Stop Procrastinating by Creating An Unschedule

You've probably heard the saying that procrastination is the thief of time. In a nutshell, procrastination is when you put off doing the things that are most important to you, and you fill your time with low priority tasks. For example, suppose that you have an important report due for work, and you've set aside a large chunk of time, from 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., to work on it.

But then the following happens:

• You sit down at your desk and decide to take a quick look at your email. As you scan the subject headings you notice a couple of emails that you can respond to right away, so you go ahead and do so.
• A colleague walks into your office and asks about your weekend. You spend a few minutes chit-chatting with them.
• You decide to go get a cup of coffee.
• When you get back to your office, warm cup of java in hand, you spill some coffee on your desk.
• As you're wiping off the coffee you decide that now would be a good time to straighten up your desk. Then you decide you might as well file the pile of papers that's accumulated on the cabinet behind your desk.

Soon, the entire morning has gone by, and you haven't worked on your report. You've put off the important task of working on your report, yet again, and you've used up your morning on low priority tasks and time-wasters. You may be asking yourself why you do this.

(Image: Gary Asleep at the Wheel)

Here's why we procrastinate:

• Fear of failure
• Fear of imperfection
• Fear of success
• Feeling overwhelmed
• Boredom
• Work-Play Imbalance
• Low self-esteem



Why This Works

• By scheduling all of the non-work activities that you have, you overcome the false notion that you have 24 hours a day to work. In fact, you'll probably be surprised by how little time you have left over for work.
• You're scheduling guilt-free play; that is, you're giving yourself permission to allocate some of your time to simply enjoying yourself.
• The idea is to create excitement by asking yourself how much you can get done in a short amount of time, instead of feeling anxiety about how much more there is to do.

Once you have your schedule filled in with all of the things indicated in Guideline #1, you're going to find an empty spot on the first day and work for half an hour on your project.

Don't write down "work" in your schedule until you've actually completed at least half an hour of uninterrupted work.

Instead of writing down in your schedule when you plan to work, you're keeping track of how much work you're actually doing.

Only take credit if you work for thirty minutes straight, without interruptions. If you stop working before the thirty minutes are up, you can't take credit for it, so don't write it down.

Always leave at least one day a week for recreation and small chores. This day is essential for relaxation and rejuvenation, and so that you feel like you're living your life now, instead of putting it off for later because of work.

Before you decide to participate in a recreational activity or social commitment, work on your project for half an hour. That way, you can enjoy the activity without feeling guilty--since you got some work done--and your subconscious mind will be busy finding creative ways to deal with your project while you're at play.

Keep starting. Keep working in thirty minute increments.

We need regular physical and mental renewal in order to do our best work. And the way to recharge our batteries is by taking a break after every half hour of work, and by scheduling guilt-free play.

• Devote at least one hour a day to exercise, socializing, or a leisure activity.
• Devote one day a week for relaxation and small chores.

When you know that work will not deprive you of enjoying the good things in life you can more easily tackle a large task without fear that it will leave no room for doing anything else. Giving yourself permission to play will keep you motivated and interested in returning to your work projects.