I always say to people that they should put procrastination off until tomorrow!
I think most people procrastinate. It’s a strategy many of us use to put off doing the stuff we need to get done but are afraid we will fail or succeed at. This procrastination video Tales of Mere Existence describes what we sometimes do brilliantly.
I was checking out paper.li, a great resource to publish a niche online newspaper about your interest if you are on Twitter and very simple to set up, when I came across this brilliant framed poster.
Sometimes you need to be tough on yourself to get out of the procrastination rut. Give yourself a good talking to and listen carefully. You also need to recognise the difference between procrastination and when you have just driven yourself so hard you have lost your mental energy. We are often intolerant of our perceived failures especially if we work from home. Remember one of the useful beliefs for blogging success – ‘There is no failure – only feedback’. It’s no good beating yourself up when you are already battered from a long day at the office.
Perhaps the point I’m trying to make is that we need to use both high challenge and high support in equal measure in order to maximise our performance and be as productive as we can be. Too much self challenge stresses us out. Too much support makes us too comfortable and leads to distraction and procrastination to fill the time.
This is also a strategy for dealing with procrastination in others. Do you have someone on your team who is responsible for writing blog posts? Depending on how competent and motivated they are they may just need a more challenging project to get them out of a rut, a bit of training to improve a skill or just a supportive chat to help them see their strengths. Often we can become blind to our strengths because they are so natural for us.
So stop messing around and get on with it – and throw a bit of love into the mix.
Poster image thanks to Neil Humphrey of Studio Maximus
You can buy the anti-procrastination poster here
How do you deal with procrastination when it strikes?
Angel Collins says
January 31, 2012 at 4:22 amI am guilty of procrastinating sometimes but I make sure that I’d be able to go back on track and that I can do the best outcome when I return back to my work. It is not a good habit to procrastinate but sometimes I just feel lazy enough. 🙂 Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Andy Britnell says
May 9, 2012 at 10:17 amHaha – thanks for lightening the mood Angel!
As I mentioned in a previous reply, procrastination is a strategy we play out for which we often have an unconscious escape route. We’ll procrastinate for a while, and then we might get bored, and then feel guilty, and then feel angry, and eventually we break out of it and start to do something.
It’s difficult to work it out sometimes but useful to know what breaks the spell!
Adeline says
February 1, 2012 at 12:07 pmI have many of those mental burn out days. Procrastination happens mostly because the love is gone. So how does one rediscover that love. And even more importantly, is the rediscovered love as strong as it was when you first started out. I guess it’s the circle of life. You rise, you fall, you pick up yourself and keep on going…Thanks for the stern “stop messing around ” message.
Andy Britnell says
February 1, 2012 at 1:04 pmThat’s got me thinking Adeline – there could be a blog post in that statement. I think your ‘mostly’ rider is probably right. I still think fear has a lot to do with it which comes from old patterns of behaviour and limiting beliefs that no longer serve us.
It depends on your idea about what love is. Love is more than just a feeling – sometimes we have to be willing to compromise and do things we don’t particularly want to do to get to the end game. We have a relationship with our blog – sometimes we are close to it and the passion is strong. At other times we feel we are drifting apart from it. And that’s OK. As you point out it is all about the circle of life. We drift away, we drift back and as long as we don’t get disheartened when we don’t feel the love the relationship will get stronger!
On the other hand I might just be too idealistic 🙂
Thanks again Adeline for a thought provoking comment
Kirya says
February 12, 2012 at 12:29 pmRegarding framed poster – I would suggest you to buy Nike T-short of your favorite color, with their “Just do it!” and put it into the frame.
PS I am seriously thinking about making same poster for myself! 🙂
Andy Britnell says
February 22, 2012 at 11:37 amHi Kirya
Apologies for not responding sooner – I’m writing content for another blogger, editing screencasts, building a membership site and generally being very productive. So I am “Just Dong It” 🙂
On the internet speed of implementation is key.
Stay productive
Andy
Hire php developers says
February 17, 2012 at 9:37 amProcrastination may result in stress, a sense of guilt and crisis, severe loss of personal productivity, as well as social disapproval for not meeting responsibilities or commitments.
Andy Britnell says
May 9, 2012 at 10:13 amThat’s a bit harsh 🙂 but there is a lot of truth in it.
