Are you spinning your wheels? 

As one of the world’s foremost procrastinators, I can speak with conviction about these steps to make sure you get done what you need to get done at the agency and, at the same time, satisfy some social responsibilities. 

Overcoming procrastination comes with a cost 

You have a backlog of tasks to accomplish.  In the meantime, new tasks which need your attention are landing on your desk.  You are falling further and further behind. It can freak you out; even paralyze you unless you come up with a way to break the cycle. 

The solution is a simple system that establishes new habits that you can practice automatically every day.  The cost is a two-pronged commitment called RESOLVE and DILIGENCE. 

Curing procrastination paralysis 

1. Attack the problem directly.  Make a list of all the tasks you have been avoiding. Be brutally honest; list them all. 

2. Rank the tasks, A, B, C from most important to least important. 

3. Make a list of activities you are currently working on.  Rank them. Compare them with your catch-up list. 

4. Review the C tasks on your list.  Re-rank any you think should be B’s. Throw the remaining C’s away or into a remote file. You won’t miss them! 

5. Resolve to do ONE of the A tasks on your catch-up list every day along with your current priority activities.  If you complete one catch-up task, try to do one more before the end of the day.  

6. Make a separate note for the ONE catch-up task you will accomplish and keep it in front of you along with your current priority activities list.  Label this short list:  MY TODAY’S ACTIONS.  “Actions” speak louder than “To Do’s”! 

Simplicity is critical 

Is this solution to procrastination bio science?  Nope. But this process will work IF you keep it simple (don’t try to do too many catch-ups a day---just one or two), and IF you make the process a daily habit (diligence, no skipping a day).   

Oh, there’s one other caveat.  To keep things simple, you may need to do some chunking. 

Chunking 

All tasks are not created equally.  Some are more complex, more time-consuming than others to complete. 

Break complex tasks into small bites such as: one day for research, one day for feedback from associates or outside resources, one day for completing.  We sometimes use a track analogy to describe this process: “on your mark”, “get set”, “go”.

 Handling e-mail 

I recommend reviewing and answering e-mail the very thing in the morning.  It is a good warming up exercise over a cup of java or orange juice. Review again just before lunch and at the close of the workday. Managing your e-mail access (availability) is a subject for another time.

 Fulfilling social activities for your daily list 

I learned the following from Bernard S. Rosen, who was an outstanding general agent for State Mutual Life Assurance Company in the 1960’s and ‘70’s. 

Bernie kept a card in his desk drawer that listed several types of key personal contacts he would make EVERY business day.  It was part of his whole person approach to his business and life. 

My 3 x 5 card parallels his. 

. One family contact:  “how are you doing”. One client contact: “howdy, thanks for your business”, “how are we doing”

. One associate contact: “how is it going”, “any thing I can do to help”

. One good friend contact: “thinking of you, how goes it” 

Phone contacts are the best, the most personal.  E-mail is next best. 

ON YOUR MARK, GET SET, GO!  

---Don Cookson

   Marketing Communications Coach