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Six Procrastination Detours That Off Road Productivity

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Six Procrastination Detours That Off Road Productivity

 

I’ve been wanting to write this article about procrastination for some time now but I’ve been putting it off;)

I love one guy’s answer when asked “what is your greatest skill?” With confidence, he replied, “I’m a professional procrastinator. Years of practice and perfected daily.”

It’s a funny and brutally honest response but how true is it of you, really?

Definition of Procrastination:

To keep delaying something that must be done, often because it is unpleasant or boring.

(Source: Cambridge International Dictionary of English)

I like Wayne Dyer’s definition: “Procrastination is the art of keeping up with yesterday and avoiding today.”

In surveys, 95% of people admit to procrastinating, with about a quarter of these saying that it’s a chronic, defining characteristic.

At any time, “To stop procrastinating” is among the world’s top reported goals.

Procrastination is one of the most subtle of all Productivity Killers.

You know when it’s effective when you quietly ask yourself…

  • “Where did all of my time go?”
  • “What did I actually get done today?”
  • “What was I just working on?”

Jerome K. Jerome  once said, “I like work: it fascinates me. I can sit and look at it for hours.” If you secretly resonate with that quote, well then this post is for you. Don’t put it off and continue reading!

If you have a desire to be truly productive especially in the professional world, it’s critical you identify how the detours of procrastination effects you personally.

How you procrastinate is different than me.

Some detours are subtle. You take one small turn which leads to another and all of a sudden, you have no idea where you’re at or what you were doing in your day.

Other detours are a sharp right. Oh, look, a bird! And it’s a quick decision down an ally way.

Here Are Six Procrastination Detours That Off Road Productivity

 

1. I Don’t Know Enough

The feeling of not knowing what you need to know is an easy way of putting something off. But this may even lead to putting off even the process of learning what you need to know.

This detour is insecurity and fear-based but can be solved with just starting. Spend your time finding out what you don’t know not delaying.

2. The Curse of the Perfectionist

“It’s just not right yet” could cause you to delay big time. It’s one thing to want excellence but when it needs to be perfect and now you’re into 2.0 when 1.0 is not released yet is a great sign you’re procrastinating.

According to David Allen, author of Getting Things Done, “Much of the stress that people feel doesn’t come from having too much to do. It comes from not finishing what they started.”

Have someone else see if you’re on the perfectionist or excellence side then move on with it.

3. I Just Can’t Make a Decision

Getting lost in the options can be a great reason to procrastinate.

It could manifest itself in a restaurant looking at a menu but can really play out when you need to make a decision at work when productivity really matters.

Narrow your decisions down to two choices then trust your gut or someone you trust on which decision to make. But make the decision.

4. The Urge to Re-Prioritize Immediately

Have you ever found yourself compelled to re-organize something or even do laundry when it’s time to work?

What you would normally avoid like the plague now becomes irresistible. If this describes you, then you should instantly know you’re procrastinating.

I’ve become very skilled in this detour. I avoid it by the use of Time Blocks. If I can work on something for a set period of time, I can take a break and chase those detours for a couple minutes if I want. Often, they’ve lost their appeal. 

You must identify where you’re losing time within your day.

5. I Simply Don’t Like the Work

These are the things you put off for no other reason than you just don’t like them. Imagine that in life. Expense reports or updating CRM. (oops, did I just share a couple of mine?)

They may be easy but it doesn’t change the reality you simply don’t like to do them. They may even be quick. Yet I will spend more time putting them off than it would take to actually do them. (now I sound like my Father. Somebody stop me!)

I’ve now chosen to do them as my 1st or 2nd time block to just get them out of the way of my day and when I have the most willpower to stay focused to advance or complete them.

6. Media Time Wasters

It never ceases to amaze me how quickly media can steal my attention then suck me in for an untold time. Seeing an open website tab is almost too much to handle sometimes.

Or the Social Media pull and lie “I’ll only check updates for a moment” and on and on. Another example is checking scores quickly, etc.

Research in the USA Today states that it’s never been more of a challenge to procrastinate with all of the temptations that are available to us today.

Most of us are drawn to this media detour. But when it becomes a procrastination pull that is overwhelming, we need to put limits so it doesn’t wreck our productivity.

Suggestions on How to Take Procrastination Down

Identify Your “Go To” Detour – one or two may have stood out to you. Figure out which one best describes you.

