There comes a time when you don’t feel like working anymore. It happens to everyone, you are certainly not an exception. Rather, it would be surprising if you haven’t felt that way about a task or project till now. As an entrepreneur, you would have worked hard to get your business to a level where it is successful and stable. Yet, procrastination can tempt you at any time. Particularly if it is a task you don’t like doing, there is a bigger chance you would be enticed towards procrastination.
The general perception among businesspeople is that procrastination is bad. They expect their employees to be productive throughout, not wasting even a single minute while they are at work. However, there is a limit to how much work a person can do at once without getting bored or tired. If they have reached the tipping point, continuing to work beyond that time would actually lead to a drop in quality of performance and prove to be counterproductive.
Is Procrastination Always Bad?
The million-dollar question is whether procrastination is always bad. It is accepted that when you are doing something unproductive, you are forgoing doing something which could actually contribute to the success of your business. You would have a hard time finding someone who doesn’t enjoy some procrastination now and then. After all, there are several ‘benefits’ of doing so:
· Do enjoyable tasks instead of the work you hate doing
· Get rid of problems without working to find a solution
· Avoid the anxiety and stress that comes with some tasks
· Another person might actually do the task on your behalf
· You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to
For you however, procrastinating is not a very good idea if you really want to get to where you want to be and as quickly as possible. Let’s say you have an important decision to make regarding the expansion of your business premises. Procrastination can strike at any time so you aren’t immune to it. You could feel a strong urge to put your feet up on the table instead of exhausting your mental energy on all the various decisions that come with expansion.
From what is written here, you would assume that procrastination is inherently a bad thing. Then why does everyone feel the urge to procrastinate? Why do they feel bad when they actually do procrastinate? The benefits of procrastination notwithstanding, if you are putting off important work in the process, it is a bad decision. Very rarely would you find that procrastination is a good idea when it comes to taking your business to the next level of success.
The bottom-line is that you have to decide when to procrastinate. If you get the timing right, you would ensure that your time at work remains productive and you can make decisions which would help grow your business. On the other hand, if you have something urgent or extremely important to do, put off procrastination for a change.
Resisting the Temptation
Even if you have convinced yourself that your time is better spent working, there is a chance you would fall into the procrastination dilemma. You badly need to take a break but an important task is lying in front of you. In such a situation, you need to make a decision quickly to avoid wasting time. Ironically, procrastination can be called a fancy term for time wasting. Yet, you can waste much more time debating whether you should procrastinate or not.
So, how do you avoid falling in the trap? Let’s talk about 5 practical tips which will help you pass up procrastination, or at least procrastinate on less important activities.
1. Do the Hardest Work First
This is perhaps the best tip you can have for avoiding procrastination. The urge to procrastinate is at its peak when you are faced with something difficult and time-consuming. To counter the threat, start off with the hardest work first thing in the morning. Get that out of the way when your mind and body are fresh and well-rested. Complete those highest payoff activities first so you feel good throughout the day and can knock off even more than you thought possible. Chances are you would have completed the tasks before you feel the need to procrastinate, which you can do later!
2. Complete the Easier Tasks during ‘Non-Prime Time’
The general practice followed by entrepreneurs is contrary to the first step mentioned. Most of them try to get the easier things done first. What they don’t realize is that the important tasks are inherently associated to greater revenue generation. By going for the easier tasks first, you are actually avoiding revenue generation. Instead, you need to focus on the toughest tasks first. Get them out of the way and then tackle the easier tasks during the non-prime time when you don’t feel like you are at your peak energy.
3. Avoid Exerting Yourself
Procrastination is most likely to attack you when you are tired. This is why it is recommended that you start working as soon as you get to the office because that is when you are at your freshest. Make up a list of the work which needs to be done, placing the most important high payoff and revenue generation tasks at the top. That way, you can do the harder work in the morning and the easy work later on, hence no exertion which means no urge to procrastinate.
4. Take Regular Breaks
You might be surprised at this one. There is a misconception regarding the fact that procrastination is the same as taking breaks. This is not the case at all. Taking a break means you have ‘stopped’ working for a while. Procrastination on the contrary means that you are doing avoidance activities. It is when you don’t take a periodically needed break that your mind drifts towards procrastination. A break could be something simple like walking around the block, going up and down the stairs a few times, doing 100 sit-ups, or 50 push-ups, etc.
5. Visualize Your Success
Procrastination isn’t going to get you anywhere but resisting the temptation to procrastinate can take you places. To put it simply, procrastination can be a roadblock to the success and growth of your business. Whenever you feel the urge to do something other than work, just think about the success you will achieve when you completed the task you have planned for yourself.
Visualization is a way of tapping into the amazing power of your mind, so that you can train your brain to help you create the kind of life and business you want. Download my complimentary thought-provoking Power of Visualization, Creating and Enjoying Your Ideal Business and Ideal Life Guidebook, by going to https://www.accountabilitycoach.com/visualization.
Final Word
There are different motivators which can compel an entrepreneur to procrastinate. While the tips listed here are effective, you have to use them in a way which suits your work habits. Otherwise, you would have a hard time avoiding procrastination. So, work towards putting off any thoughts of procrastinating all day and take your business to the next level.
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