PROCRASTINATION: You've known about it since high school or college, when everybody boasted about it. Everyone put off papers for a basketball game or a night on the town. It was OK-you only go through college once, right? You left college, but did you leave procrastination? You are now accountable for procedures and personnel responsibilities more complicated and more consequential than any you shouldered in college. Have your habits and attitudes evolved to handle them?
TACKLING PROCRASTINATION: 1) Recognition. Be aware of the costs of procrastination and the benefits of reform. 2) Insight. Discover procrastination patterns in our work. 3) Enlightenment. Learn the ways other people have successfully changed their habits. 4) Action. Begin to use those methods to change our own habits.
THE COST OF PROCRASTINATION: Procrastination is a choice. Faced with some distasteful obligation, large or small, professional or personal, we choose to do anything but carry it out. At first, its deadline is comfortably distant. There is no need to act because we have so much time. After some time passes, we realize that we are letting valuable moments slip by. Yet we dread the task, disparage the goal, and continue to opt for more pleasing work. By this time, however, we cannot ignore the impending moment of accountability. We begin to think That Job is more difficult and more momentous than anyone realizes. We begin to make excuses to ourselves or others, knowing well are only trying to gloss over a worsening situation. Eventually, we begin to lose confidence in our ability to make decisions, control our performance at work, and even lead worthwhile lives.
REASONS: FEARS AND FEELINGS BEHIND PROCRASTINATION: If the risks of procrastination are so high and the results so grim, why do we do it in the first place? Often because, as we anticipate meeting a particular obligation, we are struck by fear and its corollaries: 1) Performance anxiety: fear of doing a poor job. 2) Dreading the outcome: fear of what will follow. 3) Disliking the task: fear of specific steps. 4) Boredom: fear of monotony. You can start to control your time by controlling these fears. Face them honestly, define them. ask yourself whether they are rational-are they directly related to the obligation at hand, or are they rooted in anxieties about other aspects of your life? Once you have reflected on them, focus on changing the circumstances that give rise to them. Take steps to overcome your fears and work towards your real objectives instead.
Copyright ae schwartz & associates All rights reserved. For additional presentation materials and resources: ae schwartz & associates and for a Free listing as a Trainer, Consultant, Speaker, Vendor/Organization: ae schwartz & associates
CEO, A.E. Schwartz & Associates, Boston, MA., a comprehensive organization which offers over 40 skills based management training programs. Mr. Schwartz conducts over 150 programs annually for clients in industry, research, technology, government, Fortune 100/500 companies, and nonprofit organizations worldwide. He is often found at conferences as a key note presenter and/or facilitator. His style is fast-paced, participatory, practical, and humorous. He has authored over 65 books and products, and taught/lectured at over a dozen colleges and universities throughout the United States.
home cleaning services Deerfield ..As each day passes, and more and more things need... Read More
Balancing Your Work, Family and Social Life... Read More
Does choosing which time we do an activity really make... Read More
Does it seem like there is never enough time in... Read More
"How do you DO it?!" If I had a dime... Read More
As I sit here in front of the computer... Read More
My job in Chicago began with three months of probation.I... Read More
Time is inelastic. Despite what some of us persist in... Read More
"You will never find time for anything. You must make... Read More
We live in a world where more is expected of... Read More
When you decide to become self-employed, you automatically become the... Read More
"Time management" is a myth. Time ticks by, whether you... Read More
So What Then Is The Opposite Of Procrastination? Urgency is... Read More
Riding the subway home yesterday, my typically silent car was... Read More
Determine Your Procrastination PersonalityBrook Noel is the author of The... Read More
What keeping time really means is...being on time!You know, there... Read More
I keep a fossil on my desk at all times.... Read More
Our daily lives are inundated with a crammed to-do list.... Read More
Do you believe that the best way to deal with... Read More
Women's health issues often are focused on goals to reach:... Read More
Partnering with the University of Pennsylvania Law School and the... Read More
How many times have you remarked to someone that there... Read More
As a small business owner, does the following paragraph sound... Read More
This may not sound like a big deal. But it's... Read More
We all face decisions that involve doing things that affect... Read More
recurring housekeeping Highland Park ..Sometime ago, my lovely wife woke me up in the... Read More
Yesterday, I'd just gotten comfortable at my favorite table in... Read More
"Time is what we need the most and what we... Read More
Do you believe that the best way to deal with... Read More
?busy, busy, busy, busy, busy?busy, busy, bus? OK, slap me... Read More
When do you want to make time for a networking... Read More
We are constantly inundated with routine (often boring!) tasks around... Read More
How many times have you remarked to someone that there... Read More
If you're like most people, you want to get better... Read More
Recently I saw an advertisement for a time management booklet:... Read More
And when you finally sat down to eat breakfast, was... Read More
Do you manage your time or does your time manage... Read More
I keep a fossil on my desk at all times.... Read More
Time is our greatest and most precious asset. Time is... Read More
An expert in time management was speaking to a group... Read More
The biggest time management mistake you can ever make is... Read More
"TIME CANNOT BE 'MANAGED.' THE WHOLE CONCEPT OF TIME MANAGEMENT... Read More
Do you have plenty to do, but don't have enough... Read More
Setting goals is the easy part -- but sticking with... Read More
If you can motivate yourself at will to get any... Read More
What would be your reaction if someone said to you... Read More
Why Read?It's been said that there are three kinds of... Read More
Once you have completed your day you can boost your... Read More
As each day passes, and more and more things need... Read More
How you spend the first sixty minutes of your day... Read More
Time Management |