Procrastination III
Today is way more positive. It’s time to go back to that right hand side of the page, where you listed areas that procrastination is not an issue–the areas where you just get it done, pause and reflect. It doesn’t matter how trivial or magnificent these areas are–you own them. They don’t own you. For some people, it’s training for a marathon. For others, it’s reading to their kid every night. Or it’s cracking the books right after the evening meal. Or Facetiming home every Sunday.
What is it about those tasks, those projects that results in them getting done? Your answers will be particular to you, yet there are a lot of commonalities–see which are yours, and if you have any not listed here:
- The task is tied in to a specific time of day–running during lunch break, perhaps.
- The task is tied in with another activity–eat, then spend desk-time. Or brush teeth, then check tomorrow’s calendar.
- It is an expectation and structure you may have grown up with, and don’t even have to think about. Eat breakfast, then walk to the school bus.
The key commonality here is structure–you don’t have to make a decision about whether or not to run, to brush your teeth, to check your calendar, or to walk to the bus. Tasks like these are part of your structure: You just don’t have to expend cognitive energy deciding about whether to do them or not. It’s a matter of habit, not decision.
But you own that structure, you are not OCD about it. You can be flexible to a certain extent. If dinner takes a bit longer, you start a bit later. If it’s blizzarding at noon, you may run in the gym. Catching the bus–not so much flexibility there.
The next blog will look at how to apply the elements of structure from where you are already using them to the areas where you wish you were.
Now, however, reflect on all of the success you are actually achieving–those you enjoy, those you are proud of, those in the past, and especially those you don’t think about, because they are so automatic you take them for granted.
And let me know what is particular to how the tasks needed to get done . . . actually get done! [email protected]