“The really happy people are those who have broken the chains of procrastination, those who find satisfaction in doing the job at hand. They’re full of eagerness, zest, and productivity. You can be, too.” Norman Vincent Peale
Pretend you’re back in high school (don’t worry, it’s just pretend!), and you’ve been given an assignment to read Wuthering Heights and write a 10-page report on the animal imagery found in the novel. The due date is four weeks from today. Do you:
a.) Write the paper the day after the assignment is given (because you’ve already read it ten times and can cite the animal imagery examples in your sleep – duh!)
b.) Space out the assignment over the month, reading and re-reading certain passages, taking notes, and creating a draft or two before finally writing the final product.
c.) Take it easy for 3 1/2 weeks, then cram all the work into the last 72 hours, frantically scanning the book and living on caffeine and adrenaline until some semblance of a report is done?
If answer “c” sounds like your general mode of operation in life, I think it’s safe to say that you suffer from a certain level of procrastination. Whether you’re planning a party or a wedding, completing an assignment for school or work, scheduling your summer vacation, researching your family tree for the big reunion, or facing any task that seems overwhelming, it is easy for procrastination to rear its ugly head, jeopardizing the successful completion of the project. In the next few posts we’ll offer a few tips you can use to fight the urge to procrastinate.
Tip #1 – Establish Milestones and Deadlines – A project with no target date is doomed to stretch on beyond any reasonable time frame for those prone to procrastination. Even if there’s no official deadline, set some milestones for yourself and write them down. Use an accountability partner – let them know your plan, and ask them to help you to meet your goal by regularly meeting with you to assess your progress and provide support and encouragement.
Next – Dealing with Procrastination, Part 2
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