Do It Today: How to Not Let Procrastination Get in Your Way by Adrean Turner
You’ve heard the saying “Why do today what you can put off until tomorrow?” That quote is attributed to Aaron Burr, the vice president of Thomas Jefferson, who’s quoted as saying the opposite: “Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.” That speaks volumes of the differences of these two men.
Unfortunately, at one time or another, we all have responded like Burr when it comes to getting things done. Procrastination is a widely prevalent phenomenon. Research indicates that before the COVID-19 crisis, approximately 20 percent of the adult population and around 50 percent of the student population procrastinate in a consistent and problematic manner, meaning that they experience significant difficulties in their everyday life as a result of their procrastination.
Procrastinating until you’re under the gun used to be my way of getting things done. If I had a deadline of Tuesday, I was up all night Monday plowing through the assignment. I can tell you from my own personal experience that it comes at a great price. The anxiety and stress associated with this type of pressure can be overwhelming and affect other areas of your life.
Timothy Pychyl, a psychology professor at Carleton University, has studied procrastination for more than 19 years. Dr. Pychyl found that the main thing driving procrastination is not avoiding work. It’s avoiding stress.
In the book the The Five Second Rule: Transform Your Life, Work, and Confidence with Everyday Courage, Mel Robbins says, “We procrastinate because we feel stressed out. Here’s the catch…you aren’t stressed about the work. You are stressed out about the bigger stuff: money, relationship problems, or life in general.” Procrastinating over our work is a mini stress break from the bigger stress felt in general.
If you find yourself putting things off and delaying tasks for the future, it’s time to make a change. Try these strategies to procrastinate less and get more done.
Become more aware. The only person you’re fooling is yourself. Stop living in denial. Accept that you are a procrastinator. Otherwise, you’ll never be able to address the issue and work on overcoming it.
Think about what your procrastination is costing you. Is your procrastination putting your job at risk? Do you have a million things to do around the house that just aren’t getting done? If you stop and think about the consequences, it may give you the motivation to work on ways to fix it.
Make a list and prioritize. Sometimes we put things off simply because we don’t want to deal with them. Determine the type of task, the amount of time needed to complete each step, and the required resources to complete the assignment. Then put them in order of importance. Organizing your activities will make it easier to stay on track. Start small and set bigger goals as you gain momentum.
Eliminate distractions. If you are in the middle of a project when the telephone rings or the computer pings, let it wait. Your results are determined by your discipline to stay focused. Turn off the ringer and let others know you’re unavailable.
Keep in mind, these strategies are helpful only if you use them. Start today. Let go of procrastination and say hello to more success in managing your time and tasks. For more tips to get more done and manage your time, watch my video on how to create a success list to accomplish your goals.
Adrean Turner is an author, certified career coach, speaker, professional development trainer, and business consultant. She leverages 23 years of experience in management, marketing, operations, teaching, and training to partner with individuals, entrepreneurs, and organizations to achieve their maximum potential. For more information and inspiration from Adrean, read her book F.I.T. for Success: Fearless, Inspired, Transformed for Success. You can follow Adrean on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.