There's
a dirty little secret that's little addressed in business circles:
a person without a deadline usually accomplishes nothing-and sometimes
those with deadlines accomplish next to nothing, too. We all know
talented people who sabotage themselves by submitting projects
and materials late, turning in rushed or sloppy work, or even
missing a deadline completely.
Why we procrastinate is a matter for psychologists and our mothers;
however, that is not the essay I'm writing here. We need to conquer
procrastination, though because it matters a great deal--to you,
your boss, and anyone you may wish to help.
Reality dictates that we all procrastinate at various times in
our lives. (The person without a single procrastination tale probably
has control issues that are more severe than we can deal with
here.). And who wants to employ a person who turns in rushed work,
making their manager look unprofessional?
Some people claim procrastinators are adrenaline-driven; others
think they are essentially lazy. The truth probably lies somewhere
in the middle; we all do it, we've all done it, and we usually
hate ourselves for it.
I was fortunate to begin my writing career in daily journalism,
where you are required to meet one or more deadlines a day. Looking
at a newsroom clock and knowing you have only three minutes to
send a coherent story to an editor can do one of two things: paralyze
your brain and force you to choose another profession, or allow
you a laserlike focus into the flow of ideas that are unleashed
by adrenaline and the "game" of meeting the deadline.
You
focus and get in the zone.
Here are a few ways I've discovered that can make our natural
tendency to procrastinate work for you instead of against you,
based on six basic personality types:
1)
The Planner--This is the ideal person to have lead
a project. Some planners are born, some are made, but most of
us learn planning only by taking responsibility for a project.
First, visualize your completed project or presentation. When
does it need to be completed? How can you make it the most creative,
most informative, entertaining and appealing project you can?
Now assign yourself a built-in deadline two or three days in advance
of your final deadline. This is your "soft" deadline.
This next part is very important: Tell everyone you work with
that this is your "drop-dead" deadline, and never, ever
admit that's it's anything else but that. Why? Because chances
are, somewhere in your network of coworkers, a procrastinator
lurks, a procrastinator who intentionally or unintentionally may
be positioned to sabotage you. Eliminate that stressor up front.
Take deadlines seriously.
Communicate early with those from whom you need information. Give
them reasonable deadlines they can meet. Estimate how much time
you will need to conduct primary or secondary research. Create
incremental deadlines to complete those tasks, too.
Follow up with those you've convinced to help you. Are they the
right people with the right skills and right information? Help
them as needed so they meet their deadlines with you.
Create an outline or list with all the tasks and deadlines scheduled
and post it near your computer. Look at it every day. You needn't
worry about the project every day; this is about doing one small
thing each day, or every other day, and doing what needs to be
done as each deadline comes up. Chances are, each step in the
process will take less time than you think.
If you meet incremental deadlines, you will be well-positioned
for success. Once you meet your soft deadline, you can rest easier
as you wade through the next few days of inevitable complications.
This is your buffer zone to proofread, resolve printing problems,
or find the best artwork to complement your presentation. Remember
Murphy's Law.
2) The
Athlete--Many of us were athletes in high school or
college, and love to win. Give us a ball and we 
will
kick it, hit it or throw it faster, higher, or more accurately
than anyone else on the court. Why? Because we want to. We want
to compete-and be the best.
This personality is probably one of the easiest to motivate to
meet deadlines because athletes are inculcated early by coaches
and parents with the desire to do their best. This group should
think of meeting a deadline at work as a competition. When you
meet the deadline, you win. Remember your glory days of team sports,
and rally your business colleagues to meet deadlines and goals,
too. And see Number One.
3) The
Gamer-- Some of us are not competitive. We are the Golden
Retrievers in the dog show of life. 
We
are not driven by accomplishments or prizes; we don't care if
we are first. What we really want is to plan our next vacation
or be with family and friends. And this is perfectly okay. We
are loveable and fun. We often think of creative ways to get people
to buy things and build good relationships with other people.
We are valued for our positive attitudes, creativity, and energy.
Gamers can be trained to meet deadlines, too. Adults with this
personality eventually understand that meeting deadlines is part
of a game for which you earn real money.
