Have you ever put off an important task until the last minute without understanding why you were even procrastinating this much? Have you been struggling with getting much done, especially when working from home? Are you quick to give in to the temptation to be distracted rather than accomplishing a task?
I know, I’ve been, and sometimes still are, there…And so are countless women, who have been proven to be genetically more prone to procrastination, according to this 2014 study. Apparently, the female sex estrogen appears to play a role in the inter-dependency between gender, more specifically the female gender, and procrastination. In addition, working women and moms tend to wear so many hats, both on the office and the home front, that procrastinating may be a result of the resulting stress. This is all the more prevalent as stress has been directly linked to procrastinating habits. An additional study on the relationship between motivation, fear and procrastination among working women found that decreases in motivation, result in increases in working women’s fear of failure and procrastination.
Other reasons explaining procrastination include lack of self-compassion, trouble with negative moods, or avoiding the task at hand, to cite a few. For women, it may also have to do with self-doubt, and the mental pull to under-achieve as a way to be more accepted socially. What procrastination is not necessarily, is a reflection of poor time management,which it tends to usually be blamed for.
I’ve dealt with procrastination long enough to know all about the temporary sense of relief it brings at first, which is quickly replaced by disappointment and anxiety. As a matter of fact, people who tend to delay tasks until the last minute have also been shown to suffer from more acute levels of depression, anxiety and stress, according to this 2016 study. I used to beat myself up for putting off often smaller tasks for later, and then stressing out in the wee hours of the day before a deadline. Yet, what history and research show is that procrastinators are not necessarily lazy people. Actually, some of the greatest of this world, from Jane Austen to one of my favorites, Nancy Pelosi, are self-proclaimed procrastinators, as revealed in the book “The Art of Procrastination: A Guide to Effective Dawdling, Lollygagging and Postponing” by John Perry.
So now that we know that procrastination can come from so many different sources, and we can relax that it’s not a sign of laziness, what can we do about it, especially as over-burdened, often over-taxed working women?
- Work on building your confidence up
Most of the working women I know who are struggling with procrastination also struggle with self-doubt, despite being some of the most competent and extraordinarily gifted women I know. Building your confidence up will help you have the courage to tackle seemingly unattanable or intimidating tasks.
- Start with the hard stuff…
When faced with the hard and easy, start with the hard stuff. Getting done with a challenging task at the onset will give you the confidence and stamina to keep plowing through your to-do list.
- But begin with the simplest part
Yet even when you begin the hard stuff, pick the easiest part of it. Maybe it’s answering related emails quickly, or formatting a document before digging into the specifics of the assignment. Whatever it is, allow yourself some time to work yourself up to the task.
- Get some accountability
Nothing like being accountable to a few trusted individuals…Share your goals with your team, or well-selected friends or colleagues who can hold you accountable and can stay on top of you to meet your deadline or complete planned milestones.
- Skip multi-tasking
Multi-tasking is the anti-thesis to productivity, and certainly a pretty potent ally to procrastination. The more you try to handle all at once, the more overwhelmed you may get, and the more you may be tempted to procrastinate.
- Let it be imperfect
Perfectionist alert! As a recovering perfectionist, I know all too well about the agony of wanting to get a task completed to perfection. The more you strive towards perfection, the longer you may want to delay submitting or completing it, for fear you may miss something. Let it go, it doesn’t have to be perfect, it just has to be done!
- Use the power of reward
Last but not least, don’t forget to give yourself something to look forward to as a reward for beating your own procrastination. Whether it’s a special treat, some relaxation time, or just acknowledging that you made it, don’t forget to celebrate!
How do you beat procrastination as a working woman?
The Corporate Sis.
