Thursday, November 18, 2004

How To Beat Procrastination At Work

How can you beat procrastination at work?

Listen. If you don´t beat procrastination at work the long
term consequences could be serious.

Take this example of how expensive work procrastination can be...

The assignment that your boss gave you several days ago
still isn't done. The assignment is a report that your
boss needs to take to an important meeting, and you may get
a big promotion if the meeting goes OK. You've had plenty
of time to get it done, but still just don't do it even
though your future career could be in jeopardy. What's
wrong with you?

You are one of the millions who procrastinate. You feel
inadequate, guilty, depressed and have low self-esteem.
Procrastination means avoiding doing tasks, which need to
be done - sometimes doing them at the last minute or
sometimes never doing them at all.

The reasons for procrastinating are as numerous as the
excuses one can make for not completing tasks. A few of
these reasons are listed below:

1. If you are a poor manager of your time and have
trouble identifying your objectives, you most likely are
overwhelmed by your tasks. You try in vain to prioritize
them, and failing at that you've even been known to
secretly throw a few written requests into the trash, and
later claiming you never got them. You are a
procrastinator.

2. You find it hard to concentrate. You may think
about what you're going to cook for dinner or you daydream
about your next golf game. So you put off getting the job
done; you sit and think about it but take no action.

3. You may be easily distracted by outside influences
such as ringing telephones, other folk's conversations, and
may even spend time performing "no-brainer" tasks such as
sharpening pencils, shuffling papers, or make endless trips
to the restroom or coffee bar.

4. Your self-esteem is very low. You have a negative
image of yourself and believe that you're an underachiever
who can't succeed at much of anything. You also may be
bored with the task at hand and lack enthusiasm.

But listen up - you CAN break the procrastination habit at
work as well as in every other area of your life. Here are
a few suggestions:

1. Go on; admit that you have some fears and
anxieties about your ability to get the job done! It's a
perfectly normal feeling, and once you face your problems
with concentration, time management, and the inability to
make a decision, you can take steps to change them.

2. Instead of brooding about your problem areas,
identify your strong points, set your goals and priorities
and develop a "can do" attitude.

3. Use time wisely. The value you place on yourself
and your work has a direct bearing on your ability to do
your work in a timely, consistent manner.

4. Set priorities and perform each job accordingly.
Tackle the jobs you dislike aggressively; it's best to get
them done and out of the way. Consider breaking large
assignments into smaller segments (if time allows).

5. Take a couple of minutes frequently to stand,
stretch or move about to energize both your body and your
brain. If possible, get some fresh air during breaks and
your lunch hour.

6. Take the initiative to change your work
environment if it causes distractions. Placing a barrier
such as a tall plant in front of your desk will block the
view of co-workers passing by. Make sure you have the
information and supplies at hand to avoid the temptation to
wander away from your work area.

A few changes in your attitude and work habits will make a
dramatic difference in the way you perform your work.


How can you beat procrastination at work?

Get my 5 Step Motivation System here:

http://www.getmotivatedstaymotivated.com/special.htm

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