Minimize Its Power – if you know which detour is your achilles heel, you also know how to put measures in place to minimize or even stop it. You just need to do it. Now.

Choose to Attack it for Five Minutes – if and when you find yourself about to go on your procrastination detour, stop in your tracks and focus on your work for five solid minutes.

Often the detour’s power will leave for awhile and you may even find yourself signing up for another five minutes, then another until hopefully your project is advanced or completed.

Closing Challenge…

The reality is  “Tomorrow is often the busiest day of the week.”(anonymous quote) But it doesn’t HAVE to be this way if we can detour procrastination the right way.

Motivated, busy professionals need to be productive to truly excel. And this means identifying your “go to” detour, minimizing its power, and being disciplined for a set amount of time to just simply start.

I challenge you to let go of the lie “The sooner I fall behind, the more time I have to catch up.” (anonymous quote)

You can be SO much more productive if you can dramatically minimize and even eliminate procrastination from your professional life.

Closing Question…

What can you do today to dramatically affect the detour of procrastination in your life?

Where Are You Losing Time Within Your Day?

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Time. It’s the one thing that is absolutely the same for every single person in the world.

It doesn’t matter if you live in Africa or Arizona.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a CEO, pastor, janitor, or homeless.

Everyone has 24 hours. 1440 minutes. 86,400 seconds.

Time may fly by or seem like forever. But one thing remains the same. We all have the same amount of it.

One of the most frustrating statements is “I don’t have the time.”

Why? Because we all have time. It’s just a matter of how we use it. Priorities.

Time reveals our values and what is truly important to us.

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Something occupies your time. The challenge is defining what it is in your everyday life.

4 Revealing Ways to Determine Where You’re Losing Time Within Your Day

 

1. Log Your Time

Most people assume they lose very little time within their day. Until they measure it.

Once you know exactly where your time is going, you have incredible intel that is an absolute gift right there for you.

But you must track it. You can be as detailed as you want and the more detail you can provide the better.

I tracked a full week (seven consecutive days) of my time in two ways: non-travel week / travel week. Why? Because they look completely different and I want to know where my time is going.

WHEN you do this, I caution you to don’t adjust anything simply because you’re tracking it. You want an accurate view of how your time really is at this first stage.

Log it and move one.

Here is a link to a number of free time logs to track your time. Click Here.

2. Analyze Your Time

Logging your time is a great first step. It’s going to provide you incredible intel but it cannot stop there.

It’s critical you break this raw information down and let the facts be the facts.

When someone allows me to look through their day, it’s a vulnerable place. Why? Because there’s usually a lot of subjective, wasted time packed in that you’re just unaware of it until you log and analyze it.

The purpose of analyzing it is to allow you to see not how you want to use your time or even think you use your time but how you ACTUALLY use your time.

You may be very surprised and even embarrassed at what you find. But isn’t the point to have an honest portrayal so you know what to change?

This leads into what do to next …

3. Adjust Your Time

This is where it really matters. You’re in a small group if you log your time. You’re in an even smaller group if you analyze your time.

But if you do this critical action item of actually adjusting your time, you’re in an elite group who really want to make the most of their time and actually have the ability to change it.

“The reality is everyone values time differently. But do you implement what you value?”

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Let me give you an example. You take your log of one week and with a red pen you take notes of all of your observations.

You notice all of the areas where time is not being used wisely. You also notice patterns. You seem to go off course at the same times each day.

This is how you begin to adjust your time.

4. Re-Write Your Time

What if you have a chance to do it over again? You actually do if you choose re-write your time.

You cannot go back and do yesterday all over again but theoretically you can learn from yesterday’s mistakes for a better tomorrow. How?

You adjust your time by noticing what you need to change (adjust). Then you re-write your time by creating your ideal day.

This is the concept of not just planning your day but answering the question, “if I had the perfectly structured day, what would it look like?”

