Keep Your FOCUS by ELIMINATING PROCRASTINATION...

All throughout school you habitually procrastinate...15 page paper due September 6th, so you start on it September 5th, major exam on a Monday so you cram all weekend long trying to retain several months of information when really all you had to do was study a small portion each night prior to taking the exam...This is what we do best.

But once you take a step into 'Corporate America' that all has to come to a halt. I have witnessed too many times where a person does a presentation at a Board Meeting and when asked questions, by their peers and bosses, they crumble.Why? Because they waited until the last minute to put together their presentation.

Why do people procratinate?

• Inadequate resources (information, time, money, etc.)
• Fear of potential negative consequences
• Fear of failure so you avoid the task
• Lack of clear deadlines
• The task feels overwhelming.

When we are given a task we must ask ourselves these questions...

• What are the consequences of delay? Will the situation escalate?
• If so, how will you feel (guilty, regretful, embarrassed, etc)
• Will you continue to think about the task even if you don't do it?
• Do you really work well under pressure? In some ways, do you like it?
• When the crunch time comes, do you behave badly towards others?
• What are your escape routes when you procrastinate (socializing, doing other tasks, daydreaming, etc.)? How can you change your escape routes to reduce the likelihood of procrastination?
• What are your inner beliefs? What is your self-talk? Do you hear messages like, "I'm such a procrastinator, I can't help myself"?

Here are a few ways to OVERCOME Procrastination

• Assign yourself a deadline, write it in your planner, and make a public committment to some your respect who won't let you "off the hook". Tell that person what you want to do, by when, and ask him or her to check up on you. The task can be on a personal or professional level.
• Do the task early. Start your, presentation, research, and fact-finding early. Waiting til "later" creates anxiety; we aren't free from thinking or worrying about it! If you start your project or task early this will give you time to review your final work as well as review your work with your boss to see if you are going in the right direction. He or she will see your engagement and acknowlege that.
• Delegate the task to someone else or look to see if this is a task your even need to do. There are so many times we try to take on everything for fear of seeming weak or disengaged but if the assignment is not adding value then DELETE!
• Reward yourself when you don't procrastinate! Feed your self-esteem with the satisfaction of completing a job on time.
• Ask a mentor or expert for advice. Record his or her thoughts in a planner, possibly behind a numbered tab. When you get ideas for implementing the task, jot them down.
• Tie the task to one of your personal-development values. Always see how the task can influence or make an impact on you personally. That always adds motivation to get the job done!
• Break the task down into smaller pieces/tasks. Use a goal planning tool to help you (ask you boss about this). You want to ensure that you limit the amount of time for your small tasks, no more than 15 to 20 minutes, or else you will procrastinate
• Change your self-talk. Instead of saying, "I'm a procrastinor," say "I honor my committments," 'I keep promises to myself,"...Believe me, this works! I am a true self-talker...Remember, if you don't put trust in yourself who will???
• Lastly, establish an evironment for work. Remove any distractions that would encourage a loss of focus.

The goal is to keep your focus and prioritize your tasks and job. Ensure you do a thorough job and present top notch work!!

If you need someone to keep you on task, give me a call!!