How To Beat Procrastination At Work

Listen. If you donīt beat procrastination at work the long term consequences could be serious. Take this example of how expensive work procrastination can be...

The assignment that your boss gave you several days agostill isn't done. The assignment is a report that yourboss needs to take to an important meeting, and you may geta big promotion if the meeting goes OK.

You've had plenty of time to get it done, but still just don't do it even though your future career could be in jeopardy. What's wrong with you?

You are one of the millions who procrastinate. You feelinadequate, guilty, depressed and have low self-esteem.

Procrastination means avoiding doing tasks, which need tobe done - sometimes doing them at the last minute orsometimes never doing them at all.

The reasons for procrastinating are as numerous as theexcuses one can make for not completing tasks.

A few of these reasons for procrastinating are listed below:

1. If you are a poor manager of your time and havetrouble identifying your objectives, you most likely areoverwhelmed by your tasks.

You try in vain to prioritize them, and failing at that you've even been known to secretly throw a few written requests into the trash, and later claiming you never got them. You are a procrastinator.

2. You find it hard to concentrate. You may thinkabout what you're going to cook for dinner or you daydreamabout your next golf game. So you put off getting the jobdone; you sit and think about it but take no action.

3. You may be easily distracted by outside influencessuch as ringing telephones, other folk's conversations, andmay even spend time performing "no-brainer" tasks such assharpening pencils, shuffling papers, or make endless tripsto the restroom or coffee bar.

4. Your self-esteem is very low. You have a negativeimage of yourself and believe that you're an underachieverwho can't succeed at much of anything. You also may bebored with the task at hand and lack enthusiasm.

But listen up - you CAN break the procrastination habit atwork as well as in every other area of your life.

Here are a few suggestions for beating procrastination:

1. Go on; admit that you have some fears andanxieties about your ability to get the job done!

It's a perfectly normal feeling, and once you face your problems with concentration, time management, and the inability to make a decision, you can take steps to change them.

2. Instead of brooding about your problem areas,identify your strong points, set your goals and prioritiesand develop a "can do" attitude.

3. Use time wisely. The value you place on yourselfand your work has a direct bearing on your ability to doyour work in a timely, consistent manner.

4. Set priorities and perform each job accordingly.Tackle the jobs you dislike aggressively; it's best to getthem done and out of the way. Consider breaking largeassignments into smaller segments (if time allows).

5. Take a couple of minutes frequently to stand, stretch or move about to energize both your body and your brain. If possible, get some fresh air during breaks and your lunch hour.

6. Take the initiative to change your work environment if it causes distractions. Placing a barrier such as a tall plant in front of your desk will block the view of co-workers passing by.

Make sure you have the information and supplies at hand to avoid the temptation to wander away from your work area.

A few changes in your attitude and work habits will make adramatic difference in the way you perform your work.

Peter Murphy is a peak performance expert. He recently produced avery popular free report that reveals how to crush procrastination and sustain lasting motivation. Apply now because it is available for a limited time only at: http://www.getmotivatedstaymotivated.com/special.htm