Overcoming the Procrastination Plague: Becoming “un-busy”

(2-minute read time) 

I had known about the project for a long time – several weeks, maybe even months.  Either way, it had been too long to not have taken action on it yet.  Regardless, there I was 2 weeks before the due date and I had nothing, nada.  I was in that familiar spot again where there was definitely more work than time.  

Come on.  Really? I’m a grown-up, I know better.  And yet, it wasn’t too long ago that I found myself in this familiar place. 

“I work best under pressure”.  That’s the number one reason I hear from my clients in favor of procrastination.  It’s a lie I’ve often told myself.  

The reason why we believe “we work best under pressure” is because that’s when we actually do the necessary work.  

So, yes, in theory, that is our best work but often it’s also our only work.  We have nothing to compare it to. Therefore, it’s actually our worst work too.  

In this day and age, many of us are knowledge workers.  Which basically means we get paid to think for a living.  With this in mind, I want to paint two scenarios for you: 

Scenario 1:  Thinking for a living without intention, whenever we get a minute to squeeze in thinking time 

Scenario 2:  Thinking for a living with intention, having set aside time and space specifically for the purpose of thinking

Which of those scenarios do you suppose produces the BEST work?  The best ideas? The most creative and innovative thoughts? Which is more reflective of the kind of thinking you desire doing?  Which one is going to produce the results you really want?     

Within the last decade, studies have indicated that creativity is one of the most coveted leadership skills employers are looking for.  Where does creativity come from? Our thoughts. Whether you know it or not, you already have the coveted skill of creativity. But, it’s likely you just haven’t unleashed its full potential. It’s couched in “busy-ness” which leads to procrastination.   

For most of us, myself included, poor planning and a lack of self-management are at the root of procrastination.  Time doesn’t need to be managed as much as we need to be managing ourselves. Since my last bout with it, I’ve implemented planning and management solutions that have prevented the phrase “time-crunch” from even being a thing. 

Now, I have created a workday where there’s plenty of time for exercise, walking my dogs, and taking breaks. I worry less and create more. It’s becoming more frequent that I feel rather accomplished at the end of the day.

I used to say how busy I was all the time and wear it like a badge of honor. Now, I’m aiming for “un-busy”. I’m committed to a new badge of “Planned, purposeful, productive and definitely not too busy”. You can wear the “un-busy” badge too, I can help, just click here to schedule a free, 30-minute discovery session.