Okay, I spent thirty minutes this morning shredding old documents. On a slow Friday afternoon this might make sense, but I have a big deadline to meet and there is no time to waste. So why am I making friends with Mr. Jaws? (That’s what I call the shredder … long story for another time). The answer is simply this: procrastination. Procrastination is a problem for most of us at some time or another. With me, it hits when I must deal with paperwork and anything having to do with numbers. So I put these tasks off until the last minute, then I lose sleep, conjure up images of torture in my mind, and suffer the consequences. So for those of us who occasionally put off the inevitable, I put together some tips that might help you (and me) when such moments occur: Dig in immediately. When you have a task come up that you know fits into the Oh-I-Don’t-Want-To-Do-This category, tackle it immediately. Figure out what tasks are the hardest ones for you to do, and complete them as soon as possible, before you run out of time to do it. This leaves room for the fun part of the task. Adjust the attitude. When there’s something I don’t want to do, I immediately go into a negative thinking mode. In fact, I’m sure I build up the challenge to be way more difficult/horrible/excruciating then it truly ever could be. Instead, I’ve learned to think of how good I’ll feel when I’m done. Sometimes I even target a small reward for myself when it’s complete, like a new pair of shoes or a new gadget. Departmentalize the job. When I’m feeling overwhelmed, which is usually what triggers my procrastination tendencies, I have learned to break down the project or task at hand. Instead of looking at the final goal that must be reached, I make a list of mini-goals that can just get me started. If I take mini-steps, I find I can more easily accomplish what I need to. Usually, before I know it, I’m halfway there. Become your own cheerleader. Even if I don’t at first feel the excitement for the job, I find that behaving as if I am tends to make it real. In other words, I mutter some inspiring cheers, fake a little enthusiasm, and usually I actually start to feel it. With a little positive self-talk and perhaps some support from colleagues and friends, a little motivation can turn into a real lifesaver when it comes to tackling projects. Procrastination is something that most of us experience from time to time. But if you meet it head on and already have strategies in place, you can usually beat it and prevail. Go, team, go! | 
