Does this sound like you sometimes or are you constantly putting things off until your task becomes so urgent you have no choice?
As April 15 draws near, many folks find that they are facing the consequences of putting things off or procrastination. Taxes aren't the only thing procrastinators put off. It could be a big project at work, making a phone call to a family member, finding a new job or confronting the stack of mail piling up on the counter. To be sure, everyone procrastinates from time-to-time.
Here are 3 types of procrastination taken from Mastering Stress 2001, a Lifestyle Approach by Barlow, Rappee and Reisner:
- "Type I procrastination: You may dislike doing a particular task or project;
- Type II procrastination: You may expect to feel stress or anxiety about the finished product;
- Type III procrastination: You may not know where to begin. The more you think about the task, the longer you let it go....."
If you are a Type I procrastinator, here are four things you can do to help overcome the problem:
- admit to yourself you don't like doing the task and that you are procrastinating;
- in one column write down each reason why you hate doing this task;
- in another column, write down a positive reason for getting the job done;
- set specific goals, in a stepwise fashion, for getting the job done. For example: work on it for 10 minutes (or longer) each day until the job is done and then plan a specific reward for yourself when finished.
Finally, if you find there are some jobs you really hate after going through this exercise, think of other ways you can get the job done. Some tasks can be handled by hiring someone to do it. If you can't afford to hire someone, realize everyone has to do things they don't like to do!
Focus on how good you will feel when this is done instead of complaining. Attitude can make a world of difference.
Denise Williams, CLC
