Stop Procrastinating

HEALTHFUL CHANGES

"Take charge of your health and your life!"

July 2003: STOP PROCRASTINATING

http://www.healthfulchanges.com

Please enjoy this complimentary issue of the Healthful

Changes newsletter written by Poonam Sharma, Ph.D., a

psychologist and personal wellness coach.

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INDEX

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1. In This Issue

2. Why Do We Procrastinate?

3. How to Stop Procrastinating

4. About Poonam Sharma, Ph.D.

5. To Subscribe or Unsubscribe

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1. IN THIS ISSUE

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Most of us procrastinate at one time or another. There are

many reasons why people procrastinate, but one of the

reasons is that we find it harder to start something new

than to maintain what we are already doing. Implement the

strategies discussed in this issue to help you make

progress on the things you would rather put off

indefinitely.

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2. WHY DO WE PROCRASTINATE?

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All of us procrastinate on occasion. For some people, it is

a chronic problem; for others, it is only a problem in

certain life areas. Procrastination is always frustrating

because it results in wasted time, lost opportunities,

disappointing work performance, and generally feeling bad

about yourself. Procrastinating in making changes to

improve your health can be down right dangerous.

When you procrastinate, you allow less important tasks to

take up the time and space that should be devoted to more

important things. You do things like visiting with

coworkers when you know an important deadline is

approaching rapidly. You watch TV instead of beginning

that exercise program your doctor wants you to start. Or,

you talk about trivial things with your partner to avoid

discussing important issues in your relationship.

Most people do not have a problem finding time for things

they want to do. But once they see a task as too difficult,

painful, boring, or overwhelming, the procrastination

behaviors begin. You are not alone if you have ever made

any of the following excuses to yourself:

1. I’m too tired to exercise today. I'll wait until

tomorrow when I have more energy.

2. I've got too many other things to do first.

3. I'll do a better job when I can concentrate on this

project.

4. I still have lots of time to get this done.

5. I feel fine right now and my cholesterol isn’t really

that high anyway.

6. I work better under pressure.

7. It's too noisy to work when everyone else is home.

8. I should get the shopping done now because the stores

will be more crowded later.

9. I can eat this pie tonight, because I'm starting my

diet tomorrow.

10. This problem is too hard to talk about. I wouldn't know where to start.

Most of the time, these excuses seem fairly innocuous, but

they are not as innocent as they seem. These excuses can

keep us from accomplishing important goals and lead us to

feel bad about ourselves.

So why do people procrastinate?

Obviously, there is no simple answer to this question.

There are many reasons why people put things off. Here are

a few of the most common (check those that apply to you):

_____ Avoiding discomfort. Wanting to avoid pain makes many

people shift into procrastination mode. However, the longer

we delay, the worse the discomfort usually becomes. The

pounds keep adding up, the tooth hurts more, or the brakes

squeak even more loudly.

_____ Perfectionism. Those who believe they must produce

only perfect results may spend so much time and energy

seeking perfection that they never make any real progress

toward their important goals.

_____ Laziness. Sometimes people delay tasks that involve

slight inconvenience or minor discomfort.

_____ Thinking you are not good enough. Some people are

certain that they are incompetent. They think that they

will fail and so they procrastinate to avoid ever putting

their skills to the test.

_____ Self-doubt. If you second-guess yourself, you

probably suffer from procrastination. You may avoid new

challenges and opportunities unless you are certain that

you will succeed.

_____ Workaholism. Many people who work excessively

procrastinate about dealing with other important tasks in

their lives. Work becomes an escape from other things that

need attention, such as their health or an intimate

relationship.

Why Don't We Just Say “No?”

Since procrastination produces mostly negative outcomes in

the long run, why don't we just change our behavior and

eliminate these undesirable consequences? The reason for

this is that we have a built in resistance to change. If

you have ever taken physics, you may remember Newton’s

First Law of Motion, which basically says that an object at

rest tends to stay at rest, whereas one in motion tends to

stay in motion. In other words, we tend to keep on doing

what we are already doing. This principle certainly

describes how we humans behave. For some reason, it is more

difficult for us to start making changes than to maintain a

change we have already made. We avoid getting started by

cleverly diverting our attention and energy from the things

we really should be doing.

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3. HOW TO STOP PROCRASTINATING

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Although awareness will not automatically cure your

procrastination, being aware of the “creative” ways you put

things off is a good place to start. Once you are aware of

the ways you procrastinate, you can start to change your

behavior. Here are some tips to help you get started.