Procrastination is a personal strategy and when the chips are down we will get moving. Failing to meet responsibilities and commitments is probably more down to lack of motivation or lack of capability to delver a task.
Thanks for bringing a different perspective to the discussion.
Matt Kinsella says
February 21, 2012 at 8:16 pmI have found when I am in the lazy mood the only thing that works is some tough love. I just have to make myself get on with it, no other options for getting things done in my experience.
Andy Britnell says
February 22, 2012 at 11:32 amThanks for popping by Matt.
You’re right. Often you just have to search inside for that extra resource to get you going again. Sometimes you need an inspring picture of what you are going to achieve, sometimes getting a sense of what it would feel like if you failed and sometimes you just need to give yourself a good talking to.
Or you just have to remind yourself that it makes sense to carry on.
Michelle says
April 11, 2012 at 2:22 pmLove thsi post. I think procrastination is quite bad, especially in terms of blogging. I believe that procrastination can lead to you neglecting your blog, which in essence is neglecting your readers, your platform and essentially neglecting your passion. I love the line “Sometimes you need to be tough on yourself to get out of the procrastination rut.” I agree. It’s best you shake yourself out of that rut before you fall into it and can’t climb out.
Andy Britnell says
April 23, 2012 at 11:10 amThat’s right Michelle – nothing worse than neglecting your readers and your passion. A groove can turn into a rut very easily so self awareness about when we are falling into one is essential.
Thanks for dropping by and leaving a comment
Alex says
August 2, 2012 at 1:15 amI am the master of procrastination!!! The master, I said. I hope I’ll change this..
Trent says
November 20, 2012 at 9:15 amStop Dicking around and get on with it…this may become my new life motto!
Andy Britnell says
November 22, 2012 at 12:02 pmHahaha – perhaps I’ll have it inscribed on my gravestone!
Morten Liell says
November 21, 2012 at 11:37 pmSpot on! I procrastinate things now and then, and I usually know when I do so, but sometimes I also burn myself out – like the last couple of weeks. I made a decision today to go to bed earlier than usual and getting up earlier than usual because I got to bed way too late (early?) yesterday. The time was 9 AM before I could get myself to bed! I had set some goals for myself that I felt I had to finish, but when the cost of that is waking up 20 minutes before I’m supposed to be at work, it’s simply not worth it. Even though we might have a lot of things that needs to be done, we also need to realize that even though we have a lot of things to do, we might need to focus on the importance of getting some rest before we’ve come to the point that we’re burned out. Procrastination is not a good trait, but there’s a huge difference between procrastination and knowing when you need to rest. Thanks for the reminder. I’ll definantly be sure to get to bed earlier tonight!
Andy Britnell says
November 22, 2012 at 11:52 amHi Morten
Yes, there is an important distinction between procrastination and your body telling you that you need to slow down a little and get some R & R! If you don’t listen to the subtle nudges it gives you eventually your unconscious mind will give you something to really slow you down, like a cold or the flu!
Often when I let go and give myself a break from work by taking a day off, I find that I have an email or message enquiring about work.
Hope you get tucked in early tonight 🙂
Morten Liell says
November 23, 2012 at 9:50 pmI did go to bed earlier that night and it felt really nice. I woke up with no alarm at 6:45 AM, starting to work on my business before I headed off to work. I had a great feeling within after that!
I see what you mean. Last night I turned off my phone for once, and when I woke up there was a lot more e-mails, calls, notifications and so on waiting for me than when my phone is constantly turned on. Weird, but I like it!
Andy Britnell says
November 24, 2012 at 1:52 pmCool – magic can happen when you change your habits!
Billy says
February 16, 2015 at 10:02 pmNice article. Life is too short, no point wasting time and procrastinating.
Andy Britnell says
February 26, 2015 at 6:37 pmToo true Billy
Thanks for dropping by and leaving a comment
vipin says
July 12, 2016 at 7:11 amYou are right. Fighting procrastination is not easy. The biggest enemy of life. At times we keep delaying things because we fear we will fail. One of the best way to deal with procrastination is taking action-DO IT NOW. Otherwise whole life will go waste.
Andy Britnell says
July 12, 2016 at 11:51 amThanks for the comment Vipin.
You’re dead right. Do it now can be the best strategy – especially with writing.
And sometimes the time is not right! Trust your intuition on this one. Sometimes it’s best to do something else now 😉