Man, if I had a loonie, or even a quarter, for every time that phrase passed my lips, I'd be set for life!
I don't know what it is. Maybe it's the pandemic. Maybe it's middle-age. Maybe it's the alignment of the planets. But procrastination has been rearing its ugly head with a vengeance. Sometimes it's as simple as "I don't feel like it right now. Maybe later." There's really no rhyme or reason to it and it happens with big things and with little things. I know that some things will only take a minute or two and yet... I still default to "I'll do it later."
I'm always on the hunt for an antidote to this procrastination; reading news articles and blogs to see if there is something, anything, that can make me procrastination-proof. I came across a BBC article from late last year which touted Four Keys that could help me Unlock Procrastination. Excellent! Fire away.
Sooo... the gist of the article centres on the idea of asking yourself four simple questions when you find yourself sliding down the slippery slope of procrastination:
- How could someone successful complete the goal?
- How would you feel if you don't do the required task?
- What is the next immediate step you need to do?
- If you could do one thing to achieve the goal on time, what would it be?
I think I'm going to have to print out these questions at some point... no wait... right now! ... OK, I'm back, that took like a minute to copy and paste into a Word doc and fill a page with five sets of the questions. I'm going to tape them to various strategic locations in the house. The bathroom mirror seems like a good place given that the sink and toilet need ongoing cleaning... and showering has become a less than daily ritual. On my office desk is another good place and on my computer monitor, because not filing papers or replying to emails immediately is a pet procrastination peeve. Maybe one in the kitchen by the patio door too, for encouraging a myriad of outdoor tasks. And one by the front door to encourage me to climb Beast Hill in the morning!
Will these four questions make a difference? Well, I already like the first question. How could someone successful complete the goal? For exercise and general fitness, I only have to think about our sports medicine guy who is an avid runner and super lean and trim. He's definitely successful in the fitness/health category. I know what he would do... he'd go up Beast Hill in the mornings, come rain or snow. I know the question says "how could someone" as opposed to "how would someone" but I'll try it this way and see where it gets me.
The second question... How would you feel if you don't do the required task?... hmmm... I know how I feel when I don't do the task... it niggles at me and sucks up brain space. I think about it at various odd moments during the day and feel guilty. Yucky feeling.
The third question could be helpful too... What is the next immediate step you need to do? When I'm standing, brushing my teeth, looking at the bathroom sink which could really use a quick wipe, I always think, "I'll do it later". Because I'll have more time later? Or I think cleaning the sink is going to take too long? Argh. But... ask the question... what is the next immediate step that I need to do? Just get out the rag from under the sink... and then the spray bottle of cleaner.. and a scrappy old tooth brush to clean around the drain. I'm sure I could give the sink and counter a quick once-over in just a couple of minutes. So focusing on the next immediate step might be just the ticket.
As for the fourth question... If you could do one thing to achieve the goal on time, what would it be?... I think the answer to that will usually be "Just get started! On something! Anything!" But... who knows, as I work with this, other things may appear.
Right then, I'm taking my printed sheet, cutting it up into strips and taping these around the house... I'll report back in a few weeks if this has made any difference to my procrastination.
Photo by Brett Jordan from Pexels
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