Putting things off is normal. We all do it to one degree or another. We avoid responding to certain emails, delegating tasks, or difficult conversations.
The implications of the task left undone determines whether or not our procrastination is a wise move or a dumb one. They may be detrimental to the success of a project––or even our career.
Sometimes procrastination comes as a natural result of prioritizing. As we shift our focus throughout the day, we will naturally re-prioritize the tasks at hand. Some will naturally fall off the list, particularly because many of us have lists that will require days, months, perhaps years to accomplish.
There are infinitely more tasks in our scope than the hours in our day. So we shouldn’t expect to get it all done in a day…ever. And with this realization, we can then determine where best to place our attention.
To do quality work, we need quality time to focus our quality energy on the most important matters at hand.
Greg Voisen, a consultant to family business owners, and author of the upcoming book, Hacking the Gap: A Journey from Intuition to Innovation and Beyond, recommends dividing the tasks of the day into “meaningful, mandatory, and mundane.”
Scheduling as little as 15 minutes, on a project that is near and dear to your heart—the “meaningful”—will fuel your efforts to tackle the mandatory and the mundane.
Sometimes procrastination is tied to perfection––and this can keep us from taking actions on even the most mundane tasks.
Sam Bennett, author of Get it Done: From Procrastination to Creative Genius in 15 Minutes a Day, says “Perfectionism is an insidious demon that must be fought with every weapon you’ve got.”
However, we can create career-threatening circumstances when we put the wrong things off. Reckless procrastination can get us in trouble. Blatant disregard of a high priority matter shows a lack of judgment. And that label can stick with us for a long time.
So how do SPMs stay out of this procrastination trap?
They ask themselves one simple question: “What would you tell your client about why a task wasn’t done?”
If you could present higher priority matters with a higher order of magnitude, like handling an elevator entrapment with a pregnant woman, or showing a vacant floor to a last-minute prospect, or preventing the utility company from cutting off your power……then you’ve got some valid reasons to procrastinate on purpose.
You’re not ducking your responsibilities, and you know that you’ll be focused on the matter in question once the higher priority events are handled professionally. If you simply say you were “too busy,” that’s not good enough. Hiding behind the cloak of busy-ness actually erodes your reputation and damages the confidence people have in you.
Having your priorities straight—knowing when to procrastinate on purpose—and tackling the highest value items will position you for more responsibilities, better client relations, and greater earning potential. Sounds like a pretty smart formula for success to me.