Overcoming Procrastination

"You will never find time for anything.
You must make it."
-Charles Buxton

Did you know that the first week in March is National Procrastination Week? That’s right… there’s a special week set aside to remind us of this nasty little (or big) habit that all of us have in at least one area of our lives!

We don’t often pause to notice all the unfinished business in our lives. So here’s an opportunity to do just that! Are you in?

The first step is to do a “RAM Dump” so you can become consciously aware of all the mental yellow sticky notes that are on your brain or the actual notes stuck on your bulletin board or computer monitor right now. (If they have been there long enough, they have become like wallpaper and you may not even notice them anymore.) I can assure you that they won’t go anywhere soon unless you choose to do something about them now! These “sticky notes” -- I call them “incompletions” -- constantly suck energy without you even realizing it.

To do a RAM Dump, ask yourself a few questions and jot down your responses. RAM is the memory on a computer, so think of this like dumping your brain’s memory onto paper. The list may get quite long. That’s okay. I’ll guide you through what to do with your list after you have completed your RAM Dump.

RAM Dump Trigger Questions (write down your responses):

1. What commitments have I made to myself that I have not followed through on?

2. What commitments have I made to others that I have not followed through on?
3. What projects have I thought about but have not started?
4. What projects have I started but have not completed?
5. What goals do I have that I have not taken any action or completed action on?
6. What relationships in my life need tending to?
7. What messes (office, closet, garage, dining room table, etc.) need to be cleaned up?
8. What decisions do I need to make that I have been putting off?
9. What tolerations have I been putting up with in my life (a relationship, a habit of yours or someone else’s, something in your environment, things that don’t work, etc.)?

Once you have answered the questions above, you will probably have identified a long list of tasks or projects. The next step is to review every item on your list and make a decision for each one. Once you go through your list and make one of these five decisions, there should be nothing left on your list.

Here are your choices:

1. DUMP IT. You’ve decided that this is not important and you are giving yourself permission to completely let go of this task. (If you have made a commitment to someone else, you may need to renegotiate this with them before you cross it off your list.)
2. DELEGATE IT. You want it done, and you’ve decided to have someone else do it for you. Decide who will do it and by when, and set the wheels in motion to make it happen.
3. DO IT NOW! This is really important and it is time-sensitive. You need to do this right away. Either do it this second or schedule time NOW on your calendar for when you will do it.
4. DEFER IT FOR LATER. You still choose to do this, and it is not a priority right now. Either schedule time now for weeks or months later, or put a note on your calendar or in your tickler file to remind you to revisit this when the time comes.
5. FILE IT. You are not sure if you want to take action on this or not, but you are not ready to toss the idea. You decide to file it away to consider at a later date. I call this a “Perhaps List.”

Here’s a sample mini “RAM Dump.” Next to each example is a decision that has been made. I’ve also put some notes in parentheses about the action taken now.

• Prepare my tax returns – DO IT on March 6 (scheduled in calendar)
• Research airfares for summer vacation. – DEFER until April (transferred to index card and placed in April tickler file)
• Write a book. – DEFER making decision until September (note on index card in Sept. tickler file)
• Stain my deck. – DELEGATE to handyman. Call him in May (note in May tickler file to call handyman)
• Do yard clean-up. – DELEGATE to handyman. Call him in May (note in May tickler file to call handyman)
• Serve on Church Auction Planning Committee – DUMP IT. (schedule call to committee chair on March 6 and tell her I cannot serve but will donate something)
• Organize my closet. – DEFER until April (transferred to index card and placed in April tickler file)
• Get rid of obsolete papers in my file system. – DO March 13 (on calendar)
• Handle the piles of papers in my office. – Schedule for March 19 (on calendar)
• Talk with Sue about the disagreement we had. – DO IT. Call her on March 4 and schedule lunch (on calendar)
• Start a blog. – DUMP IT. Other priorities are more important and I’ve decided not to do it (crossed off the list)

Six Tips to Help You Overcome Procrastination

1. DEADLINES ARE YOUR FRIEND!
One great way to overcome procrastination is to set a deadline. Notice that the examples above have dates (or at least months to revisit) next to them. These need to go into a calendar or tickler file, as you most likely will not refer back to this list very often. Creating deadlines can decrease stress by motivating you to take action.  Our anxiety about completing a project is usually related to inaction. Anxiety costs us a tremendous amount of energy.  Once you have a deadline in place, it releases this energy and allows you to put it to good use.  It enables you to live more in the moment and let go of other things until it’s time to think about them.

2. GET AN ACCOUNTABILITY PARTNER.
By asking someone to hold you accountable in a supportive way, you put positive pressure on yourself to make your project a priority.  Be sure to choose someone who can suspend judgment and who has your best interest in mind. This person can nudge you when you fall off the wagon, and can also be there to help you celebrate your successes.

3. SCHEDULE PROTECTED TIME.
Once you’ve scheduled when you will do something, you need to carve out the time to do it and protect that time so it does not get taken up doing other things.   This might require a "do not disturb" sign on your door, a conversation with co-workers or family about needing space and uninterrupted time, and willingness to shut the ringer off on the phone, turn cell phone off, or avoid email until your project time has ended.  In other words, identify ahead of time what boundaries you need to put in place in order to have the emotional and physical space you need to complete the task.

4. SCHEDULE CLEAN-UP TIME.
As you are working on something, you are bound to have ideas pop into your head about other things that need your attention. Discipline yourself to stick with the project you’re working on now. Have a sheet of paper nearby to jot down other tasks (call Joe, research a website, email Mary my answer, etc.). Then have some scheduled time at the end of your reserved project time to tend to those other things. By having designated clean-up time for other things, you are more likely to stick with the project without getting derailed.

5. SCHEDULE BREAKS.
You probably know your working style well enough to know if you are one who needs frequent breaks, or if you do best work when you dig into a project and spend hours on it before taking a break. If you need a break and you push yourself, you may form a negative relationship to project completion, which will cause you to procrastinate in the future.  Give yourself whatever breaks you need so you can enjoy the process.

6. IDENTIFY THE REWARDS OF COMPLETION!
When the project is done, how will your life be improved? How will you feel?  What's the benefit of completing this project?  Put it in writing, and keep the list of rewards where you can see them.

When you have a big enough “why,” quitting is not an option!

Life is full of projects, so why not learn to make peace with the process and set yourself up for success?

In celebration of National Procrastination Week, do a Ram Dump, make your five decisions, and enjoy living in the moment without all that “sticky note” stress!

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