5 Ways to Fight Procrastination

I know, I'm kind of schizophrenic. Just yesterday I posted some links guaranteed to have you burning the midnight oil and getting NOTHING done, and here I am telling you how to blast through the procrastination blocks. Well, we play both sides here at 5 Things! :)

I get a ton done. I'm not trying to brag, as I'm saying nothing about the QUALITY of work I produce. But there's something to be said for pure quantity and efficiency, and I'm pretty darned efficient. Here are some tips on getting those nasty tasks off your to-do list --  you know, the ones that languish there longer than the rubbery pickles at the bottom of the refrigerator (you DO have rubbery pickles in your fridge, right?):

 Image from here.

1. Break it down, baby. I read somewhere that if you put something on your to-do list, it should be tasks that can actually be accomplished. Common sense, right? But when I reviewed my to-do list, I found things like "plan birthday party" or "reorganize office." These goals sound good (and Lord knows, they needed to be done!) but they aren't something I can just finish and cross off. And just the thought of the effort involved in some of my to-dos would give me cold sweats. So instead, I worked on breaking each large goal into manageable chunks, ones I could easily complete in under an hour. For instance, "Plan birthday party" became "Choose theme, buy decorations, order cake, pick up Prozac prescription." Voila! Each easily accomplished.

Image from here.

2. Estimate the time involved. I have found I vastly overestimate the amount of time it will take to complete unattractive tasks (like "call doctor to schedule pap smear"). This results in my putting off the icky jobs because I think they'll take three and a half days to complete, and really, who has three and a half days to sit on hold with the doctor's office? Some people have the opposite problem; they underestimate the amount of time tasks will take, and so they never get through their to-do list (I never understood this type of person -- seriously, did they really think it would only take 5 minutes to wash the garbage cans out? In my world, that takes at least a week!). Wondering which type you are? Well, are you perpetually early (the first type) or late (the second type)? In either case, try this exercise: Go through your to-do list and pencil in time estimates next to each task. Then, when you complete the task, write down how long it actually took you. Over the course of a week or so, you should have a good sense of how long certain tasks take. Use this power for good, not evil.

Image from here.

3. Bribe yourself. It works on the kids, so why not lure yourself into action with the promise of 15 minutes of email after you fold and put away the three loads of laundry sitting on your bed? Caveat: You must stick to the required reward parameters, or it won't work. You could easily get sucked into interntland, only to emerge, blurry-eyed and pale, when your husband comes home from work and wonders where the kids are. (Not that this has ever happened to me. Nuh-uh. No way.)

Image from here.

4. Do the "either/or" game. Once you admit your procrastination techniques, you can use them to your advantage. I give myself the choice between two unattractive items. For instance, I can finish entering my receipts into Quicken, OR I can clean out the refrigerator. (Any bets on which gets done first? Let's put it this way: I may not have the cleanest kitchen in town, but my taxes are up to date!)

 Image from here.  

5. Use little blocks of time. One way I get so much done is that I use every minute I can scrape up. I think of it as one of those jars on your dresser where you store stray pennies and the change from the bottom of your purse: They don't mean much on their own, but compiled together, you can buy a new six-pack of Stickles or a copy of US without feeling too guilty. :) Where do I find these slivers? Everywhere! I keep a book with me at all times so if I have to wait for the kids or in the checkout line at the grocery store, I can get some reading done. I check my email on the stationary bike at the gym. I straighten the house while I'm on the phone. I wipe of the dining room table placemats while waiting to flip the pancakes (yes, I burn a lot of pancakes. But I like them that way).

So there you have it - my top five ways to fight procrastination and get more done. What about you? Got any tricks you want to share?  

Comments

[Nathalie (famille1999)]

Thank you from a huge procrastinator here. I'll try to implement some of those tips at the earliest convenient moment I can find! ;P

[Crafty P]

wish I had read this LAST week, before the toy I needed to order went out of stock.... b/c I procrastinated. geesh.

good tips.

My rule of thumb is that if I don't get it done before noon, the chances of it getting crossed off my list decrease by a very LARGE percentage.

[Marilyn (Merry) Fenton]

I'm a big fan of the bribe yourself and have a treat planned for myself this weekend. I have lots of Christmas stuff to do but am itching to start knitting some socks with the fun yarn I got from my Secret Santa at yesterday's office party. So I'm not going to let myself start knitting until I'm done with my Christmas to do list. Wanna bet it'll be done in record time? : )

[jestutripup]

Great suggestions. I'm truly crappy with all of them so I'm thinking of taking the "FranklinCovey Organize 2010" challenge.
"I know, I'm kind of schizophrenic." Please choose words carefully we who have schizophrenia already have a bad image in society. Great site. Keep up the tips and tweets.

[lura]

I do a process I call "5 in 25". I list 5 things I want to accomplish in 25 minutes. Then set the timer and run with it...

There are two key ingredients to making this being successful.
1. I always let myself play for 10 minutes immediately afterward - with no guilt.
2. The 5 things have to be very specific and attainable goals. "Plan the party" wouldn't work in this situation. But "Choose the theme" would.

Nine times out of ten just starting the list of five things makes me want to get going and get them done...