Many articles have been written on how to stop putting things off until the last minute. British Psychology expert Kim Morgan offers an unconventional and easy way: ask yourself the right questions.
Thirty-year-old Amanda turned to me for help. “I always pull to the last,” the girl admitted. — Instead of the right thing, I often agree to do anything. I somehow spent the whole weekend doing laundry and ironing instead of writing articles!”
Amanda reported that she had a serious problem. Her office sent the girl to advanced training courses, where for two years she had to regularly take thematic essays. The two-year term ended in three weeks, and Amanda didn’t have a letter written.
“I realize that I made a big mistake by starting things up like that,” the girl repented, “but if I don’t finish these courses, it will greatly harm my career.”
I asked Amanda to answer four simple questions:
What do I need for this to happen?
What is the smallest step I need to take to achieve this goal?
What will happen to me if I do nothing?
What happens if I reach my goal?
Answering them, the girl admitted that she had found the strength to finally sit down to work. After successfully passing the essay, we met again. Amanda told me that she wouldn’t let laziness get the better of her anymore — all this time she felt depressed, anxious and tired. This discomfort caused her a heavy load of unwritten material. And she also regretted that she had done everything at the last minute — if Amanda had sat down for an essay on time, she would have turned in better papers.
If a task scares you, create a file, give it a title, start collecting information, write a plan of action
The two main reasons for her procrastination are the feeling that the task is cumbersome and the fear of doing worse work than she wants. I advised her to break the task into many small ones, and it helped. After completing each small part, she felt like a winner, which gave her the energy to move on.
“When I sat down to write, I found that I already had a plan in my head for each of the essays. It turns out that these two years I did not mess around, but prepared! So I decided to call this period “preparation” and not “procrastination,” and not reproach myself anymore for a little delay before completing an important task,” Amanda confesses.
If you recognize yourself (for example, you are reading this article instead of completing an important project), I advise you to start by identifying the “obstacle” that is blocking your path to achieving your goal.
The task seems insurmountable. I do not have the necessary knowledge and skills.
I’m waiting for the right time.
I’m afraid of failure.
I was afraid to say “no” and agreed to the task.
I don’t believe this is possible.
I am not getting proper support.
I don’t have enough time.
I’m afraid the result will be far from perfect.
I work best in stressful environments.
I will do it when … (I clean up, eat, take a walk, drink tea).
It’s not that important to me.
The task seems insurmountable.
Once you have determined what exactly is stopping you, it’s time to write arguments against each of the «blockers», as well as options for solving the problem.
Try telling friends and colleagues about your plans. Ask them to periodically check in on how you are doing and inquire about the progress of the task. Don’t forget to ask them for support, and set a date in advance to celebrate your success. Send out invitations! You definitely don’t want to cancel this event.
Sometimes the size of a task makes us seem to freeze in place. To overcome this feeling, it is enough to start small. Create a file, give it a title, start collecting information, write a plan of action. After the first step, it will become much easier.