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How to Beat Procrastination

Posted by Editor @ 9:17 PM, Thursday Apr 10th, 2008

One of the greatest obstacles to success at work is procrastination. It seems that people who put everything off until the last minute are just trying to avoid their responsibilities. Recent studies have proven that some people are chronic procrastinators. The man at work that always seems to wait to finish his projects is probably late when paying his bills or filing his taxes. Procrastination seems to be a lifestyle for some people. 

There are three types of procrastinators. Firstly there are the avoiders. These individuals have a lack of self discipline and may also suffer from a lack of self esteem. They put off their work as long as they can because they either fear failure or even success. These people are more comfortable having others think that they are lacking in effort instead of ability.  

Secondly there is the arousal type of procrastinator. This is the “thrill seeker” who enjoys the added pressure when finishing a project right at the last minute.  The final type is the decisional procrastinator. This individual may feel that by not making a decision at all, it releases them from any responsibility of the outcome. All types of procrastination are what we called learned behavior. In order to beat it, you must retrain yourself to view things in a different and more productive light. You must first discover the root of your procrastination. It may be a question of self esteem. If this is the case, you must raise your self esteem levels. You should evaluate yourself honestly, concentrating on your strong qualities and strengthening your weaker ones. You must begin to appreciate your worth an intelligent human being who is capable of accomplishing any goals you set for yourself. Whether you are a decisional or an avoider type of procrastinator, you have to have faith in yourself that you can complete a task or make a decision.

 

You need to push yourself to start on projects as soon as you get them and attempt to finish them long before their deadline. This may be difficult at first, but once you realize the satisfactory feeling of being done with time to spare, it will become easier. You have the power to change your behavior. The arousal procrastinator is a different story. This is the hardest procrastinator to retrain in behavioral patterns because they enjoy the” rush” of being pressed towards a deadline.

If you fall into this category, you must work even harder to get an early start on projects. You may find that finishing a task long before it is due is a different kind of euphoria. As with all behavioral problems, you may not be able to beat it yourself. Talking to a counselor or joining a self-help group may enable you to deal with your self-esteem issues. 

There are many other people who are not chronic procrastinators. Their problems are a question of scheduling and time management. If you fall into this category, it may just be a matter of organizing and prioritizing your work load. Perform tasks in the order of their importance and eliminate what is unnecessary.  Procrastination can be detrimental to the productivity of the whole company.

 

The best method to avoid it is for everyone to accomplish their tasks in an orderly and timely manner. This will make accomplishing the team goals much easier.

 

For more information on procrastination, to receive a free job hunting report and download a copy of Claim That Job - The Ultimate Career Management Guide. Visit Claim That Job at www.claimthatjob.com.

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