The 6 Ways To Beat Procrastination At Work
by Peter Murphy
The assignment that your boss gave you several days ago
still isn't done. The assignment is a report that your
boss needs to take to an important meeting, and you may get
a big promotion if the meeting goes OK. You've had plenty
of time to get it done, but still just don't do it even
though your future career could be in jeopardy. What's
wrong with you?
You are one of the millions who procrastinate. You feel
inadequate, guilty, depressed and have low self-esteem.
Procrastination means avoiding doing tasks, which need to
be done - sometimes doing them at the last minute or
sometimes never doing them at all.
The reasons for procrastinating are as numerous as the
excuses one can make for not completing tasks. A few of
these reasons are listed below:
1. If you are a poor manager of your time and have trouble
identifying your objectives, you most likely are
overwhelmed by your tasks. You try in vain to prioritize
them, and failing at that you've even been known to
secretly throw a few written requests into the trash, and
later claiming you never got them. You are a
procrastinator.
2. You find it hard to concentrate. You may think about
what you're going to cook for dinner or you daydream about
your next golf game. So you put off getting the job done;
you sit and think about it but take no action.
3. You may be easily distracted by outside influences such
as ringing telephones, other folk's conversations, and may
even spend time performing "no-brainer" tasks such as
sharpening pencils, shuffling papers, or make endless trips
to the restroom or coffee bar.
4. Your self-esteem is very low. You have a negative image
of yourself and believe that you're an underachiever who
can't succeed at much of anything. You also may be bored
with the task at hand and lack enthusiasm.
But listen up - you CAN break the procrastination habit at
work as well as in every other area of your life. Here are
a few suggestions:
1. Go on; admit that you have some fears and anxieties
about your ability to get the job done! It's a perfectly
normal feeling, and once you face your problems with
concentration, time management, and the inability to make a
decision, you can take steps to change them.
2. Instead of brooding about your problem areas, identify
your strong points, set your goals and priorities and
develop a "can do" attitude.
3. Use time wisely. The value you place on yourself and
your work has a direct bearing on your ability to do your
work in a timely, consistent manner.
4. Set priorities and perform each job accordingly. Tackle
the jobs you dislike aggressively; it's best to get them
done and out of the way. Consider breaking large
assignments into smaller segments (if time allows).
5. Take a couple of minutes frequently to stand, stretch or
move about to energize both your body and your brain. If
possible, get some fresh air during breaks and your lunch
hour.
6. Take the initiative to change your work environment if
it causes distractions. Placing a barrier such as a tall
plant in front of your desk will block the view of
co-workers passing by. Make sure you have the information
and supplies at hand to avoid the temptation to wander away
from your work area.
A few changes in your attitude and work habits will make a
dramatic difference in the way you perform your work.
Peter Murphy is a peak performance expert.
He recently produced a very popular free report that
reveals how to crush procrastination and sustain lasting
motivation. Apply now because it is available for a
limited time only at:
http://www.getmotivatedstaymotivated.com/special.htm
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