Up to 70% of North Americans have a problem with procrastination, according to research at the University of Ottawa. The common causes?
- Waiting to feel like the time — or our mood — is right to get things done.
- Knowing what we want to accomplish, but not knowing how to go about it.
- Feeling like the task itself is unpleasant, difficult or overwhelming, and
- Having something more enjoyable and less difficult to do than the task at hand.
Use a time-plan
Good salespeople use a time-plan to get beyond procrastination. By setting specific times and dates to work on an item, they put a structure in place that increases the chances of completion.
To create your own time-plan, follow these two steps:
- Develop a plan you can use as a roadmap to organize your goals and objectives. Start with your goals and objectives and relate your daily and weekly activities to reaching those goals. Keep it simple, so you don’t spend more time managing your plan than implementing it.
- Prioritize your activities so you spend the most time with the ones that are most productive. If you list your activities in the order of importance, you can shift less important ones to other times or eliminate them entirely.
Adapted from the book How Smart People Prosper in the Face of Conflict, Pressure & Change by Keith Bailey and Karen Leland, the founders of Sterling Consulting Group, Inc., an international management consulting firm.
