It is hard to force yourself to call annoying clients or work your way through a difficult project. Well, this is an ability, the ability to make yourself do the things you really don’t want to do, that can be trained and you can get better at it. All you have to do is to choose the suitable strategy, claims HBR in an article on the bmmagazine.co.uk website.
Your strategy choice is based on your reason for procrastinating.
1. You postpone the task because you doubt you can accomplish it successfully
There are two approaches to a task you need to finish. First is the “promotion focus” approach. In this case, your possible gain from the accomplishment motivates you. Your superior will be impressed, you will be praised and respected for your achievements. But the problem is that this approach only works when you are feeling optimistic and eager.
When you are feeling like you are never going to succeed, than the “prevention focus” approach is better. You do not think about possible gains; instead, you focus on prevention of loss. A successfully completed project means that your boss will not be upset – this loss avoidance is more likely to get you to take immediate action. The possible danger forces you to get cracking.
2. You postpone the task because you just do not feel like working on it
Oliver Burkeman deals with this issue in his amazing book called The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can’t Stand Positive Thinking. The problem is that you do not feel like doing whatever you need to do. The trick is: you do not need to feel like doing it, but do not let this prevent you from starting to work!
All that is actually necessary is that you must want to see the project finished, the unpleasant work done, or an annoying client handled. Do not focus on what you would like to do. Do what you need to do instead.
3. You are putting the task off because it is so boring
Do not rely solely on your will power. If it was strong enough, you would never postpone anything in the first place, right?
Use the if-then strategy. If it is 3pm, you will stop doing what you are doing and begin the giant pivot table. It is more than just planning what you will do, it is determining when exactly you will do it. Not following such plan is already much harder than just postponing a task you have not included into your program.
-jk-