Most people have a tendency to put off important tasks. Some may delay for just a little bit of time, while others are chronic procrastinators. The key to helping you get more done is realizing when you are procrastinating and start managing your time better. Unfortunately procrastination is a habit, but fortunately so is time management.
What is your prickly pear?
Typically there is one big task that you will do anything to avoid. You will do chores, shuffle papers, play games anything to avoid this one task. A prickly pear is actually only prickly on the outside, the good stuff is inside. Often the big task is like this, fear and worry are the spikes on the outside. For this reason you avoid it, but once conquered, you find it was not that bad and the benefit of completing it helps you reach the fruit inside. Each day take on your prickly pear first, then the rest of the day will go easier from there.
Is there a punishment?
Unfortunately when you do not get a task done, you face some sort of punishment. The adage of a stitch in time saves nine, means that if you do one stitch now, you avoid nine later. Often by avoiding a task you can cause yourself more pain. The art of this time management technique is identifying what will happen if you continue to delay. Maybe you need to do like when your parents did, and make a punishment, like taking away something you enjoy.
Do you have a reward?
This time management technique is almost the complete opposite of the previous. You actually give yourself a reward upon completion of that task you were avoiding. Give yourself time to play a favorite game or visiting the bookstore. Plus you also get the added reward of having that task completed!
Can Peer Pressure help?
Sometimes just knowing someone is going to ask you how you are doing is enough pressure to kill task avoidance. Ask a trusted friend or co-worker to check with you. You can set up a daily 10 minute accountability call with another to push you into doing it now. This time management technique is surprisingly effective if your partner is willing to question you and make you accountable.
What is your motivation?
There are many time management techniques available. These are just a few ideas, what may work for you may be a combination of some of these techniques. One of these may work as is. But find a time management technique that motivates you and makes you work. Those big scary tasks will look a lot smaller once you conquered them!
What is your prickly pear?
Typically there is one big task that you will do anything to avoid. You will do chores, shuffle papers, play games anything to avoid this one task. A prickly pear is actually only prickly on the outside, the good stuff is inside. Often the big task is like this, fear and worry are the spikes on the outside. For this reason you avoid it, but once conquered, you find it was not that bad and the benefit of completing it helps you reach the fruit inside. Each day take on your prickly pear first, then the rest of the day will go easier from there.
Is there a punishment?
Unfortunately when you do not get a task done, you face some sort of punishment. The adage of a stitch in time saves nine, means that if you do one stitch now, you avoid nine later. Often by avoiding a task you can cause yourself more pain. The art of this time management technique is identifying what will happen if you continue to delay. Maybe you need to do like when your parents did, and make a punishment, like taking away something you enjoy.
Do you have a reward?
This time management technique is almost the complete opposite of the previous. You actually give yourself a reward upon completion of that task you were avoiding. Give yourself time to play a favorite game or visiting the bookstore. Plus you also get the added reward of having that task completed!
Can Peer Pressure help?
Sometimes just knowing someone is going to ask you how you are doing is enough pressure to kill task avoidance. Ask a trusted friend or co-worker to check with you. You can set up a daily 10 minute accountability call with another to push you into doing it now. This time management technique is surprisingly effective if your partner is willing to question you and make you accountable.
What is your motivation?
There are many time management techniques available. These are just a few ideas, what may work for you may be a combination of some of these techniques. One of these may work as is. But find a time management technique that motivates you and makes you work. Those big scary tasks will look a lot smaller once you conquered them!
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