Do You remember The Twilight Zone? That ominous voice comes over the radio or television and says, “You are about to enter The Twilight Zone. Tonight, my mind drifted into “The Procrastination Zone”. I'm not sure why, but I did. As I started to think through the idea of procrastination, I realized that I drift into this “zone” far too often. Now, I am not proud to say that – in fact – its something I struggle with, and am working to correct it.
Why do I enter “The Procrastination Zone”? Here are some thoughts:
- Laziness
- Distracted / Lack of Focus
- Uncertain of outcome
- Work better under pressure
Well, all of the above are true. While working through my Master's Degree, “The Procrastination Zone” hit me far too many times, and I found myself sitting at Starbucks plowing through a 5-page paper the night it was due.
Was my writing good? Yes.
If I started earlier, could my paper have been better? Definitely.
Lately at work, “the Zone” has been making a comeback. I have been resting on my laurels and know that because I can design an office in about 10 minutes, does not mean I should wait until the deadline to do it. My customers deserve my best, and I have not been giving my best effort.
To help me overcome “The Procrastination Zone”, I usually employ a few good tricks:
- Detailed “To-Do” List – its always good to check things off my list
- Employ Earbuds – by placing earbuds in my ears, it tells my brain its time to focus
- Budget Specific Time – I allot a certain amount of time to each project and work until it is either complete or a substantial amount of work is complete
These are a few things that have helped me reign in “The Procrastination Zone”.
How do you beat “The Procrastination Zone”?
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Ricardo – thanks for the comment. I think that music is the great equalizer. For some reason, it helps people focus – not for everyone, but for some.
The "time blocking" and "zoning in on the task" are great ideas. Thanks for joining the discussion.