Many of us struggle against the perils of procrastination. We postpone tasks until the very last minute, and sometimes beyond, and risk our reputations for productivity and quality.
As you progress during your career, it's likely that you will not be managed as closely or as tightly, and the more you will need to learn self-management. You have to take responsibility for dealing with procrastination in order to succeed -- and to avoid sabotaging your career.
In today's podcast, Avoiding Procrastination, we explore the reasons behind procrastination, and look at basic tips and advanced techniques for overcoming procrastination to increase your productivity, success, and enjoyment of your job.
(By the way, for those of you reading this as a form of procrastination ... well, you know what to do!)
Timeline
00:29 -- The widespread epidemic of procrastination
02:33 -- Preparation for the task at hand
04:48 -- Alternating between a multitude of tasks
07:26 -- The importance of focus on a motivating purpose
08:36 -- Learning how to start
12:04 -- Sustaining the momentum
12:41 -- More advanced techniques
You can download Avoiding Procrastination or sign up to receive new Business Masterclass seminars automatically with iTunes or other podcast players. (Click here for step-by-step instructions on how to subscribe.) My seminars are always available for download at no cost.
3 comments:
Richard,
You've done it again!
Another terrific podcast.
This time I was sure you would leave something out; in particular, I did not think you would focus so much on addressing the underlying psychological causes of procrastination (and even more importantly, some highly effective behavioural responses to procrastination).
On the subject of procrastination, I would like to commend to you and your readers a great book which focuses heavily on behavioural approaches to thoughts which sabotage our success.
It is called "Awaken Your Stongest Self" and is written by Neil Fiore, a Ph.D. psychologist.
A couple of months ago, I hired Neil for some coaching and procrastination is one of the issues we have been working on.
Neil's approach is very behavioural (i.e. he isn't trying to help me figure out the root causes of my own professional insecurities; rather, we are working on how to deal with the numerous "distractions" that take away my focus from doing what I love to do which is help lawyers with their careers).
While it is admittedly too soon to evaluate his program, I can say with certainty that after a few months, I'm doing a lot less procrastinating.
I know I have a lot more work to do (it's hard to break old habits and thought patterns).
But I'm well on my way and Neil has been a tremendous help.
Very interesting.
There's a lovely Judy Tenuta joke:
"My mother said 'you'll never amount to anything because you always procrastinate'. I replied 'just wait...'".
Procrastination is truly the thief of time.
I wondered if readers might be interested in the tricks and tactics I use to stop procrastinating and start writing (I'm a writer by trade but the tips work for other things that require concentration): How to concentrate on writing.
The problem of procrastination is on the one hand connected with human's laziness and on the other hand with the fact that most of us don't appreciate time.
I've got a friend, he is a businessman and he is always in a hurry.
His favourite sayings are "Time is Money" and "by the street of by and by one arrives at the house of never".
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