends!
- Don’t think about finishing the task – just start it! Inertia is the procrastinator’s frenemy. If you can at least start something, odds are the perfectionist in you won’t let you not finish it. So, get STARTED!
- Remember that anything worth doing well is worth doing a half-ass job on. Give yourself permission to get something done poorly, if only to get it done. You can always tweak it after you’ve “finished” it.
- Try using a timer. Promise yourself that you’ll work on something you’ve been putting off for a set amount of time (10 minutes, 20 minutes), and when the timer goes off, STOP. I guarantee you’ll be surprised by how quickly the time went by. You might even keep working on it because it’s not that bad!
- Have a daily list of no more than THREE must-do items. The top three things you NEED to get done today. Having a longer daily must-do list is too overwhelming, and you’re probably avoiding the list to avoid being overwhelmed. Your overall to-do list can be longer, but your daily list needs to remain “user friendly”.
- Write up your to-do lists with actions, rather than goals or project titles. If you start a to-do item with an action verb (Call, Write, Email, Create), you’re giving yourself a command. If you start a to-do item with a noun (Bob, Letter, TPS Report), your list won’t compel you to DO anything. It will just sit there (like it does now).
Here are links to some other tips/articles on procrastination and perfectionism. I’m going to update this post with more links soon, so check back!!
http://careerplanning.about.com/od/timemanagement/a/procrastinate.htm
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Hi Krys!
Your tips on avoiding procrastination are spot on! I recently did a teleseminar on procrastination and what to do about it. I told my guests that their beliefs can play a big part in causing procrastination.
For example, if they believe that they need to feel more motivated before starting a task, they might never start it!
Fear is another thing that can be a stumbling block. The best thing to do with fear is face it head on. It won’t go away if you ignore it.
what is procrastination.can you explain please
Alex, procrastination is waiting to act on a task that could be acted upon immediately. People who procrastinate intentionally wait to do things that should be done. There are many reasons that people procrastinate. My own reasons include perfectionism and lack of energy (though I feel that’s usually just an excuse for not wanting to do something).