#08 - Fighting Chronic Procrastination
This week, we're talking about a phenomenon that I've been struggling with a lot lately (and not just lately 🙃)... Chronic Procrastination.
What causes Procrastination?
Procrastination is something that happens when multiple things are fighting for our attention.
You know better than me: emails, bills, meetings, errands, and last but not least in recent years, the distraction of our mobile phones. What happens is that when we are constantly pulled in all directions the pressure builds up and we find ourselves in a big mess.
We don't like it, and so our brain looks for an escape.
To-do list (?)
Now, one of the first pieces of advice usually given to those who find themselves procrastinating is to make a to-do list.
In my experience, however, this doesn't always work. In fact, seeing all the commitments you have to keep up with, which keep adding up and reaching a mile-long, only increases the anxiety towards those commitments.
One at a time they are manageable, but all together? How do you feel when you look at your to-do lists?
Today, I'll give you two little hacks that I hope might help you.
Hack #1
Whenever I can I tend to prioritize Time Blocking rather than task management.
Basically, I allocate specific chunks of time to specific activities.
Instead of a to-do list, we make a project list.
This is something we also use in our plays in the Creative Leadership Masterclass, which is called Active Projects.
A project list helps us understand what kind of projects we are currently working on and breaks them down into several parts so that we can then allocate parts of these projects within our calendar.
So, I'm specifically dedicating two hours to this project, and two hours to that project. And this tends to work well for me.
Hack #2
The second hack, I won't lie, is unusual.
Although I was skeptical at first, it has always produced excellent results.
Basically, we just have to change our location to do different tasks.
What happens is that I tend to associate specific locations in my home or office with certain specific tasks.
For example, I go to one location to do emails. Then I would go to another location to do Keynotes or PowerPoints. I go to another location or take a walk to make phone calls. And of course, if I have to take meetings, I need to be on the computer, but I tend to allocate a specific location for specific activities so that I can physically push myself.
So, I might say, okay, now it's time to do emails, and I physically move myself to that location, and that location is set up so that I can specifically do that task.
Now, you don't need a huge space because this can be done on a single desk, well divided into different work areas.
In any case, when I make calls, I usually get up and walk around the rooms.
These are simple hacks that helped me fight procrastination. But now I have a couple of questions for you.
Would you be so kind as to share some of your hacks to help me become even better at fighting procrastination?
And...
Why do you believe we tend to procrastinate so much nowadays?
As always, until the next sketch, don't forget: Inspire, Challenge & Disrupt.