Dear Friends and Clients,

When it comes to accomplishing items on his TODO list, my husband Andy is as directed and determined as anybody I know.   He is organized and meticulous, and sometimes so enthusiastic and energetic about his work that I almost feel sorry for his staff and colleagues.

And yet I can recall weekends years ago when he had freelance writing projects due on Monday morning.  He’d want to keep the weekend clear for the job, but then he’d fritter away Saturday with suddenly important tasks like cleaning the oven.  It wasn’t until the deadline pressure built up on Sunday that he’d focus in and get the job done.   

Even highly motivated workaholics like Andy occasionally procrastinate.  In fact, most of us tend to waste a good bit of time through delaying tactics.  In today’s issue I’ll talk about strategies we can use to stop stalling and start getting things done.

 Warmly, Bev

Don’t Put It Off!  Find Ways
To Stop Procrastinating &
Become More Productive

• First, define the problem.  The best mix of strategies for overcoming procrastination will depend on the habits that are causing your problems.   If you observe your work flow, you may find that you are particularly troubled by one of these patterns:
• Unconscious procrastination, where you delay tasks because you forget about them.  Perhaps, for example, you do want to write that overdue “thank you” note but you’re so frantically busy that you only remember the note in the middle of the night. 
• Conscious delaying, perhaps of tedious or boring tasks that are not urgent – yet.  This includes things like touching base with a difficult client before she starts to feel neglected, or calling a plumber before a leak gets worse. 
• Feeling overwhelmed, like when you can’t bring yourself to start a challenging project such as writing a difficult report or finally launching a new fitness program.
  
  
• Write it down.   If you tend to forget things, always keep a little notebook handy, so that you can capture a task the first time it comes to mind.  Frequently transfer items from your capture notebook to a TODO list.   Note date-sensitive items on your calendar.
  
  
• Schedule it.  Just because it isn’t urgent now, doesn’t mean it won’t be urgent next month.  If you elect to delay a task, decide when it must be done and commit to do it on a date certain.   The habit of scheduling tasks can enhance your peace of mind and bolster your ability to focus.
  
  
• Don’t do it.  One reason you delay may be that you have too much to do. Save yourself some grief by saying “no” when “yes I will” isn’t a realistic response.  Free up productive time by pitching half-done projects that you don’t really expect to finish, and by striking low priority tasks from your TODO lists.
  
  
• Apply the 80/20 Rule.  Also known as the “Pareto Principle,” the Rule says that 20% of your activity probably results in about 80% of your results.  In other words, about 20% of your products, customers or tasks may yield about 80% of your profits or achievement.  Observe which activities result in most of your productivity and do those first.  (For more on the 80/20 Rule, see my 12/8/4 Ezine.)
  
  
• Schedule your prime time.   Our internal time clocks vary, but we’re all more productive at some times of day than at others.  Devote your best time of day to your most important tasks.  If you’re a morning person, for example, resist the urge to fritter away the early hours on routine email and reading, and devote the first hour or two of your day to your highest priority projects.
  
  
• Break it up.  When projects are so large or intimidating that you can’t seem to get started, break them up into pieces.  Start with a list of everything you can think of related to the project, then organize the list into a plan.  Decide which steps are most important and which need to be done at the beginning.  Take the first step immediately and schedule the next ones.  Do a little bit every day until you build momentum.   
  
  
• Reject your own excuses.  Start a list of the lines that run through your head when you engage in delaying tactics.  Then develop a good response for each of your most common excuses.   And use those responses to start talking back to yourself.   Perhaps, for example, you frequently think, “I’m too tired -- I’ll do it tomorrow.”  Your response to that excuse might be, “take just one step now, to get started, and put the next step on the calendar.”   
       
• Batch one kind of task.  Regardless of how we organize our TODO lists, sometimes it’s most efficient to collect tasks that require one type of action, like making quick phone calls, writing notes by hand or filing.  Schedule a block of time for one type of task, and move quickly through your list.
  

• Have some fun.  If boredom is an issue, create a game to make your work more interesting.  See, for example, how many calls you can make in an hour.  To make the game more interesting, build in rewards for completed work.

Bev’s Tips for a Better Work Life is published on the first and third Tuesday of each month by Beverly E. Jones of ClearWays Consulting, LLC.   Bev is a lawyer and former executive who now coaches accomplished CEO's, public afffairs executives, and other professionals to bring new direction, energy and enjoyment to their work lives.