Conquering Procrastination in the Workplace
Conquering procrastination in the workplace is possible, but it will take both time and discipline. Overcoming any bad habit requires practice and intentionality. In this blog post, I will share with you a little about my own struggles with procrastination. Later, I will provide 5 ways to overcome procrastination at work.
My Problem with Procrastination
I must admit that once upon a time, I was a serial procrastinator. In high school I had a history project that counted towards a significant portion of my grade. My friends and I had weeks to complete this project, but we waited to the last minute to complete it.
I was shocked and surprised that we received an excellent grade on this project. We were even selected to represent our high school in a citywide history competition. I remember this made a mark on me and I thought, “Waiting to the last minute is really not a bad idea.”
This bad habit of procrastination continued even when I was in college. I recall turning in a 60-page term paper very early one Saturday morning. The paper was actually due on Friday, but I stayed up all night to work on it. As I look back, I believe I may have received some sort of adrenaline kick from waiting until the last minute to complete my assignments. Do you think these habits followed me into the workplace? Of course they did, because up until this point it was a learned habit and I did not see any reason to change.
However, as I look back at my previous habit of procrastinating, I realize that it was actually quite stressful. Not in the initial stages of course, but as I sensed my work deadlines approaching. I realized that it was time to sink or swim, and my stress level intensified. Today I realize that there is a much better way to handle that To Do list, and it is by doing the most important task first. It’s even more important when it is a task that you despise, or you dread completing. It is best to complete this type of task early on in your day.
” …there is a much better way to handle that To Do list… by doing the most important task first. “
Resist Task Avoidance at Work
I know, I know, you may be thinking, “but I really don’t want to do that (insert task here).” But that is exactly why you should complete that task first. Once you complete the undesirable task, you will get a sense of relief because the hardest or most unpleasant task was completed first.
Then you can move on to the next unpleasant task, and so on. This will allow you to end your workdays a bit more calmly. It will also provide you with a sense of accomplishment, because you conquered the difficult task and did not allow that task to conquer you!
Some tips to help you conquer procrastination at work:
- Prioritize your To Do list (put your tasks in order from most important to least important).
- Do the most important and toughest tasks first.
- Avoid distractions (turn off your phone, don’t check emails, etc.)
- Take notice of how you feel when you accomplish the difficult tasks first.
- Reward yourself for completing the difficult task.
As a final note, I should mention that procrastination can potentially have a negative impact on our mental health and job performance. Whenever we choose to intentionally direct our efforts to the most important tasks first, we can conquer the desire to procrastinate at work. This will help us to feel both content and productive within the workplace. Keep in mind that conquering procrastination in the workplace will increase your wellbeing and your peace of mind.
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