Put Off Procrastination For Good
By Christine W. Zust, M.A.

What does procrastination have to do with positioning yourself? Everything. Every time you push back a due date, or turn in a report late, or submit shoddy work because you waited until the last minute, you position yourself as someone who never comes through on time. are hurting your professional image. You position yourself as someone who never comes through on time. To fight procrastination, take action in small steps.

Here are some quick tips to help you keep on track:

• Start small. Attack smaller pieces of a large project one at a time instead of trying to get your arms around the entire thing. You will be better able to focus on that one task rather than thinking of the larger, broader project all at once.

• Seek counsel. If you’re working on something that is a little out of your league, go to other professionals for information and advice. You’ll be surprised how willing people are to share their expertise with you.

• Ask “Why?” We often procrastinate because we don’t like to do specific tasks. Getting to the real reason why you hate doing something helps you identify any obstacles so you can move forward.

• Chart your progress. Some respond better to visual stimulation. Seeing a checked off “To Do” item, or a progress graph, or a photo of your children on your desk to remind you that they need to be fed will keep you motivated.

• Forget about being perfect. The 40 hours you put into a report that only required 20, doesn’t automatically make it better. You can accomplish more with less reworking time if you remain focused.

• Reward yourself. One of the best ways to stop procrastinating is to develop a reward program. For instance, if you have two weeks to put together a marketing campaign, think of ways to reward yourself for completing small assignments each day.

How did I learn this? I was scheduled to address a colleague’s university class on the topic of goal setting. The first place I went was to my bookshelf for a book appropriately titled, “Procrastination.” I had received it in the late 1980s through a Business Book of the Month Club. Fourteen years later, I opened the book for the first time. We all have procrastination lapses.

Put these procrastination tips to work for you, and position yourself like a professional. If all else fails, then visit your nearest library or bookstore and pick up a copy of Procrastination for Dummies. And don’t put off reading it!

Christine W. Zust, M.A., is a communication expert and speaker who helps executive leaders and management teams develop credibility and clout with customers and key clients. She is president of Zust & Company, a Cleveland-based training, coaching, facilitation and consulting firm, and can be reached at (440) 777-8373, or visit www.zustco.com.