Tips to Topple Procrastination (As promised a few months ago)

By Karen Susman

We procrastinate for several reasons. We dread the action to be taken. We don't have the information, authority, or support to complete the action. We are perfectionists who can't start a project because we might not do it perfectly. Perhaps we are addicted to the adrenaline rush of doing things last minute.

Getting started is usually the biggest obstacle. Try these suggestions NOW!

1. Break your project down into itsy-bitsy projects. Research reveals that big projects, ideas, changes, etc. can cause fear, which then causes us to shut down as a survival mode. Thus, small doses of anything are easier to adjust to and accomplish.
   
   
2. Reward yourself for accomplishing each small project or reaching a benchmark. Don't wait until a project is finished. Rewards reinforce action.
   
   
3. Set the timer for 15 minutes. When the bell rings, get started.
   
   
4. Set the timer for 15 minutes. Work for only fifteen minutes. You'll probably want to continue once you get started.
   
   
5. Have a procrastination pal. Commit to a friend that you're starting a project and ask him to call you at an allotted time to check on your progress.
   
   
6. Throw your coat over the fence. Then you'll have to go after it. Make a commitment to someone that you'll have to keep. Then work like crazy to deliver.
   
   
7. If you need pressure to accomplish, forget your actual deadline and mark your calendar with an imminent deadline.
   
   
8. Start anywhere in the project. Just dive in.
   
   
9. Ask for help. If you don't know what to do or how to do it, find someone who does. Pay him/her if you have to. It's worth it.
   
   
10. Lower your standards. Perfectionism and procrastination are connected at the hip.
    
    
11. Don't make promises you know you won't keep or are unrealistic based on your time and resources. Have a compulsion to complete. As Ben Franklin said, "One today is worth two tomorrows."
    

Karen Susman is a Speaker, Trainer, Coach, and Author of 102 Top Dog Networking Secrets. Karen works with organizations that want to maximize performance. Programs include Humour at Work; Balance In Life; Networking Skills; Presentation Skills; and Building Community Involvement. Order new guidebooks on humour, networking, time management, and community involvement by calling 1-888-678-8818 or e-mail Karen@KarenSusman.com.. www.KarenSusman.com.


Published in Networking Today, November, 2002.