Let me give you a personal example:

6:00am      Journaling / Bible Reading / Inspirational Reading / Vision Work Review

7:00am      Writing Time

8:00am      Workout (run or bike) – listen to an audiobook

8:30am      Breakfast / Shower

8:50am      Ramp Up – planning my day

9:00am      1st Focused Time Block

(note: a focused time block is a block of time dedicated to one project without interruption)

10:00am    Buffer Block – check emails / phone calls, etc

10:30am    Break

10:45am     2nd Focused Time Block

11:45am     Buffer Break – check emails / phone calls, etc

12:00pm    Lunch

1:00pm     3rd Focused Time Block

2:00pm     Buffer Break – check emails / phone calls, etc

2:30pm     Break

2:45pm     4th Focused Time Block

3:45pm     Buffer Break – check emails / phone calls, etc

4:15pm     Clean up

4:45pm     Cash Out – breaking down my day / prepping for tomorrow

5:00pm    Workout

5:30pm    Dinner

6:00pm    Family Time

7:30pm    Bed Time with the Kids – watch a show / read to them

8:00pm    Learning Time – read a book / work through an online course

8:30pm    Time with Wife

9:30pm    Ready for Bed

10:00pm  Bed Time

Let me remind you this is an ideal day when I’m not traveling. When I log my time I can see where I went off road and why.

Sometimes it’s for a good reason. Other times, well… This is my structure that allows me to maximize my day. It will look different for you.

Closing Challenge…

Time is relative. And what you do with it is completely up to you.

Motivated busy professionals must learn to find the leaks of time within their day and move from busy to productive.

And one of the most telling ways is in your use of time.

I challenge you to log your time for a week. Analyze your time to see what you do with it. Then adjust what you find ultimately leading to re-writing your time to what would be ideal to produce maximum results that reflect your values.

You will be amazed at the results if you commit to this exercise. Try me.

Closing Question…

Where are you losing the most time within your day and what are you going to do about it?

Do You Live By The Acronym CANI?

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Do You Live By The Acronym CANI?

Have you ever noticed how few people improve their lives? I don’t mean simple natural and even accidental tweaks.

I’m talking about noticeable, tangible improvements.

When I first heard this acronym, I was young and really didn’t understand not only what it really meant but how important it would mean the rest of my life.

I was listening to a cassette series (yeah, I just dropped the word cassette) by Tony Robbins and I absolutely loved it.

I was in my twenties, ambitious, and hungry to learn. The only problem is life hadn’t really challenged me yet and my responsibilities were limited.

But as I got married, had children, changed jobs and basically grew up, I found this acronym became much more of a challenge.

So, you ask, what is the acronym?

CANI = constant and never-ending improvement

You choose the category. And it may be a different area each day. But it’s four letters you choose not to live without once you truly own the acronym.

Here are 3 Key Observations About CANI:

 

1. Improvement Doesn’t Happen By Accident

So little happens on accident especially anything that deals with growth.

It’s not something that you can do when you “have time.” When has anyone ever “had time?”

Don’t believe me?

Have you read, worked, or learned a new skill every time you had time?

Time is relative and always fills itself with ease. It takes the path of least resistance.

So, if the strategy is “I’ll improve when I have time (aka: on accident), good luck with that. It’s in word only not in true application you will improve.

We just need to accept that improvement is just not going to happen all by itself.

2. Improvement Isn’t a One Time Occasion

This may be the case for some people. They learn something because they have to and they’re good. They had their fill.

Take a new job or role for example. The learning curve is high but eventually you figure it out and it’s easy to go on auto-pilot.

But for those committed to “constant and never-ending” improvement, it’s a daily process.

This is just too much work for most people. And hence why most people just stay the same. They log another day off their life with the only gain is their weight.

I’ve not only accepted but embraced that improvement is a consistent process in my life. I desire it and look forward to it.

I can sense when my learning has diminished. It’s like being parched and longing for water. I will sneak even 10 minutes to read something to grow and challenge my mind in some way.

Improvement once in awhile is obviously better than nothing. But it’s like having a healthy salad “once in awhile.” There’s benefit but not what it could be with consistency.

3. Improvement Does Require a Plan

 If you’re truly serious about CANI, it’s going to require a plan. Remember, it doesn’t happen on accident and it’s not a one time occasion.

Let me give you an example. Every day for my early morning rhythm, I journal, read my Bible then spend 30 minutes reading a book. My reading time is vital to my day getting off to a great start.

I also schedule 30 minutes within my day for a learning block. It usually consists of going through an online course or simply reading to develop my potential.

Often I’ll listen to an audiobook while I run or bike for 30 minutes. This is a GREAT way to improve both the body and the mind.

But none of these examples happen on accident nor a one time occasion. They’re part of a growth plan to improve on a daily basis.

They’re intentionally entered into my schedule every single day to make them a constant and never-ending part of my life. CANI in daily practice.

