Procrastination
Procrastination is that wonderful little technique that enables us to lose track of those precious hours while catching up on the latest internet craze. We can all be a little guilty of this from time to time. It can often sneak up on us when we are distracted, our brains are overwhelmed or we would like to avoid a difficult situation.
If you find that your brain space strays to thoughts like:
- “I can always do it tomorrow (or next week, next month, next year)”
- “The deadline is kind of flexible,” “I’ll do it soon,” or
- “The due date isn’t for ages…”
Then it may be a sign that you are also falling into the procrastination void.
How to avoid it
In avoiding getting bogged down with procrastination, implementing methods like tracking your activity can help with understanding where you time goes. If I were to ask you how long an average task would take, would you be able to answer it with certainty? We don’t often know how long something takes, which can lead to the statements like, “Oh, is it that time already?”
Time logging
A time log can assist in working out where that time goes. You might also like to have a stopwatch on your desk and time yourself to check. There are also some great apps out there to track your activity both on your phone and your computer. More recently I have heard of an app called Forest which aims to help regain focus and remove procrastination.
When working with a team, it is also important to keep in mind that not everyone will work in the same way you will. We are all unique and don’t always march to the beat of the same drum. As humans, we are wired differently. When it comes to our relationships with our work and with others, we will look at it at varying levels and this includes our relationship with time.
Final note
It is important to recognise that your expectations of time and how to control it may be different to someone elses. If you find that you are becoming distracted by others, it may mean finding some quiet space. Or you may be the ‘distractor’ which may mean some self-awareness around habits to avoid distracting others.
Benjamin Franklin was once quoted as saying; “Don’t put off to tomorrow what you can do today”. So, what is it that you are trying to put off until tomorrow and can you do something today that your future self will thank you for?
