Avoiding Procrastination Thieves – 1

Posted on February 9th, 2010, by Meggin McIntosh, Ph.D.

How is it that a grown woman/man can procrastinate day after day, month after month, and year after year? Because procrastination works. It keeps you from having to do the task that you just hate to do. Well here’s the news, folks, you can break the habit!

1. Keep a procrastination log. (You’ll enjoy this because you’ll be procrastinating.) That is, take notes on those items that you know you should be doing, but you just aren’t getting them done. As each item floats into your consciousness, write it down.

2. Divide the log into “work” items and “personal” items.

3. Look through the list and see if there are any items that can be done in five minutes or less. Do these immediately! (Now you can check off a few items in your log – very satisfying).

4. Be honest with yourself. Are there items that you know you’ll never do? Cross these off.

5. Delegate a task if you know it really isn’t yours. And if you’d like to learn from a 3-part program (which you can listen to at your own pace), feel free to take a peek at the webpage that has all the info: Deputize Then Delegate

Read Rita Emmett’s book The Procrastinator’s Handbook. It is outstanding…and in a few weeks, I’m even going to have a special list from her in the Keeping Chaos at Bay series. Stay tuned!

You may also want to access one of the Third Thursday Productivity Time programs:

Polish Off Procrastination! Bump Off this Obstacle to Productivity (just $9.97; such a deal!)