Procrastination: that dreadful curse of putting off important things until later.
It never helps, but we all do it, even when we know it’s wrong. And we keep trying to justify it to ourselves. Sometimes we do it because the task appears difficult or scary. Maybe we’re hoping that, by putting it off, someone braver or more clever may volunteer? But that hardly ever happens, does it? Sometimes we conceal our procrastination by calling it perfectionism, ‘I can’t call on that prospect until I’ve done just a bit more research’. Yes of course we need to do background work, but don’t get drawn into ‘analysis paralysis’ and use it as an excuse for not actually completing the job.
The most common excuse is that we’re too busy. No-one can argue with this one, surely? If that is your excuse, then you need to remind yourself of your business objectives and then re-prioritise – decide what really needs doing. If a task is worth doing, do it now. Now that doesn’t mean charge at everything like a bull at a gate, but once you’ve decided it’s the right thing to do, put it into your diary and get it done!
By doing things on time, you get to feel the benefits sooner, your brain is less cluttered for other tasks, and it can do wonders for your self-esteem!
The last word must go to one of my favourite pieces of graffiti: ‘If I procrastinate today instead of tomorrow, would that be called progress?’
