If you were to ask my former supervisors what they appreciate most about me, they would probably unanimously mention my time management skills: I put everything into place to respect my deadlines.
It would be dishonest to say I never had those moments where I simply could not get myself to start a project whether personal or professional.
The truth is each one of us procrastinates from time to time in all areas of our lives and it is a perfectly normal behaviour.
If you were looking for ways to battle the procrastination blues, you are in luck! Today, I'll share some of the reflexes I have developed to help me get my productivity going:
To begin, ask yourself the following questions:
"Do I lack interest in the task?"
"Do I feel unequipped to accomplish the entirety of task?"
"Do I fail to see the added value in said task?"
By establishing what is causing you to procrastinate, you will be able to determine the appropriate following steps.
Lack of interest
Evaluate the possibility of upskilling yourself. Not only might new skills make you more competitive for new roles and responsibilities, but they will certainly be a testament to your desire to diversify your competencies.
Not feeling fully equipped
Identify the tools and resources required to successfully complete the task.
Reach out to resourceful and skilled people who might be able to assist you; these resources might be from different units or departments within your company.
Provide clear expectations and deadlines to favor successful partnerships.
Being a team player shows that you value your coworkers' capabilities and will lead to future collaboration opportunities.
Failure to see the added value
You do not fully understand your role in the completion of the task, the expected outcome is unclear, you believe that the project is not aligned with a campaign or the company's missions... No matter the reason, never hesitate to ask for clarifications or to challenge your peers. Doing so in an appropriate manner will demonstrate your critical thinking and potentially save you or company time and money.
Once you have taken the necessary steps to allow you to start on your project, you will notice your efficiency levels soar.
Finally, always consider documenting your process in order to be able to refer back to it in similar situations.
If you have some innovative or creative ways to stop procrastinating, share them below!
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