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Against All Odds (and Netflix) – this week’s newsletter on procrastination

It’s that time of the week again (Thursday) when I write this blog newsletter for you to open on Friday. Each week for over 20 years I have written my Wit and Wisdom newsletter. Yet you’d think I was the condemned woman choosing from the menu for her last meal on death row.

I ignore, scroll, look what Oliver Bonas has in the sale, make another tea, arrange my desk, find a snag nail terribly interesting and generally faff and thither until I feel the side eye of my VA coming through the ether as I near my deadline.

It was ever thus. You are human ergo you avoid. We procrastinate, put off and ignore until we can’t and then crack on or crack up. Why do today what you can add to your to-do list tomorrow? So, let’s look at how to stop procrastinating…

In my defence I will say I identify as a Productive Procrastinator – responding to emails, texts, messages and writing up notes for my academy – lots of “busyness” instead of doing The One Thing.

The Different Types of Procrastinators

Some of you may own up to being the Researcher type of task shirker who spends 45 minutes on Google checking out how long does it take to do this task?

The Perfectionist Putter-offer won’t get started until pens, pencils, white board, detailed stats and data along with Venus and Mars are all aligned and they have everything they will ever need ever ready and in place before starting.

We all avoid energy draining tasks that feel hard, uncomfortable, carry potential threat of failure, confrontation or the harsh realisation of our responsibility and potential weaknesses. Yet it is part of being an adult and that means taking responsibility.

Procrastination, Perfectionism and Fear of Failure

One of my favourite Ted Talks on procrastination is Tim Urban’s Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator and for the most useful take away watch to the end.

Well, you’re reading this so it looks like I did knuckle down and get to it. Here are a few of my tips on how to stop procrastinating to help you face a task you may be avoiding:

• Change identity for 5 minutes – ask yourself “What would the laziest competent version of me do for five minutes?” Or: “If I were a consultant paid £500 to start this, what’s the first microscopic action?”
• Dare to muck it up – Write a deliberately terrible first sentence. Just get into action. Perfectionism can’t operate with the goal is bad output. Momentum takes over. Be accountable to someone – have a friend lined up you can report your progress to. Power through your “bad-min” together.
• Don’t wait to feel “ready” – so much time is lost in life waiting for the right moment or the perfect field conditions. Readiness comes after motion – not before.
• Be in integrity with yourself – if you said you were going to do something then follow through, be your word so that first and foremost you can believe in yourself. If you are not your word then who are you?

There you have it. A personal triumph over resistance, perfectionism, and unnecessary Googling. Onwards to next Thursday. Find these helpful? View more of my tips not to procrastinate and start getting things done.

Fancy a zoom call with me – book it here and learn more about how to stop procrastinating.