Avoiding effort
This is a very interesting pattern and goes something like this: you’re smart, creative and always able to make the right decision – so taking on this task/goal/project will be easy for you. However, when things get tough, and you are down to the boring implementation rather than the big idea, you get a frustrating feeling: ‘I should be able to do this easily. Why is this hard?’
This one comes from a place where your self image of being smart, creative and able is quite closely connected/identified with what you do (rather than who you are) – and therefore, when the devil jumps out of the detail, it rocks your self esteem.
You start to worry so much about not being able to do this task/goal/project or facing the disappointment of having to work hard that you start to delay or even avoid it.
So what’s going on there, then?
In our research around procrastination, we have looked at many ways of how people procrastinate – and we have identified a few Favourite Patterns – 6 in total watch this space to get to know them all.
Let’s start with what currently seems to be ‘Everyone’s Darling:
Last minute mania
This is probably the most popular, which is why we start with it. It involves leaving everything to the last minute, rushing around in the end and really pushing the boat out to achieve or deliver the task.
This one is all about proving to ourselves how brilliant we are – I mean, how good do you need to be to be able to pull this off? Deliver, even though you only just started late last night?
Some of us get off on the adrenaline of that. Some people even confuse it with Just in Time management. Great stuff, isn’t it? – If it wasn’t for that nagging feeling right after, which whispers: “Of course, I could have done better, if I’d had more time.” This is added to by some pressure from your colleagues/peers/staff, who don’t appreciate always having to wait for you to deliver.
Or you might have a colleague/client/supplier that does it to you? Not quite as much fun on the receiving end, is it?
Following from the last blog, it’s probably time to look at what’s going on behind those patterns, and whether we’re just ‘condemmed’ to live with them forever…
Well, you guessed it, all is NOT lost - We CAN do something about our unwanted behavioural patterns, if we look at the problem using our EQ rather than our IQ.
Our Emotional Intelligence Quotient (EQ) is more use in beating procrastination than our Rational Intelligence Quotient (IQ). Why? – Because procrastination is not a rational problem. (Frankly, if it were, you would have solved it by now – we’re very good at solving rational problems)
Something is going on underneath, on an emotional level, which keeps us in our procrastination loop – and the illusion that there is nothing we can do about is part of the loop.
So, let’s have a closer look at this? – What are the sort of things you do to keep yourself in your procrastination loop? – What are your avoidance techniques? What are the excuses you tell yourself?
Are you frustrated because your business isn’t where you want it to be? Are you too busy trying to get through your ‘to do’ list to concentrate on what is strategically important?
Do you:
• Put things off until tomorrow?
• Busy yourself with long lists of jobs to do every day?
• Still find you are unable to achieve your strategic goals and targets?
• And repeat the same patterns of behaviour time and time again?
If your answer is yes, then you are not alone – many people ‘procrastinate’, ie put things off until tomorrow.
What often gets in the way of success are habits/patterns that we have been nursing and practicing for years, probably neither consciously nor voluntarily, however, we have been practising them, and we struggle to change our behaviour.
What are your experiences with the patterns described above?