Hands up if you have said any of the following things at work lately;

'I've too much going on to focus on it'

'I would love to ...if only I had the time'

'I'll definitely start tomorrow'

These are all statements of procrastination. It is what we do when we postpone or delay activity and excuse ourselves from doing something. At one time or another we will all have done it in our lives and often the consequences are trivial.

What about the times when we postpone things, even when we know we should be doing it? Like putting off fulfilling project activities at work.

Most of us already know the benefits we can get from completing those tasks; A better mood - happiness, stress reduction, a sense of accomplishment and even undisturbed sleep. They all sound like things we want, right? So, what causes us to delay the start of an activity? What makes us struggle to commit to it?

Here are a few possible reasons;

• Fear of failure to start - 'I may not be good at it'.

• Perfectionist Syndrome- ''I don't want to make a mistake'

• Lack of self-belief to finish - 'I'll never stick at it'.

• Lack of motivation - 'the reward is not big enough'.

• Absence of Flow - 'I don't enjoy it'

• Perceived physical barriers - 'I'm too exhausted'

• Emotional states - 'I'm far too stressed’

When we do this, we excuse ourselves from having to reschedule the activities we are deferring. Two things result;

• Guilt (because we believe we should be doing it).

• We don’t get what we want.

Unwanted Procrastination

Unwanted Procrastination generates negative feelings like self- doubt, self-punishment and helplessness. When left to fester it can also lead to mental illness such as anxiety and depression. Physical health problems can then follow. To get what we want we must change our behaviour; our habits and find our willpower from within.

Here are six of my GET UP AND GO Work-Life Lifts to help you act when you are putting off those niggling tasks.

1. Start now.

Just start - take the plunge. Commit yourself and do it now, despite the perceived risks involved. Doing something, rather than nothing, will get you closer to what you want.

2. Turn the tables

When you start to talk yourself out of doing that activity, flip your thinking. Ask yourself, ''Why am I putting it off?' Listen to what your external and inner voice is saying to you. Identify your own unique reasons for delaying. Write them down, then flip them into the positive to motivate yourself to act.

Here's an example. Replace 'I'm too busy and stressed' with 'I will be more energised and less stressed afterwards'. Turning the tables on negative thoughts and focus on the positive benefits beyond the activity. This will remind you of what you will get in return for your efforts.

3. Switch it up until you find your flow

Keep changing the way you approach certain tasks until you find the way you most enjoy doing it. For example, if you find you are more effective solving a challenge by bouncing ideas off people, then form a peer group at work to help develop solutions rather than struggle to come up with them yourself. If this isn’t your thing then find someone who has done it before and arrange to meet and pick their brains. Can you do a task swap with a work mate that works for everyone and gets things done? Work towards finding a process you enjoy. The one that also gives you a buzz rather than face a battle.

We are far more likely to stick at something if we get enjoyment from it.

4.Slow and steady wins the race.

Set smaller daily tasks for project work. Ones that relate to your main goals. Focus on the small tasks every day. Release yourself from the pressure of thinking about achieving your end goal. As you tick off the tasks of the day you will be another step closer to what you want to achieve. This way you will get quicker wins. You also release yourself from stressing about where you are now in relation to where you want to be.

5. Do yourself a favour

We all know getting a reward for completing a task can motivate us to continue. How about having your reward before you complete the task. This way it can spur you to go on and finish the tasks that you are delaying. It works in two ways. By creating a debt that you owe to yourself and it also gives you the motivation to ask yourself for more. I like Gretchin Rubin's article, The Psychology of Rewarding Yourself with Treats, 'If I give more to myself, I can ask more from myself’. Forming good habits can be draining, so having a healthy reward before our task can act as an effective motivator.

6. Set positive reminders

Today smart technology allows us to get reminders for anything, almost anywhere. Reminders are interruptions. Things that stop us from what we are doing - distractions that make us consider the next course of action or remind us to do something. We are not always receptive to the reminders we set for ourselves. Think about our alarm clocks - the snooze button is a method of rejection. Yet we still manage to get up and start our day. It can work the same way for doing the tasks we delay or avoid. Even though you might not welcome the reminder you are more likely to start acting on it if you receive an alert.

Set a positive reminder for key activities where you are procrastinating. Make it a reminder that makes you smile to put you in the right mood. If you don't want to create your own, there are so many to choose from in the Google Play or Apple Store - your favourite song, laughing guys, horse whinnies and even bullfrogs.

The Time to Act is Now

Why wait? Get Up and Go. Free yourself from procrastination. I wish you the greatest success with it.

I would really love to hear from you if you found this article helpful. Search for me on Linkedin at RootballLtd on Facebook or Rootball_ on Instagram and let me know how it's working for you.

About the Author

Kate Halewood is a Leadership, Careers and Life Coach specialising in behavioural transformation. She has over two decades of success in strategic and operational leadership, specialising in change management and business development. She started her career in hotel management, working for prestigious global hotel brands, Marriott and Hilton, as well as the renowned Carden Park Hotel, Golf and Spa Resort and latterly the Macdonald Hotels Group. Moving into the Transport Sector at a regional leadership level, she also headed up the Commercial Revenue and Marketing Team for Merseyrail Electrics as well as the Customer Development Team for the Merseytravel Transport Authority. Passionate about helping people overcome what's holding them back and to do more of what they do best, Kate has followed her purpose, become a qualified Life and Performance Coach and now runs her own company, ROOTBALL Coaching & Consultancy, working with private clients, entrepreneurs and corporate leadership teams to help them and their business thrive. She is also an active mentor and volunteer for the Princes Trust and board member for the Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse Theatres Trading Board.
Get in touch if you would like Kate’s help on how you and your leadership team can free yourself from procrastination.