Procrastination is sneaky, especially for leaders. I know every month I find loads of other “important” things to do, instead of focusing on writing the two blogs posts I committed (to my team) I would do.
No, procrastination usually doesn’t look like laziness… We use busyness and competing “priorities” to justify it. I mean, there’s really no way I can focus on writing if there are emails to respond to, right?
Sometimes I use YOU as my excuse to postpone writing too: “No one is refreshing their email hoping to see my next post hit their inbox. It’s fine if I do this instead.” (No need to affirm that. 🙃)
The diversions we choose feel good for a minute too, right? We successfully completed something! Just not the thing that NEEDED to be worked on.
THE RIPPLE EFFECT
Procrastination begins as a personal choice, but it usually doesn’t stay self-contained.
When we procrastinate, work that depends on us stalls and team members wait with angst. What started as a pause quickly becomes a bottleneck.
When we’re part of a team, procrastination turns into dropping the ball. Dropped balls must be picked up by someone else… Someone who already had their own set of responsibilities. 🤬
The result of procrastination isn’t only lost time but lost credibility and trust. And, of course, there are always financial ramifications connected to the time value of money, etc.
THE PERSONAL PRICE OF PROCRASTINATION
We can’t discount the personal toll of prolonged delays.
That thing being avoided eats at us… The longer we sit on it, the more mental space it takes up and the more stress it creates. (Unless we truly don’t care. In that case, we need to own that we are never going to do this thing.)
When we keep delaying, what could have been accomplished without drama turns into a time-crunched urgent matter. If you’re human, the unnecessary stress and frustration of your team (created by your delays) might bring a bit of shame too. And I already mentioned the tanked reputation.
WHY LEADERS PROCRASTINATE
We know when we’re procrastinating, and we know it has consequences. So why do we do it?
Simple. We put things off to avoid discomfort.
There’s an element of discomfort when something is complex; in totality it will take a lot of time and effort; or maybe it involves a “difficult” conversation.
Our brains are hard wired to avoid discomfort! (Even when avoidance brings more.)
This is also why, when we are procrastinating, we turn to something we know we can accomplish quickly and with relative ease. These distractions are productive and feel safe but are not priorities.
HOW TO STOP
Step one: Find clarity.
Ok, our brains use procrastination to help us avoid pain. If that’s so, what can we do?
The first thing to help break a procrastination cycle is to reach for clarity.
Answering these questions may help:
- What am I really avoiding?
Complexity? Confusion? Overwhelm? Conflict?
When you identify what it really is, your brain naturally begins to move toward logic to help you resolve it.
- What would I do if that ↑ wasn’t a concern?
Answering this helps your brain set aside the potential threat / discomfort and opens it up for strategy and forward-looking thinking.
- What’s one step I can take today that will bring progress?
How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.
Give your brain a reason to let go of the discomfort it is protecting you from, and it will start working on what you need to do to complete your project – big or small!
Step two: Use the “15-Minutes of Focus” Plan
One of the simplest and most effective tools I share with coaching clients to help break the procrastination loop is the 15-minutes of focus plan.
When you feel the weight of avoidance, open your calendar and schedule fifteen minutes (today or tomorrow) dedicated to that task.
Harvard Business Review supports this approach: Complex or uncomfortable projects are more easily and more likely to be achieved when they are “chunked down” into smaller, manageable steps.
New behavioral patterns form through micro-habits that rewire the brain for progress instead of avoidance. Periodic 15-minute blocks of focused time are enough to rewire your brain’s perception of the thing you are avoiding – and how it perceives future challenges.
15 minutes is safe and productive. It gives the same feel-good hit of accomplishment as procrastinating with some other routine task. But instead of more stress, you make progress!
Your first fifteen-minute block may be used to answer those clarifying questions and outline the steps and timeline needed to accomplish this project. Or, if it’s something simple, you will do it then!
When your 15 minutes end, review what you accomplished (yay!) and if you need it, put your next 15-minutes of focused time on your calendar.
Before you know it, this task will be complete without the unnecessary stress that accompanies procrastination.
The Wrap
Humans procrastinate. Leaders are human. Overcoming procrastination is simple, but it requires effort.
Remember, procrastinating (or not) is your choice. Only yours.
Make the choice that brings you and your team members the least stress: Choosing productive action over procrastination is ALWAYS a win!
Each time you do, your brain learns you’ll be OK through a challenge, and procrastination next time becomes less likely.
Could you or your leadership team use confidential, professional coaching to help you move seamlessly through the complexities of leadership? That’s what we do!
Reach out today for your free consultation.
