Procrastination

Work your way up

Sean, manager of marketing services for a dental equipment manufacturer, told session seven of the Leadership Development Lab (LDL):

"At session three of the LDL we were challenged to apply 5X More Enthusiasm ("commitment in action") to an area of our professional lives where we want to improve. I chose to focus more energy on my daily 'To Do' list. I had discovered that I carried things over for weeks from one 'To Do' list to another until the items were so old that I just deleted them. This never made me feel good and actually became a source of stress which was debilitating my energy and confidence.

"I took action and applied a new strategy. I decided to go to the bottom of my 'To Do' list every day and tackle my toughest items first! After I had completed the tough items on my 'To Do' list, I would move on to the less difficult ones. This was not easy. I discovered that deciding was one thing - doing it was tougher than I thought it would be. On the first day I caught myself drifting to the easier items just by shear habit. Over the next couple of days I forced myself to stick to the toughest tasks first.

"I noticed at the end of each day I was much less stressed because I had already addressed all the tough issues I had been avoiding. I had nothing hanging over my head for the next day. It was really a great feeling! The next morning I was also feeling much better when I came into work because I knew I didn't have to face what I drug over from the day before.

"The lesson I learned from this experience is to take on my sources of stress and fear as soon as I become aware of them.

"The action I call you to take is to stand up to your fears, those things you have been procrastinating on. You will conquer your fears. Until you do, they will own your life and you will feel out of control. When you face your fears and become proactive you will be in control of your life.

"The benefit you will gain is a surge of self-confidence, a renewed sense of self-worth. You will earn the respect of others and have strength and control back in your life."

In chapter five of Making Moments Matter I write about Six Dimensions of Time:

Enthusiasm       Self-Motivation       Habits
Self-Confidence       Communication Skills       Leadership Ability

Becoming organized and getting things done requires much more than making lists, having a neat workplace, and an effective filing system. Maximizing the value of your time requires a change in habits and inevitably requires that you do some things you don't like to do.