  |
|
|
|
Stop Procrastinating at WorkGetting the Job Done When You’re Unmotivated, Tired, or Bored
Even if you're self-employed or telecommuting, procrastination doesn't just affect your productivity & professional image - it impacts your coworkers & clients, too.
Increasing your motivation at work – or at home if you’re self-employed or working as a telecommuter – will improve your professional image, increase your productivity, and nudge the company’s bottom line upwards. (You may not care about the company’s bottom line, but your boss does, and it never hurts to be in the boss’ good books). To strengthen your work relationships and keep your clients happy, here are five ways to get the job done when you’re unmotivated, tired, or bored. 5 Ways to Stop Procrastinating at Work1. Set a time limit on the “worst” tasks. If you hate balancing the books or making cold calls to clients, promise yourself you’ll only do it for 30 minutes or an hour. Set aside just that amount of time, and reward yourself afterward with one of your favorite job responsibilities or the lunch (or dinner) you love the most. If you’re working as a telecommuter, you can reward yourself in your favorite way at home. 2. Do it bad and fast. Go ahead: write a bad speech, create a boring power point presentation, or draw an ugly company logo. To stop procrastinating at work, you may need to let go of perfectionist tendencies. Lower the bar when you want to get the job done but don’t feel motivated to start it. Once you get the dreck out of your system, you’ll be free to move onwards and upwards. 3. Work with your rhythms. Do the work before lunch if you’re a morning person, or mid-afternoon if you’re a night owl. Getting the job done when you’re tired is much more difficult – especially if it’s a job you dread. Being aware of when your energy peaks is a great way to stop procrastinating at work. If you’re working as a telecommuter, you may find it easier to work with your energy peaks because your hours may be more flexible. 4. Savor the past. Remember that article you published, the speech everyone loved, or the client you won over? To get motivated at work, enjoy the victorious feelings – and picture yourself feeling the same when you’ve completed this job. If you’re self-employed, remember the increased productivity, which translated to a bigger paycheck. Simply savoring how great your professional image was in the past can motivate you to get the job done now. 5. Break a big project down. If you’re writing a book, break it up into chapter outlines or a book proposal. If you’re cleaning a house, start in a small room – a bathroom, for instance – and work your way up. To stop procrastinating at work, it helps to start with the small, easy tasks and move to the larger, more difficult ones. This helps your professional image, too. If your clients know that you have a strategy, they may feel reassured that you’ll get the job done. If you found How to Stop Procrastinating at Work helpful, you might like: Source: Making Work Work: New Strategies for Surviving and Thriving at the Officeby Julie Morgenstern.
The copyright of the article Stop Procrastinating at Work in Psychology is owned by Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen. Permission to republish Stop Procrastinating at Work in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
|
|
|
|
