ISLC' 07 Psychology Workshop "In The Eye of the Beholder" Hando t !

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#$%erco&'ng Procrast'nat'on#

(anage yo r t'&e) *et 't all done+

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If youve found yourself putting off important tasks over and over again, youre not alone. In fact, many people procrastinate to some degree - but some are so affected by procrastination that it stops them achieving things they're capable of and disturbs their careers. The key to controlling and ultimately combating this destructive habit is; To recognize hen you start procrastinating, !nderstand hy it happens' "nd; take active steps to better manage your time and outcomes.

Why do ,e procrast'nate#ou procrastinate hen you put off things that you should be focusing on right no , usually in favor of doing something that is more en$oyable or that youre more comfortable doing. %rocrastinators ork as many hours in the day as other people &and often ork longer hours' but they invest their time in the ,rong tasks. (ometimes this is simply because they don't understand the difference bet een rgent tasks and '&portant tasks, and $ump straight into getting on ith rgent tasks that aren't act ally '&portant , by doing this, they have little or no time left for the important tasks. "nother common cause of procrastination is feeling over helmed by the task. #ou may not kno here to begin. )r you may doubt that you have the skills or resources you think you need. (o you seek comfort in doing tasks you kno you're capable of completing. .nfort nately/ the 0'g task 'sn't go'ng to go a,ay 1 tr ly '&portant tasks rarely do) )ther causes of procrastination include*

+aiting for the ,right- mood or the ,right- time to tackle the important task at hand; " fear of failure or success; !nderdeveloped decision making skills; %oor organizational skills; and Courtesy of Psychology Workshop ISLC 07

%erfectionism &.I don't have the right skills or resources to do this perfectly no , so I on't do it at all..'

Ho, to $%erco&e Procrast'nat'on2

Through three relatively easy steps; Step 32 4ecogn'5e that yo 're Procrast'nat'ng Step 62 Work o t WH7 yo 're Procrast'nat'ng Step "2 *et o%er 't+

Step 32 4ecogn'5e that yo 're Procrast'nat'ng

If you're honest ith yourself, you probably kno hen you're procrastinating.

/ut to be sure, you first need to make sure you kno your priorities. %utting off an unimportant task isn't procrastination, it's probably good prioritization. (ome useful indicators procrastinating include*

hich

ill help you pull yourself up as soon as you start

0illing your day ith lo priority tasks from your To 1o 2ist; 3eading an e-mail or re4uest that you've noted in your notebook or on your To 1o 2ist more than once, ithout starting ork on it or deciding hen you're going to start ork on it; (itting do n to start a high-priority task, and almost immediately going off to make a cup of coffee or check your e-mails; 2eaving an item on your To 1o list for a long time, even though you kno it's important; 3egularly saying .#es. to unimportant tasks that others ask you to do, and filling your time ith these instead of getting on ith the important tasks already on your list.

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Step 62 Work o t WH7 yo 're Procrast'nat'ng

+hy you procrastinate can depend on both you and the task. /ut it's important to understand hat the reasons for procrastination are for each situation, so that you can select the best approach for overcoming your reluctance to get going. 5ommon causes of procrastination reduced to t o main reasons* ere discussed in detail above, but they can often be

6. #ou find the task unpleasant; or 7. #ou find the task over helming8overpo ering or devastating.

Step "2 *et o%er 't+

3) If you are putting something off because you $ust don't ant to do it, and you really can't delegate the ork to someone else, you need to find ,ays of &ot'%at'ng yo rself to get moving. The follo ing approaches can be helpful here*

9ake up your o n re ards. 0or e:ample, promise yourself a piece of tasty chocolate bar at lunchtime if you've completed a certain task. "sk someone else to check up on you. %eer pressure orks; This is the principle behind slimming and other self-help groups, and it is idely recognized as a highly effective approach. Identify the unpleasant conse4uences of <)T doing the task.

6. If you're putting off starting a pro$ect because you find it over helming, you need to take a different approach. =ere are some tips*

/reak the pro$ect into a set of smaller, more manageable tasks. #ou may find it helpful to create an act'on plan. Courtesy of Psychology Workshop ISLC 07

(tart ith some 4uick, small tasks if you can, even if these aren't the logical first actions. #ou'll feel that you're achieving things, and so perhaps the hole pro$ect on't be so over helming after all.

8ey po'nts2
To have a good chance of con4uering procrastination, you need to spot straight a ay that you're doing it. Then, you need to identify overcome the block. hy you're procrastinating and take appropriate steps to

Courtesy of Psychology Workshop ISLC 07