Procrastination: Time Thief

Why do we put off the jobs that we don’t like doing?  Why not just take care of what needs to be done- when it needs to be done?

Procrastination!  This is a choice that we make- yes a choice- to put off important projects in favour of lower priority tasks.  And boy can procrastination get us into trouble!

There are a few reasons that we procrastinate:

1. We do not find the task at hand enjoyable or it makes us uncomfortable so we choose to do something more agreeable although less important.
2. Our intentions are wishy-washy; we rationalize that the task will be better dealt with next week or when the weather gets nicer or when the boss is in a better mood…
3. We are easily distracted- especially with all of the things that we have to distract us these days- email, social media, hot coffee…

Procrastination robs us of our productivity! It also creates additional stress because those non-completed tasks are still there- nagging us!

It is important to note that putting a task off can also be a smart move- if the reason is a valid one!  For example, there is no point in rushing through a task if it can keep until you have a larger block of time to devote to it; if the task will be completed more efficiently after discussing it with your teammates then wait until after that meeting; if you can save gas by putting an errand off until there are two or three that can be completed in the same area then waiting may be the better choice.

Procrastinating is second nature to some of us but it is a habit that can be overcome!  We just need to create a new habit- by doing the least desirable tasks first so that we can enjoy the fun ones even more!