So, do you have a growth plan? If I were to ask you to spell out in detail how you will improve this week, how would you respond?

I encourage you to really think through a growth plan which is a system to implement CANI. You would be surprised of the value of using Think Space to create a growth plan.

Closing Challenge…

Most people would say they’re learners and they improve themselves most of the time. But is it really true?

If I were to look at their schedule over a one month period of time, what would I find? Would I see a pattern of intentional growth or a spot here and there?

Motivated, busy professionals must fully commit to a life of “constant and never-ending improvement” to reach their potential. There is no other way.

So, do you really live CANI? Do you want to?

If so, accept that it won’t happen by accident, it’s constant, and requires a plan.

How much better and richer your life will be as a result of living a life of constant and never-ending improvement!

Closing Questions…

What if you lived your life asking “how can I improve my life today?

What if you ended your day by evaluating “how did I improve today?

How Planning Can Bring The Future Into the Present

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How Planning Can Bring the Future Into the Present

We love to dream. And there is nothing wrong with a dream in fact they’re encouraged.

Dreams are what give us hope and allow us to leave the present for a preferred future.

I’m not talking about the day dreamer whose mind is just not in the present and nowhere close to the future.

I’m also not talking about a pipe dream. You know, winning the lottery. Becoming a professional athlete. Landing a position you can’t even really spell the title. Getting a date with a 9 when you’re a, well…

I’m talking about a real dream. Something that has been well thought-out and if it happened would be a game-changer in your life.

The problem comes is when we leave the dream into the future. It never makes its way into the present and therefore remains only a dream.

But what if we could borrow from the phrase “making dreams come true?” Cheesy but I wouldn’t mind adding THAT cheese to my dream sandwich.

I came across a quote by Alan Lakein that struck me due to its simplicity yet wisdom. You have to read it twice to get your money’s worth out of its meaning.

Planning is bringing the future into the present so that you can do something about it now.

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Let’s break that quote down…

Planning Is Bringing the Future Into the Present

What brings the future into the present? Planning. Who knew, huh?

And here we thought planning is a waste of time. Why not just start your day and actually get something done?

But what if we looked at planning differently? What if we viewed planning as a way to bring our future hopes and dreams into a reality?

Planning brings and delivers our preferred future into the here and now.

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Love me some here and now!

As my four year old son says when my wife tries to sneak some dark chocolate, “I want some!” This should be us with bringing the future into the present. I want some! Do you?

So That YOU Can Do Something

Who? You. Not someone else. You. We want things not only quickly, we want someone else to do it.

If that describes you, how’s THAT working out for you?

So that you can DO which means action. And do something. Anything. Action is required.

And that’s what a plan does for you. It lets you know what you should do.

What if we took time each day to do something to accomplish our dream?

This is the power of the book, The Miracle Morning, which challenges people to take time before your “real day begins” to take time for yourself to work on your dream.

It’s taking the future and bringing it into the present by working your plan.

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And it’s exactly what I’ve been doing in my own life. And I absolutely love this time because everyday something happens to move my dream, my preferred future into the present.

I’ve been intentional about making changes in my day to bring my future forward. Has it been difficult? Absolutely. But SO worth it in the long run.

About It Now

I love the word now. It’s immediate. Instant gratification. Most things in my life tell me I have to wait. Hurry up and wait.

Not this quote.

It means there something I can do to make my future happen sooner by action on MY part and NOW.

Nobody can take this away from me.

I choose to get up early to work on my stuff. Now. I can move things forward. I can make my preferred future into the present.

I don’t have to wait on someone else. I can take the time to think through my own dream to actually make it happen.

It may change along the way but it’s my dream and it’s something I can work on now.

Are you with me?

Closing Challenge…

So what does this quote do for you? Does it give you hope that you can actually take a dream and make it a reality?

Does the quote challenge you to plan? You realize that you can take your future and bring it into the present by something you do?

Planning is bringing the future into the present so that you can do something about it now. – Alan Lakein

Motivated, busy professionals like to have control of their schedule. We also like to see forward motion.

What if we took this quote to heart then to action and actually began to plan to bring the future into the present?

I know it’s possible because I’m doing it every morning. And I love it.

I’m no longer only dreaming. It’s becoming real.

I’m also not relying on someone else. Or blaming someone else. It’s on me and right where I want it to be.

I challenge you to own this quote like I have and see what will happen. Bring it on.

