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Change Your Patterns Of Procrastination And Reclaim Your Life EnergyBy Life Coach Brook Montagna, M.S., Personal and Professional Coaching
Date: 05/28/2003
 “I can’t believe I let it go this
long!“
Sound familiar? Sadly, you may have said this about important
deadlines, such as completing a proposal that is due tomorrow morning,
formulating a financial statement for a business partner, or getting around to
the task we all dread –preparing and filing your taxes.
You haven’t
really hurt anyone else, but by failing to complete important tasks you have
slowed yourself down and made that reach for the golden ring just a little more
of a stretch. Despite the best of intentions, your unconscious procrastination
has you stalled, and it didn’t need to happen.
Look at Your Pattern
of Procrastination
There are a number of procrastination patterns. The “I
don’t know” pattern is the one I call unconscious. If you recognize yourself as
someone who doesn’t know where your time goes, these tips may help. You will
find that the awareness of time and what you do with it can begin to change your
life.
Begin by Becoming Mindful—with a pencil in
hand
Consciously, and completely without judgment, start to become
mindful of how you spend your time.
For at least one week keep a journal
and write down what you do with each 30 minutes of your day. In becoming aware
of how you spend your precious time, you will see how making conscious choices
about time will change your life.
You may see that you are doing things
you feel you should do, without taking the time to evaluate mindfully
which tasks you really want to do and which are really necessary.
If you are serious about taking control of your life, I guarantee that you will
find tasks that you can modify, delegate, or eliminate to give you more time for
the things you want to do.
In your journal, notice if you neglecting
tasks that should be ongoing, things that 20 minutes a day would keep under
control, like bookkeeping or filing, and would be time savers in the long run.
If you let these things go, they can become energy drains just to think about
the effort needed to catch up. And it doesn’t have to be that way.
Changing the Pattern
To change an unconscious procrastination
pattern, try these steps. For each task that you have been avoiding completion,
first focus on a vision of having it done and up-to-date.
How would you
feel without the underlying nagging guilt? How would you feel once you are no
longer expending the energy to avoid the fear of what will happen when you
finally face the task? Perhaps you will feel lighter and more self-confident.
What would you be doing with that released energy? Write out a vision of
your life as it will be when you complete important tasks on time. Include how
you will feel and keep this vision handy when you begin to change your pattern.
The next step is to carefully estimate how long it will take to do each
task. Then add 25% - 50% more to your time estimate. Why? – So that your
expectations for change are reasonable, and so that you may have some “free
time” left over for fun!
Now decide how you like to work smaller
chunks of time. For successful completion, it is important to find your own
rhythm for accomplishing tasks that you may not enjoy doing. Do you hold your
nose and take your medicine in one gulp? Or do you mix it with a spoonful of
honey? You know yourself best, and you probably know how you work best. If not,
then experiment until you find out.
OK. It is time to address
unconscious procrastination patterns. Pull out your calendar. (What? You
don’t use a calendar? This single change could solve a lot of your
procrastination problems!) While keeping your focus on the vision of how you
will feel when the tasks are on track, block off the actual times and days you
will complete the tasks. Be sure to be completely reasonable about this. Use
your time awareness journal to help. If the task is one you do not enjoy, be
sure to also schedule a time to do something you enjoy immediately after the
unpleasant task.
Now that you have a reasonable completion plan, how
will you be accountable to a life of accomplishment without procrastination?
Here are some suggestions. Fight the urge to be unconscious about your time.
Keep using your mindfulness journal of how you spend your time. Share your life
vision and the steps to getting there with an accountability partner – a friend,
family member, business partner, or coach. Set up a system to report your
successes. If you find that you are slipping, catch the pattern in the
beginning. Immediately drop all self-judgment and evaluate how you got off
track. Then go back to step one. Write your vision for your life, estimate the
time again, and re-work your calendar using what you just learned about yourself
and what took you off track. Always, always celebrate your success!
Procrastination is a time-thief that bedevils many people who would
rather be doing more of the things they love to do. Changing your patterns is a
process of continued self-awareness and fine-tuning your action plan for change
until you are successful.
For more help with patterns of procrastination and to be empowered for personal, professional, and financial success, contact Brook Montagna, M.S., Professional Coach call, 951-776-2844, or email at brook@mindfullifecoach.com.
This article may be reprinted for use in newsletters and websites
provided that the signature box is kept intact. Email notice of intent
to publish is appreciated: brook@mindfullifecoach.com
Brook Montagna, Life Coach
Coaching Individuals, Couples, and Groups
for Excellence in Life and Business
FREE Success Tips Newsletter, The Mindful Life
brook@mindfullifecoach.com
805-640-2445
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