The monkey mind, the instant gratification and the sham- it’s
a cyclical process. But the truth is that this habit of procrastination devours
the momentum of work and affects the progress of an individual. Hence it
becomes inevitable to get rid of this looming habit.
There is a very simple approach to dealing with this chronic
concern- I call it the ABCD strategy. Let us discuss in detail:
A – Accountability: Building an accountability for a
particular task amps up your levels of motivation. The commitment can be taken
to serious point by writing it in your journal or tweeting about it. The idea
becomes more effective if you choose someone else other than yourself and both
of you hold each other accountable for your plans, it could be a work buddy;
where both of you can discuss the advancement and hurdles, or your mentor who
you could discuss your side hustle progress.
B-Blow the fear: As discussed in the earlier post, one of the
root reason for procrastinating is FEAR. It is natural to be develop this
emotion, but what we do not realise is if you don’t take control of fear, it starts
to control your actions and inhibit your growth. Think in terms of what FEAR
will get you and then in terms of what results will taking the ACTION get you. We
overestimate the FEAR and underestimate the power of ACTION. Don’t live in the
short-term, build a perspective and visualise how the ACTION will shape your
future- see the bigger picture.
C- Chunking the task- A big goal or a sizeable task is
undoubtedly intimidating. The whole idea of giving in time, making commitments
and interlacing up your energy to that particular task is creepy enough. Therefore a
smart idea is to always always break down the task into manageable chunks of
work steps. For instance, if a quarterly sales report has to be developed,
break down the task into three phases of- 1. collecting the data, 2. analysing it
and 3. writing and organising the report. To ensure the motivation and momentum
is maintained you can even set up a reward system for yourself in between or
after the phase completion. This makes the big task- moving, manageable, and
measurable.
D- DO the Deadline: Deadlines are as important as taking actions.
They help you keep a check on the progress of the task. When we chunk down the
task into small bite-sized steps, it becomes crucial to allot deadlines as per
the stages of the task- a big no no is setting just one deadline for the whole
project. Having a potent deadline for your To-Do’s ensures that the rate of
motion is maintained, and you are progressing on the task.
Try this ABCD approach to break the vicious cycle of dawdling and get moving!
Comments
Post a Comment