The Effects of Procrastination on Yourself and Your Business
8:39 AM PST, February 1, 2010, updated at 8:40 AM PST, February 1, 2010
Have you ever procrastinated on something? Of course you have; we all do it at one point or another, and some of us suffer from procrastination more than others. If you're an entrepreneur, procrastination can have some serious effects on both you and your business. Not to worry, there are simple strategies to manage procrastination.
We procrastinate for a number of reasons. Some of them include:
* Fear: we're afraid the task is going to be difficult, we're going to fail at it, it's going to be unpleasant, and so on.
* Disinterest: it's easy to procrastinate doing something you just don't want to do. However if we all did that, the dishes would never get washed and the laundry would never get done. Unless of course you enjoy doing those things.
* Expectations: this parallels fear. When someone is expecting something from us and we're anxious about their expectations from us, it can cause procrastination.
Regardless of the reasons we procrastinate, the end result is the same. We end up forced into crunch time. Now instead of a week or a month to get something accomplished, we have a day or even an hour. It creates tremendous amounts of stress, and not the good kind either. The stress procrastination creates is bad for our physical and mental health. We can become fatigued, we don't take care of ourselves and insomnia, depression, and even overeating can result.
Procrastination also creates burnout. It can actually be a vicious circle. You procrastinate because you're burned out and then when you're under pressure it facilitates the burnout. The end result is you're just not enjoying what you're doing and you don't want to do it. Nothing feels the same anymore and you're no longer enthusiastic and positive.
Procrastination also inhibits productivity. When you procrastinate about doing something and then have to push through it, the end result is often a task that takes much longer to accomplish than it would have if you'd been able to focus on it with some energy and enthusiasm.
How Procrastination Affects Your Business
Procrastination, as we've already talked about, can cause a lack of productivity, burnout and stress. It can also lead to an inferior product. If you don't enjoy what you're doing or you're worried about the outcome or you have to rush through it, the end result can be something you're just not proud of.
Procrastination can also make you lose enthusiasm for a business you once loved.
How to End Procrastination
Procrastination can be eliminated or reduced by determining why you're procrastinating. If it's because of fear then you'll want to assess the fear and determine if it's a legitimate fear and what you're going to do about it.
If you're procrastinating because you dislike the task, find a way around it. Outsource the task, create a system that eliminates the task or if neither one of those options is a possibility, find a way to embrace the task and get it done.
If you're procrastinating because of expectations, realize you're going to be able to deliver a much better product if you give yourself the time and room to do it. And remember that ultimately you can only do your best.
Procrastination is something that everyone has to deal with from time to time. Learn to understand and manage your tendencies to procrastinate and it will have no effect on you or your business.
It is always easy to push work back further. After all, when tomorrows keep coming, you'll feel as if time will always be on your side. We keep delaying work so that we have more time for ourselves. For some people, they do this to get a much-needed respite. Others, however, use it as a way to get out of things. They simply thrive on laziness and are happy not amounting to much. We've all been guilty of it at one point or another. Even the most successful has had their fair share of lazy moments. Sadly, some just do it more often than necessary. We may have a million things to complete but we keep telling ourselves to just do it later. Then, later turns to next week, next month, next year, or worse, never!
We inexorably make excuses because we sometimes feel that we aren't able to do much. We sometimes have very little power over our reactions. Then, we look inside and realize that maybe it's uncertainty and diffidence that's been stopping us to do more than what is expected. Or it could also be uncertainty because we wouldn't want to make mistakes. Then again, we need to stop making these excuses. We are letting procrastination rule over our lives. When you really look at it, there's no one to blame but ourselves.
There are so many forms of justification available just so we could avoid work. We don't want to fail, we lack the skills, we are forgetful, we don't have the time, and so on. After a while, people will tire listening to whatever we have to say. They simply want us to get up and start straightening our lives. People may believe us the first time, but once they realize that these are just tactics, we become known as the person that no one can rely on. Of course, we wouldn't want that to happen to us.
Whether these excuses are genuine or not, these things can always be resolved. We can always take control of our lives. We have to start making the changes this very moment. Then, we need to understand why we always make up excuses for our actions. Of course the workload may overwhelm us, but giving up is never a sound solution.
We just have to think that there are millions out there who are experiencing the same situation that we are in. But these people have successfully overcome their weaknesses. When we're feeling weighed down, we need to remember that all we have to do is the next thing on the list. After that, the others follow but only when we've successfully tackled the first one on the list.
After that, we'll realize that we've done quite a lot. Why, even when we're lazy we can still accomplish something. Imagine if we really put our effort into it. It's important to consider the bigger picture of what we're trying to accomplish. Chances are, there are some things that we wouldn't want to do but we have to know that we're still meant to do it.
The problem with working from home is that some people simply assume that it is okay to interrupt you. Just because you are in charge of your schedule, this does not automatically mean that you have time for almost any other thing. Working from home does present some benefits, but disruptions are more likely to happen. Your friend comes over for a visit, a family member needs you to do something, and a hundred other forms of inconveniences. Something needs to be done so you can also do your work as quickly as possible. You should be more vigilant about your schedule when you don't need to go to the office. Temptations are there and if you aren't too strict about time, you'll always find some excuse to watch TV or take time out to finish that book.
You need to tone out interruptions. These may not be easy but it is very much possible. You just need the right planning and a lot of discipline. You need to clear out the clutter and find a quieter spot to work in. Get away from that TV and turn off the radio. Before you start your work, make sure you've set everything in place. Do all your household duties so you won't have an excuse to stop. The peace and quiet will allow you to do your job quickly. In little or no time, you'll see that you've done quite a lot. If small noises seem to bother you, you need to tune yourself out and close the door just so you don't hear anything.
A great way to not let distractions and interruptions ruin your ability to work is to simply learn how to focus. No matter what you do, never get up from the seat and do something else. Of course, you also have to know what to filter out and ignore. There are things that require your immediate attention. Don't forget that the world doesn't stop revolving for you. Things can happen and you just have to acknowledge some of them. When work gets interrupted, you need not get frustrated. It is important for you to stay calm and cool. It is imperative for you to keep a clear mind because this may ruin your work altogether. Remember, nothing is worth getting upset over.
You just have to learn how to handle the Interruptions. Deal with them if you must so that they will no longer be an issue. As long as a cloud is hovering above your shoulder, your output will never be as good as it ought to be. If your phone keeps ringing off the hook, answer the call. If it's nothing too important, tell the person on the other line that you will get back to them at a later time so that you are not distracted. They will understand. To eliminate interruptions, you need to take care of the source of the problem. As a precautionary measure, you may want to allot time for these distractions and interruptions so that you eliminate the anxiety you feel.
