by Stephanie Vozza / © 2023, Fast Company. Mansueto Ventures, LLC. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
21
Even the most dedicated, organized person will procrastinate sometimes. While an occasional delay in action won’t always lead to chaos, procrastination can be an “evil beast” if allowed to call the shots, says Jo Anne Preston, author of Lead the Way in Five Minutes a Day: Sparking High Performance in Yourself and Your Team.
“Guilt and shame can come from not getting started on things or from being last-minute,” she says. “Let’s say you have six hours to work on something and you spend five hours worrying about it or doing something else, like cleaning up old emails. ... You’ve wasted energy and won’t have the creativity and the enthusiasm to do the work. Now you feel pressure, which will lead to burnout and feelings of failure and low self-worth.”
The key to tackling procrastination is figuring out what’s behind it. Preston says four hidden unmet needs cause us to procrastinate. Addressing the one that’s hindering you can put you back on track.
The need for quick action
One reason to procrastinate is to avoid a task that feels big and complex. It’s common to switch your attention to something small, like an email, to get the dopamine hit that comes from crossing something off your to-do list. Even if it seems productive, it’s holding you back from more meaningful work, which often takes longer.
Harness the satisfaction of accomplishment by breaking down the big task into smaller pieces, says Preston. She suggests setting a timer and working for 30 minutes—or just five if you feel really blocked.
“One of the things that we know about motivation is you really only need the motivation to start,” she says. “Once you’re started, motivation is like a wheel already rolling down the hill. It’s getting out of first gear and into movement. Grab that project file, open it up and write down your first ideas. Take action that gets you going.”
...
Visit Fast Company online.
