Do perfectionism and procrastination trip you up?
Perfectionism and procrastination. They often appear in tandem. And they are a difficult twosome to address.
How many of you are familiar with procrastination’s mantra, “I’ll do that tomorrow” or maybe it’s next week or next month? I’m guessing that most of us have uttered those words more than a few times. And how many have had those anxious dreams where you find yourself suddenly confronted with a deadline that you’d been putting off? Is the sinking feeling familiar?
Right now, I want to share some tips for dealing with situations where you find yourself confronted with a deadline that you’d been putting off. It’s a situation that none of us want to end up in, but it happens a lot.
Procrastination Don’ts
Here are 5 things to NOT do when you find yourself confronted with a deadline that you’d been procrastinating about:
1. DO NOT leave town, change your identity, or purchase a disguise.
2. DO NOT keep procrastinating.
3. DO NOT panic.
4. DO NOT berate yourself.
5. DO NOT throw in the towel.
It’s normal to have an initial response of some level of panic in this situation, but it’s crucial to minimize the time that you spend in that mode. Remember that you have choices about your response. Pull yourself away from the “Don’ts” and turn toward the “Do’s” that can get you on track and moving quickly toward your goal.
5 Things That Help
Here are 5 tips to move you through your project so that you stop procrastinating and meet your deadline:
1. DO create a boundary.
2. DO get your tools together.
3. DO define your task.
4. DO get started.
5. DO keep in mind that DONE is better than perfect.
Let me say that again…
It’s vital to set aside any hints of perfectionism and remember that DONE is better than PERFECT. I often think that were we to remember this from the earliest stages of a task, procrastination would not be the issue that it can be.
Perfectionism and procrastination frequently go hand in hand. So, if you’re putting off a task, you may want to step back and see what kinds of expectations you have for yourself.
If you feel critical, or hear yourself using the words “should” and “ought” or if you step back and can see that your goals are not realistic, you can be pretty sure that perfectionism is in play and getting in your way.
Any of us would balk at being told by our boss that our next project needs to be perfect. But many of us give messages like that to ourselves all the time.
So, how does perfectionism play a role in your procrastination? Try countering it with your new mantra: “Done is better than perfect.”
How will you manage these challenges for yourself, starting today?
More help with perfectionism and procrastination:
Perfectionism eats up the energy and undermines the confidence of countless bright, energetic, and talented people. Are you one of them?
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So, are you tired of feeling like your own worst enemy? And are you ready to step away from perfectionism and free up the time and energy it’s been devouring? Then click the link below to learn more about this transformative time tool and the bonuses that come with it! https://thetimefinder.com/PerfectionismGuide.html
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