Think of meeting deadlines as playing parts of the "keeping-a-job"
game, and the winner is the one who skates in under the deadline
wire. When you pass Go of each incremental deadline, you get a
treat, like a bar of chocolate, or a walk with your dog.
Play it as close as you wish with your incremental deadlines,
but think of them as set in stone. As you meet all your incremental
deadlines, make that final push. After you turn in the project
or make the presentation, you win the game and receive a prize.
Now, wasn't that fun? Oh, and I almost forgot: See Number One.
4) The Narcissist -- We are the ones who find it necessary
to be the talkers, not listeners in a room. We 
are
fastidious about our appearances, and judgmental about how others
perform. We know we are the center of the universe, and that everyone
else's needs pale compared to our own. Of course, some of us find
it difficult to get work accomplished on time because of our obsession
with our own priorities. The Narcissist can be easy to motivate,
however, because we are obsessed with fantasies of unlimited success,
superiority, grand achievements, and everlasting fame. Tap into
that need and look to Number One.
5) The Depressive-- Some of us find it difficult to get
motivated over anything less than a monumental 
occasion,
like a wedding, or a funeral. We secretly have the opinion that
nothing really matters, and that few things in life are worth
doing at all.
If you are employed, however, and have an Eyeore personality,
you must recognize that some things in life ARE worth doing. And
if a boss requires it, these things are worth doing well.
In this case, the Eugene Schwartz method of working may appeal
to you. Eugene Schwartz is a wildly successful copy writer who
came up with the idea of 33.33. He believes that most of us can
only work for short periods of time without interruption, so why
not focus that short time completely on the task at hand? Before
he works, he sets a timer for 33 minutes and 33 seconds, and focuses
only on that specific task during that time. When the timer goes
off, he then makes the choice to keep going with his ideas or
quit. This method takes the anxiety out of productivity. Everyone
can focus for half an hour. And yes, see suggestion Number
One.
6) The Shy one-- We are the ones who graduated from high
school, yet are still convinced people judge us 
by
our clothing, or hair, or shoes. We tend to be truly mortified,
not amused, when there is spinach on a tooth after a business
luncheon. We sweat when we are forced to walk into a room full
of people, shake someone's hand and make chit-chat. We are not
interested in meeting anyone that we feel may not immediately
become a friend. Some people think of themselves as shy, when
they are actually obsessive or have anxiety problems. The best
way to conquer shyness is to acknowledge that shyness is a form
of low self-esteem-you don't believe that you are worthy to exist
in a sociable world and interact with peers. This is nonsense.
If you were unworthy, you would have been born a jellyfish, or
an ant.
Those who procrastinate because they suffer from shyness must
build self-esteem little by little by taking on responsibilities
and meeting deadlines. Nothing breeds confidence like success.
Integrate easier into the business world by going back to Number
One.
Now that we've identified ways that six basic personalities can
stop procrastination problems now, I have one more piece of advice:
Celebrate your successes!! Love your family and/or pets,
and be good to your coworkers and friends. So often we live our
lives deadline-to-deadline, never taking the time to savor our
accomplishments. When you meet a deadline, go to lunch with friends.
Take the kids ziplining! Buy a new sofa! Life doesn't get much
better than when you provide value to your company and keep your
job, or win a client!
No matter your personality, no matter your outlook on life, you
can break yourself of the procrastination habit, and accomplish
big goals by doing necessary small tasks every day.
About the author:
A
graduate of Miami University of Ohio with a master's degree in
English from San Diego State University, Melinda Zemper has worked
as a daily newspaper reporter and feature writer; a magazine editor;
public relations editor; university teacher of English; and community
volunteer. She is a member of the West Chester Chamber Alliance
and the Cincinnati Better Business Bureau. Oak Tree Communications,
LLC offers writing and editing; media and crisis media relations;
strategic and tactical marketing planning; and event and campaign
publicity. Oak Tree also partners with trusted professional affiliates
to provide corporate restructuring and re-branding, graphic design,
logo creation and makeovers, photography, and Web site creation
and maintenance. Visit http://www.oaktreecommunications.com/index.php
for more information
Inc.
Break
Your Procrastination Habit Now-