Procrastination Hack – Kiss That Ugly Frog Goodbye!

We are all prone to a good dose of procrastination or "what are my priorities again?" struggles. Some days (or weeks, months) just don't flow the way we want them to.

There are many, many different reasons why we tell ourselves that we will do that particularly nasty-looking task later: the summer sunshine is too tempting, or the winter cold too paralysing and plunging us into lethargy. We are afraid we don't know enough, get rejected, have to have too difficult a conversation, and, and, and.

And, ah, of course, something needs to be done first, urgently. Now. Sorry, just can't wait. Honest, the world will end if I don't deal with that (more pleasant looking) thing right now. ...

But let's face it, most of these oh-so-urgent (read: preferred) things can wait a while. What it really comes down to is this:

We rather smooch with the pretty prince(ss) than the ugly frog. That ugly amphibian can wait, thank you very much!

Well, It Can't Wait

More often than not, the things we like to do least are the ones that are the most important to tackle.

If not for what they are in themselves – the insurance for the car or business is important, even if it is boring and mind-numbing to get through the forest of paperwork and jargon – then for the challenges they pose and the relief we will feel when they are dealt with.

Because having that weight of not-yet-done work sitting on our shoulders will colour our mood and motivation, and will slow everything else down.

Gain vs. Pain

I have used a few techniques to help me hone in on the nasty-looking items first, get them out of the way. Some work better than others on a given day, so it's good to have a few options up your sleeve. But one always works best.

This approach seems to appeal to our lizard brain: we get motivated to do those ugly tasks either because we want to do them, i.e. want the reward badly enough – or because we do not want to deal with / experience the consequence of not tackling that uncomfortable task.

So ask yourself what's my reward, or: what's the worst that can happen if I don't get stuck into it?

Usually the gain or pain is enough to get us moving. You can read more about this concept here.

• How do you kiss your ugly frogs good-bye?
• What works for you?
• How do you set your priorities & overcome procrastination?

Looking forward to reading your ideas and tips.

Until soon,
Daniela

About the author: Daniela Cavalletti is the dynamic founder of international communications agency Cavalletti Communications (affectionately known as CavaCom). Daniela and her team are passionate about helping corporates, SME business owners and authors find their unique voice, boldly stand out, and become respected communications leaders.