Choose a few of the strategies outlined here. Keep working

at it until you understand what you need to do to stop

putting things off.

1. Set Specific Goals: The most effective goals are

specific, measurable, and achievable. An example of a good

goal is, "I will order tuna salad and water when I go out

to lunch on Friday." This is better than saying, "I am

going to get healthier."

2. Set Priorities: Write down all the things that you

need to do, and place them in order of importance. The most

important tasks belong at the top of your list and the

distractions go at the bottom. Start at the top of your

list and work your way down.

3. Organize Your Work: Set up a system for yourself.

Prepare a daily schedule and keep it within view during

your working time. List the tasks for each day. Check

things off as you complete them. When you are working on a

project, lay out all of the needed supplies or materials

before you begin.

4. Divide and Conquer: Sometimes a project is

overwhelming if you think about all of the work that is

involved. Do yourself a favor: Break the activity down into

smaller steps and set progress goals for each of the steps.

This is especially helpful when you are beginning a writing

project, studying for a degree, or building a new set of

skills.

For example, if you need to write a report, make an outline

before you start writing. If you have to clean your house,

make your goal to do the first two rooms by 10:00, two more

by noon, and two more by 2:00. Check tasks off your outline

as you complete them.

5. Make It a Game: Turn the temptation to avoid working

into a challenge. Use your imagination. For example, if you

need to study the first five chapters of your history book,

pretend that you will be teaching the material to someone

else later. Take notes and organize the information into an

outline that you could speak from. Sometimes changing the

frame around a situation makes it more interesting and less

of a chore.

6. Schedule a Small Amount of Time: Tell yourself that

you will only spend five minutes on the task right now,

just to get your feet wet. For example, walk for five

minutes and then choose whether to continue for five more

minutes. Continue doing this until you decide to stop, or

when you are finished with the amount of walking you

ideally want to do. Most of the time you will find that if

you can just get started, the activity is not as bad as you

imagined.

When you are tempted to substitute a fun but unimportant

activity (such as reading a magazine or watching the

weather channel) for an important project (such as

exercising), make the substitute activity your reward for

doing the important task. Do the high-priority task first

and then reward yourself with the fun activity.

7. Ward Off Self-Defeating Thoughts: Telling yourself

that you are going to do a poor job or even fail can

seriously undermine your ability to function. It is

important to realize that your negative statements are not

facts. Keep your focus on the present moment and the

positive steps you can take toward accomplishing your

goals. If these thoughts are based on a need for perfection

or low self-esteem, you may want to work on these issues.

8. Make a Commitment: Make a verbal and written

commitment to completing the task or project. Write a

contract and sign it. Tell someone about your plans and ask

them to follow up with you. For example, one way I got over

procrastinating about writing a newsletter is by making a

commitment to my readers that the newsletter would be

published monthly. If you are working with a coach, ask

your coach to hold you accountable for the tasks you want

to complete.

9. Remind Yourself: Write notes to yourself and post them

in conspicuous places. Leave them where you will see them,

like on the outside of your briefcase, the bathroom mirror,

refrigerator, television, your front door, and the

dashboard of your car. The more often you remind yourself

of what you plan to accomplish, the more likely it is that

you will follow through with action.

10. Reward Yourself: Reinforcement is a very effective

way to motivate yourself. When you complete even the most

minor task, be sure to acknowledge what you have done. This

is especially important in the beginning when you are

struggling with procrastination behaviors. After you have

successfully overcome your procrastination, don't forget to

celebrate your accomplishment. You worked hard for your

success and shouldn't take it for granted.

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4. ABOUT POONAM SHARMA, PH.D.

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Poonam Sharma is a licensed psychologist and personal

wellness coach. She did her doctoral work at The

University of Texas at Austin and is a graduate of

MentorCoach, a coach training program specifically for

mental health professionals. She specializes in helping

people with health issues. In her coaching practice, she

loves to work with organizations, groups, and individuals,

helping them overcome obstacles to achieve the success they

desire. Her style is to listen attentively to you in order

to understand your situation clearly, assist you in setting

realistic goals, and then supporting you as you take steps

that will move you toward the results you desire.

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CONTACT INFORMATION

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Poonam Sharma, Ph.D.

Voice: 210.493.6554

Fax: 210.493.6714

Email: mycoach@healthfulchanges.com

Web: http://www.healthfulchanges.com

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NOTICE

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HEALTHFUL CHANGES is intended for informational and

educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for

consultation with your personal physician or other

healthcare professional and should not be construed as a

form of, or substitute for counseling, psychotherapy, or

other psychological service.