Are You A Procrastinator? Do Not Let
It Hurt Your Career
ByCarl Mueller
In a work sense, being a procrastinator means
you delay or postpone work and put off things
you could do today until a later time.
Often we procrastinate because we feel lazy
or because we just don’t feel like doing something.
Certainly these feelings can arise from time
to time especially if it involves a task we
don’t want to do.
If you tend to put things off as long as
possible before finally doing it and if you
like to look for excuses to avoid completing
certain tasks, you might very well be a procrastinator.
Procrastination can really stunt
your career growth and can even derail
it in extreme cases. People generally
don’t like working with procrastinators
especially during team projects so getting
a reputation as a procrastinator can be
a big mark against you.
Here are some ways to avoid procrastination
and in the process, avoid losing face
with your colleagues and peers:
1. Don’t put off until tomorrow what you
can finish today.
Finish the easiest tasks or the ones
you dislike the most, first. Getting a
few tasks out of the way will at least
help you see your accomplishments and
perhaps increase your motivation to get
the others done. By doing the tasks that
you hate the most first, you get rid of
the whole reason you were procrastinating
in the first place.
2. Develop better work habits.
Procrastination tends to be a habit that
you feel comfortable doing, especially
if you manage to get away with it time
after time. Pulling all-nighters and completing
work at the last minute that could have
been finished the previous week seems
to be a badge of honor for some people.
Develop new work habits by planning ahead
and starting work early rather than waiting
until the last minute. Next time you think
about pulling an all-nighter and doing
everything at the last minute, remember
how much you hated the last all-nighter
you pulled.
3. Set deadlines and stick to them. Otherwise,
ask others for help.
Sometimes, we procrastinate when we are
unsure what to do. I tend to do this myself.
Paralysis by analysis they call it, where
you are unable to act because you keep
thinking about how to act. Set a timeline
for making your decision and stick to
the timeline. Ask others (ie. your colleagues)
for help if you’re really stuck making
a decision.
4. Get rid of distractions.
Procrastination can be made worse when
we have things like the coffee room, the
Internet, chatty colleagues and other
distractions for us to deal with. Close
your office door and don’t allow yourself
to be distracted. Lock yourself in a meeting
room if you need to be alone.
5. Try giving yourself rewards for completing
tasks you hate the most.
It might sound silly but sometimes giving
yourself a small reward for avoiding procrastinating
can help you.
The next time you feel like procrastinating,
don’t. The way to break the habit of procrastination
is to complete tasks as you receive them
rather than putting them on the backburner
to do later. Changing your work habits
is the first step to eliminate procrastination.
Carl Mueller is an Internet entrepreneur
and professional recruiter who wants to
help you find your dream career.
Visit Carl's website to separate yourself
from other job searchers: http://www.find-your-dream-career.com
Sign up for The Effective Career Planner,
Carl’s free 5-day course: http://www.find-your-dream-career.com/effective-career-planner.html
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