You Want to Change Your Career? Then Don't Procrastinate - Part 2

Procrastination is something that everyone does at some point or another. But when you let procrastination get in the way of achieving your career change goals, you can have a real problem on your hands.

The first step in eliminating procrastination is to identify the areas of your life or tasks that bring out your procrastinating tendencies. So get out a pen and paper-it's time to make a list of the things you really don't like doing.

Next to each of the things you don't enjoy doing, write in a short phrase that explains the reasons you don't like to do it. Be honest and admit if something is difficult, if something is unpleasant, or if it is a "should do"-something you feel you are being made to do or expected to do by someone else.

Once you have your list of unpleasant tasks that you procrastinate over, answer the following questions about each of those tasks:


What benefits will you get by putting off or not completing the task?


What's the downside of putting off or not completing the task?


What benefits will you get out of completing the task?


What are the negative consequences associated with completing the task?

The four questions above will help you to put things into perspective. Procrastination is a way of avoiding something that we perceive as being unpleasant or uncomfortable. By doing the above exercise, you will see exactly what it is you are trying to avoid, as well as see that the benefit of completing the task will far outweigh the short-term pleasure you get by avoiding it.

Sometimes certain tasks just seem overwhelming. This is why it is important to break things down. By taking a job and dividing it into smaller and more manageable tasks, the overall job won't sound or feel quite so daunting.

Similarly, if there is something you are scared of doing because you think you might not be able to do such a good job, try and break it down into smaller and less frightening elements. When each scary task presents itself as something you would rather not do, and would love to just wish it away, think instead of the feeling of control you will have when you have dealt with that scary thing. Think about how you will have more time to do more pleasurable things if you get those unpleasant jobs all out of the way. Think of the freedom!

Sometimes certain jobs or tasks just seem to be too complicated to deal with. If breaking it down doesn't make it seem easier to tackle, try and find one part of it that you can do and get that done. Then see if there is another bit you can do and tackle that. Keep thinking about how you can organize the rest of the tasks so that the job becomes less and less difficult in terms of complexity and more manageable in terms of smaller tasks.

Try allocating a certain amount of time each day, or every other day, to deal with some specific task that you have been putting off. Accept that you don't want to do it, and accept that you may feel nervous, anxious or tense about it. Accept that you must calm that feeling, and concentrate on the decision you are making to get it dealt with because it is in your best interests to do so.