Dawdling is a subconscious strategy to avoid negative emotions. Photo Credit: Adobe stock/Cookie Studio
Professionals often find themselves procrastinating on certain projects, especially those that involve tedious or emotionally challenging tasks, such as writing negative employee performance reviews.
Research suggests that procrastination, rather than being a sign of laziness or moral failing, is a subconscious strategy to avoid negative emotions. However, it can hinder progress on important but non-urgent projects.
Dorie Clark, a marketing strategist and keynote speaker at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, offers five strategies in Harvard Business Review to overcome procrastination on ambiguous yet essential tasks:
Get clear on the vision:
- Ambiguity in projects can lead to procrastination due to task paralysis. Clarity on what's expected is essential.
- Ask questions like: What precisely am I being asked to do? What is the desired output? How long do I estimate it will take?
Identify concrete steps:
- Determine the steps needed to reach your destination, especially for new projects.
- Seek advice from colleagues with relevant experience or consider hiring a consultant.
- Study past best and worst practices in your field to develop an initial plan.
Take (small) action:
- Even a tiny action can create positive momentum.
- Completing a small task, like writing one paragraph of a progress report, can lead to finishing the entire task.
Create forcing functions:
- Build accountability mechanisms, such as scheduling check-ins with your manager or coworkers.
- Virtually "cowork" with others, announcing your tasks at the beginning of a session and reporting progress at the end.
- Set your own rules and create conditions that promote focus and productivity.
Limit competing distractions:
- Recognise that our minds seek dopamine hits from distractions like emails and social media.
- Proactively limit distractions by keeping your phone in another room, using website-blocking software, or working offline for in-depth tasks.