The Club PUBlication 12/23/2024

How to thwart the thief of time
OUTSWIMMING THE SHARKS
By HARVEY MACKAY For the Minnesota Star Tribune​

Clifford finally decided to go to a psychiatrist to see if he could get help with his decisionmaking problem.
"I understand you have trouble making decisions. Is that true?" the psychiatrist asked him.

​Clifford looked at the psychiatrist, somewhat puzzled for a moment, and replied, "Well, yes — and no!"

Unfortunately, many people are like Clifford, a businessman whose problem-solving decisions were keeping him from advancing in the company.

When faced with a difficult decision in almost any endeavor in life, one of the worst things you can do is to procrastinate.

Procrastination is a thief. It robs you of the one commodity that you just can't buy back: time. It throws off schedules. It replaces accomplishment with inaction. It turns dreams into nightmares. December is Procrastination Awareness Month.

When faced with a task that you just don't want to do, many of us simply put it off until tomorrow. That's why tomorrow is often the busiest day of the week. And one of these days becomes none of these days.

Putting off an unpleasant task until tomorrow simply gives you more time for your imagination to make a mountain out of a possible molehill ... more time for anxiety to sap your self-confidence.

Most of us can relate to occasional bouts of procrastination — the phone call you have been dreading to place, the project you just can't get excited about, the meeting you should have scheduled two weeks ago. Here are some effective techniques to avoid procrastination: Prioritize tasks. Not all tasks are created equally. Prioritizing helps you focus on what truly matters. Use a priority matrix to categorize tasks by urgency and importance and tackle highpriority tasks first.
Tackle your fear of failure.

Too often, we put off projects because we are afraid to fail. You can't succeed if you don't try, and the longer you put off trying, the more daunting the task looks. Break tasks into smaller steps.

Set clear deadlines. Having a specific deadline creates a sense of urgency and accountability.  Assign deadlines to each task on your list, even if they are self-imposed, to keep yourself on track.

Eliminate distractions.
Distractions can easily derail your focus and lead to procrastination.
Identify common distractions in your work environment and take steps to minimize them, such as setting specific times to check emails or silencing notifications.

Reflect on progress. Regular reflection helps you understand what strategies are working and where you can improve. At the end of each day, review what you accomplished and plan adjustments for the next day.

There was once a man named Bob, who was notorious for his procrastination at work.

One day, Bob's boss gave him a simple task: to write a short report by the end of the week. Bob, true to form, decided he had plenty of time, and put it off until the last minute. On Friday afternoon, with just an hour left before the deadline, he finally sat down to start the report.

As he stared at the blank screen, he thought to himself, "I work best under pressure.This is when my creativity really shines!" Just then, the office fire alarm went off, and everyone had to evacuate the building.

Standing outside,
​Bob realized that sometimes, even the best procrastinators can't control the unexpected. His boss, noticing his sheepish expression, simply smiled and said, "Well, Bob, I guess you can't procrastinate your way out of this one!"

Mackay's Moral:
Procrastination is the thief of time; guard your moments by taking action today.

Harvey Mackay is a Minneapolis businessman. Contact him at 612-378- 6202 or email [email protected].