Ten Ways … to avoid
procrastination By Robert Ashton
Let’s be honest; we all procrastinate at times, I certainly do. I have an innate tendency to overthink things which slows my decision making. It can be useful to mentally extrapolate each option to its possible final conclusion, but of course this is largely folly, as none of us knows quite what the future will bring. Who for example could have predicted that a virus would emerge in China and decimate the stock market, oil prices and do more in a week to reduce air travel than Greta Thunberg could have hoped to achieve in ten years. I can also confess that at times, I spend days deliberating over
the subject to choose for this column. This time however, that was not possible, because a message from the editor popped into my inbox which read: ‘I sent out my usual reminders asking for copy by the end of last month, but having looked this morning, clearly I missed you off the e-mails.’ He was apologetic, but the fact remained that I needed to supply my copy within 72 hours if the magazine was to go to press on time. I did not have time to procrastinate, so have decided to make that the subject this time. Perhaps then I can suggest ten ways that might help you dither less and avoid procrastination. After all, it’s often a sign of a good leader.
1. Be unrealistic – Too often I let my enthusiasm commit me to meeting almost impossible deadlines. I love saying yes and usually cannot wait to get stuck in to a new assignment. Of course this plays havoc with my home life, but it does mean that I have no time to procrastinate. I may appear decisive, but in fact it’s usually because I don’t have time to be anything else!
2. Stick to the possible – I’m very aware that a few months ago I wrote here about the importance of thinking through key decision before making them. But what can drag this out into a maelstrom of procrastination is when the task in question is way outside your expertise, experience or comfort zone. Never be slow to delegate decision making to those better qualified to make them.
3. Listen to your body – Some of us are larks, and others owls. It’s pointless to plan to do your best decision making when your body clock is at its low point. I never do anything important in the first hour I spend at my desk each morning. Instead I deal with the little things that would otherwise clutter my day, drink a vast amount of coffee and then I’m ready to be decisive.
4. Accept that to do nothing is not an option – Imagine that your car is rolling out of control down a steep hill. The brakes have failed and you’re gathering speed by the second. Do you
try to jump out, or do you try to steer towards something that will stop the car? The longer spending deciding, the faster the car is travelling and the greater the risk to both options. So many business decisions have that same increasing urgency.
5. Write it down – You may have a powerful brain and be capable of multi-tasking, but writing down the pros and cons of the options you face can help your objectivity. Your heart might so go one way and your head the other. Writing things down will help you see them as they really are.
6. Put yourself in others’ shoes – Of course we’re all different and will see the outcomes of decision making differently, but remember you will probably have to deal with dashed hopes or the disappointment the decision you’re making will mean to others. I’m not saying you should always choose the most popular option, but seeing things through the eyes of others will make sure your own eyes are wide open. Remember too that when deciding the future of others, you need to be fast, firm and free of emotion. The time for compassion comes later!
7. Don’t look back – with the benefit of hindsight, many decisions you make might have been different. But none of us can fully predict what lays ahead, so make your decisions based on the evidence in front of you and please, never, never look back and say ‘oh I wish … ‘ because that’s a shortcut to unhappiness and possibly serious depression. Always look ahead and accept that many decisions in time are proved not to have been the best.
8. Reward yourself – we’re usually slow to treat ourselves, especially when at work, but sometimes, promising yourself a treat when a big decision has been made really helps. It need not be big or complicated; for example I will often visit the local gym after, never before, I’ve wrestled with a conundrum and decided, and communicated, my chosen plan of action.
9. Don’t keep your decision a secret – Sometimes telling people your decision can be as difficult as making the decision itself. This is especially true with thorny HR issues, or perhaps if you are ending a long term business (or for that matter) personal relationship. But a decision that is not shared and acted upon is not a decision at all, just an idea!
10. Make it a habit – Once you’ve made a few decisions more swiftly than you might once have done, it becomes easier. You’ll be surprised by how quickly you gain a reputation for being more decisive. The art of course is to be ruthless, but with compassion not cruelty.
So just as today I did not have the opportunity to procrastinate,
but chose my topic for this column quickly, I’ve found that I was able to write it quickly and I hope accurately. I’ll give the final word to Theodore Roosevelt, who said; ‘In a moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing to do, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing,’
FEED COMPOUNDER MARCH/APRIL 2020 PAGE 15
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