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In case you didn’t hear, a couple of months ago, I published a book! It’s called The Psychology of Procrastination, and you can grab it here! It’s all about how to understand your habits, find motivation, and get things done. I didn’t realize how rampant procrastination is until I started writing the book. Now that I know, I really think it’s important to share the skills with you so you can start moving toward your goals rather than spinning your wheels. Today, and for the next several weeks, I’m sharing with you skills I wrote for the book that ended up on the cutting room floor. Even though this is the reject pile, these skills are still outstanding and still evidence-based. But if you’re looking for the high-octane skills and all my tips about how to implement the skills and find success with them, grab the book.
Why Overcoming Procrastination Is Important
One of the most surprising things I discovered as I was writing it was that basically all of my clients are struggling with procrastination in one form or another. I had no idea it was such an issue! But, once I started thinking about it, I realized it was true: Each time we’re engaging in one task, we’re putting off another. Procrastination is almost always an issue for almost everyone.
Once I realized procrastination was connected to all of my clients’ problems, I understood the importance of their having the skills to overcome procrastination.
Step 1: Learn How to Prioritize Your Tasks
The first step in overcoming procrastination is learning how to prioritize your tasks. If you’re not sure what’s most important in this moment or this week or this month, then you’ll most certainly choose to spend the time doing something less important but more enjoyable (read: watch Netflix). But determining what’s most important isn’t as straightforward as it might seem….a lot of times, we have several different things we want to do that seem equally important. Here are a couple of skills to help you learn how to prioritize your tasks as the first step in overcoming procrastination.
Say No to Unnecessary Tasks
The reality is that we can’t do everything we’d love to do, so we have to start choosing where to direct our time and energy. Between what we have to do and what we want to do, we can’t really afford to be inefficient with our time. Getting creative about eliminating unnecessary tasks or minimizing inefficiency can mean we buy ourselves more opportunity to do the things we’d prefer to do. For example, instead of wasting time driving all over town every day, you can eliminate excess and unnecessary commuting by combining errands into a single trip.
Eliminating unnecessary tasks sometimes means we have to say “no” to ourselves so that we can dedicate that time to a higher priority task. Sometimes you just have to say “no” to alphabetizing your movie collection so you can dedicate time to enrolling your kid in soccer. And sometimes eliminating unnecessary tasks means we have to say “no” to someone else, which takes a certain degree of assertiveness. If you’re in that position, say no clearly and calmly. Explain that you have a very high number of very important projects right now and unfortunately you just aren’t able to make time to contribute to the community bake sale this year. Hear the other person’s point of view, then be prepared to negotiate a fair outcome, like maybe volunteering at their next fundraiser instead. Remember, every time you say “no” to one thing (like something you’d love to be procrastinating with), you’re saying “yes” to something else (like working toward your goals).
Prioritize by Values
Ultimately, prioritization has to come down to our values. Values are the things we consider important in life. They’re the things that really matter to us, and they tell us what to do, how to live, and how significant what we’re doing is. They also help us know whether our life is on the right track. You might have values related to education/school/work (including volunteer work), your relationships (e.g., parenting, family, intimate relationships, friendships), your personal growth and health (including spirituality, mental health, and physical health), and your recreational and leisure time (e.g., hobbies, sports, creative pursuits, etc.). The activities on your to-do list that are consistent with your values or take you in a values-oriented direction can be prioritized over the activities that are either inconsistent with your values or don’t move you toward your values. For example, if spirituality is something you value over wealth, you might consider prioritizing a daily devotional over accepting overtime hours.
Put These Psychology Skills Into Action
As I mentioned, these two skills ended up being cut from the book — but they’re still really important and useful. If you have a strong sense of your values and can eliminate tasks that aren’t consistent with your values, you’re well on your way to having a to-do list that’s better prioritized. But if you’re looking for a little more guidance on how to set priorities and overcome procrastination, the full book includes 8 strategies I thought were even better than these. Grab the e-book or the hard copy here. Also, since overcoming procrastination is all about establishing good habits, consider grabbing my guided journal to help you change your habits. It’s called Habits: A 12-Week Journal to Change Your Habits, Track Your Progress, and Achieve Your Goals.
How to Find Motivation
Once you’ve established your priorities, the next step to overcoming procrastination is to find the motivation to actually do what you’ve decided is most important. Next week, I’ll share with you a couple of strategies that didn’t make it into the final publication. Don’t miss it.
Talk to you soon,
Dr. Finch
P.S. Remember, this is education, not treatment. Always consult with a psychologist or therapist about your mental health to determine what information and interventions are best for you. See the disclaimer for more details.
Dr. Hayden Finch is a licensed psychologist providing therapy in Iowa & Arkansas dedicated to bringing you evidence-based strategies to master your mental health.
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