Closing Quote…

What are you going to do today to bring your future into the present?

Six Engaging Questions to Measure the Quality of Your Day

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Six Engaging Questions to Measure the Quality of Your Day

 

How many times do you find yourself just going through the motions of your day? Then the next day. Then the next week. Month.

I do not like looking back at a day or especially a week and try to remember what happened. Why? Because the day just happened. I wasn’t really there and definitely not engaged.

But what if we could measure the quality of your day? Could it break the cycle of going through the motions and even better, help me be more engaged in my day?

I just finished a great read called Triggers: Creating Behavior That Lasts, Becoming The Person You Want To Be by Marshall Goldsmith.

The book is packed with useful information and was a good audiobook for me to listen to during exercise every morning for 30 minutes. I knocked out the book in 10 days.

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The author coaches executives and has found when his motivated, busy professionals implement six engaging questions, they were far more conscious of their productivity and calling their day a true success because the quality of their day dramatically increased.

He made one seemingly minor change to the front of his questions from “Do I” to the words “Did I” and specifically to “do my best.”  This changed everything.

Here Are Six Engaging Questions to Measure the Quality of Your Day

 

Q1- Did I Do My Best to Set Clear Goals?

Since a majority of people just go through their day, having clear objectives is key for productivity. Did we provide clarity in the direction of the day by setting clear goals?

If the day started with clear goals, the quality of the day almost always ends positively.

Q2- Did I Do My Best to Make Progress Toward My Goals?

Teresa Amabile in her book called The Progress Principle did research that has shown that employees who have a sense of  “making progress” are more engaged than those who don’t.

The Progress Principle Cover

Marshall Goldsmith responded, “We don’t just need specific targets; we need to see ourselves nearing, not receding from, the target.”

The quality of our day increases if we see we’ve made progress in whatever we worked on within our day.

Q3- Did I Do My Best to Find Meaning?

We want to be part of something bigger. And even if our job is not saving the world in some way, we desire to be doing something meaningful.

We can even find meaning in something else we do within our day but we long for meaning and purpose within our day.

But we need to ask the question. The natural route is to simply go through our day and do our deal. It’s not looking for meaning. This question will challenge this pull towards meaning and not coasting through life.

Q4- Did I Do My Best to Be Happy?

If our work is meaningful but we’re unhappy, we feel like martyrs and have little desire to stay in such an environment, Marshall Goldsmith continued.

According to Daniel Gilbert in Stumbling on Happiness, we’re lousy at predicting what will make us happy. We always assume the source of happiness is “out there” in other things.

Stumbling on Happiness Cover

Only when we take responsibility for our own happiness and quit waiting for someone or something to to bring us this joy do we find happiness on our own.

Why not strive to be happy within our day? What a difference it would make not only for us but for our co-workers and family!

Q5- Did I Do My Best to Build Positive Relationships?

The Gallup company asked employees “do you have a best friend at work?” They found the answers directly related to engagement.

If we’re active in relationships, we will be more engaged in what we do and ultimately be more fulfilled within our day.

This question is pro-active. We must build these relationships and people will ultimately add to the quality of our day.

Q6- Did I Do My Best to Be Fully Engaged?

This is on us and only us. No one can control our level of engagement within our day.

As Marshal Goldsmith added, “It’s a self-fulfilling dynamic: the act of measuring our engagement elevates our commitment to being engaged and reminds us that we’re personally responsible for our own engagement.”

Shouldn’t this be a major goal to be engaged in everything that happens within my day? I don’t want my day completely filled with people and things that I don’t want to be part of my day. I want to be alive and engaged to maximize the quality of my day.

Closing Challenge…

After 2500 participants used these daily questions for ten consecutive days, the results were incredibly positive:

  • 37% participants reported improvement in all six areas
  • 65% improved on at least four areas
  • 89% improved on at least one area

Just after a short amount of time, people improved in the areas in which they reflect and measure. So can you.

Are you doing your best within your day? I don’t mean looking at others but for you. Did you do “your best?”

These questions do not require a lot of time at all but can produce exponential results for the time invested.

What if you looked back at your day and began to measure the quality by reflecting on “if you did your best” in these key areas then made the necessary adjustments the following day?

Imagine where you could be in a week, a month, or year to meet your potential!

Closing Question…

Are you willing to improve the quality of your day by asking these or a variation of these questions each day?