The Procrastination Equation: How to Stop Putting Things on Off and Start Getting Stuff Done
by Piers Steel, Ph.D.
Harper Collins (2011)
For the last few months, I’ve been thinking about why distractions, so constant in modern life, keep us from having authentic face-to-face experiences. It seems every experience is interrupted by someone informing us of something consequential or not. Often these interruptions seem to caused by device hypnosis. I think this psychologically distracting habit is interesting especially when this behavior seems to destroy concentration and even to the point of producing rude self-centeredness. In the workplace, interruptions lead to poor customer service and can infringe on other coworkers’ time and focus.
Procrastination has been identified as not just a delay but an irrational one. That is when we voluntarily put off tasks despite believing ourselves to be worse off by doing so. We know we are acting against our own best interests. Self-deception and procrastination go hand and hand, exploiting the thin line between couldn’t and wouldn’t by exaggerating the difficulties we face and come up with justifications even if we don’t vocalize them.
Procrastination is to suffer from weak impulse control, lack of persistence, lack of work discipline, lack of self-management skill, and the inability to plan ahead of time. Even after starting, a procrastinator is easily distracted. Putting off responsibilities inevitably follows. This behavior is especially rude and counterproductive in the work environment. It’s almost like a learned helplessness which decreases the pleasure and quality of life, and its source is likely procrastination.
Impulsiveness shares the strongest bond to procrastination, for example, cell phones are responded to by people who act without thinking. Those who act on impulse are more likely procrastinating. In the retail world, impulse results in unwanted purchases leading to impulse buys and decreasing the customer’s opportunity for good service. Our love affair with the present moment and immediate gratification is the root of this process.
So attached it seems are cell phones and computer that they seem embedded, not only within people’s lives but that they are an actual part of their body, even to the extent that when they are not around people can experience a phantom limb syndrome, for example, a faux cell phone arm. Americans on the average watch 4.7 hours of TV. By doing this, the TV is controlling part of our mental body. Does this create a faux TV brain?
In the short term, we can regret what we do; but in the long run, we regret what we don’t get done. When interrupted by a device, it takes approximately 15 minutes to refocus. About two hours of our work day is lost to interruption and less productivity, i.e., entertainment for the employee paid for time. Could this be called shoplifting or just stealing?
If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Every indecision brings about delays in usually costly and unproductive efforts. These types of effort produce drudgery and decrease the flow of total engagement which in turn decreases creativity. A bigger picture understanding is clobbered by this narrowness of effort, thus producing less work success and reward.
Proper goal setting is the smartest thing you can do to battle your own procrastination. Framing our goals breaks down big picture success into short term objectives. Routines get stronger with repetition, and so does the habit become stronger every time you slack off or interrupt yourself with your cell phone, Facebook, Twitter, etc. If you protect and nurture your routine with good habits, it will eventually protect you.
If you are in a small business and want good service generated by right-minded efforts that lead to you enhancing your community, I suggest Steel’s book. Managing your time and those you employ correctly eventually makes your efforts have longer constructive effects for your business and your community.
If these ideas interest you, your time reading The Procrastination Equation will give you plenty to think about.
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