Happy Fourth of July! Hopefully you got to relax yesterday and enjoy family and eating lots! What about today?
"Couldn't I fold this tomorrow?"
Something about the “lazy days of summer” can bring out the procrastinator in us. There is always a better time to get to that garage cle aning, optional work project, or calling the cable company about that bill in question. Maybe the boss is out of town, so we want to be the mice at play. Having a Shirley Temple while floating on our neighbor’s pool in an oversized blow-up lounge chair sounds like a much more important job than just about anything else… but the Fourth of July is over. What do we do now?
Everyone struggles with the “blahs” at times, not wanting to tackle what’s at the doorstep. Here are 4 tips to getting motivated for an undesirable task (or for motivating our employees!):
1)Tie your dreaded task to a bigger goal. Let’s say you want to have your aunt Mildred visit, but the guest room looks like the dogs own it. There are piles of unfolded laundry, last year’s Christmas gifts, and some toys from when the kids were infants all scattered together like a crock pot soup. Think about your aunt Mildred, and how much fun you will have on the giant slip-and-slide when she comes, or out at your favorite pizza parlor… or whatever it is that is your greater motivation. Maybe at work, your goal is to get promoted to a higher-level job in a certain skill set, but you struggle to learn the software needed to do the project at hand. Think about that coveted promotion, and let that be your motivation as you struggle through the boring tutorials.
2)Take care of yourself. Think of yourself as the car that has to be in good condition to run the NASCAR race. Make sure you are drinking enough water (it’s amazing how being dehydrated can sap your energy), exercising, and eating foods that fuel you rather than drain you. Your body is very key to keeping your mind sharp and engaged so you can get stuff done. You wouldn’t run a car race with flat tires!
3)Cut out the enablers. If Betty at work is your complaining buddy, and one of the reasons you find yourself NOT doing that task at hand, limit your time with her. Take an inventory of the influences in your life, and ask yourself the tough question of whether or not they are positive, or negative. Cut out negative influences, even if it’s music that puts you in a negative mental space (I know, this is a tough one, because we all have our favorite shimmy tunes!). Fill your life with positives!
4)Celebrate small victories. If you stage your project in blocks, you will have small milestones along the way to celebrate on the way to the big completion. Pace yourself, and give yourself a pat on the back each time you make a chunk of progress.
What if the procrastinator is not you, but someone you are relying on or managing, or maybe your child? Help this person find his or her motivation by guiding him or her in following these steps. You can mentor this person into finding their bigger goal, celebrating small victories, and keeping life positive.
How do you battle procrastination? What have you been putting off that you can do today?
Tags: Motivation, procrastination
