The good news is that you don
’t have to be a genius to think like one. Thinking like a genius
frequently means being creative, seeing things in different ways
that are simpler and easier. Procrastination is a major barrier to
creative thinking. My dictionary defines it as “blameworthy or
inexcusable delay caused by lazines
s, indifference or hesitation.”
The good news is that you don’t have to be a genius to think like one. Thinking like a genius frequently means being creative, seeing things in different ways that are simpler and easier.
Procrastination is a major barrier to creative thinking. My dictionary defines it as “blameworthy or inexcusable delay caused by laziness, indifference or hesitation.”
It’s unlikely that procrastination will make a job go away, so it’s a question of when, not if, the job will be done. Finishing a job brings relief.
The irony is that procrastination does not help the situation but creates a lot of guilt and other unnecessary agony. Why then do people procrastinate?
It frequently stems from our fears. We all like to think that we are intelligent and talented and capable of great things.
But if we give ourselves ample time and make a genuine effort, we risk falling flat on our face. It’s safer to keep something in reserve, not to show all our cards, and have a built-in excuse in case things do not go well. This is fear of failure.
Fear of success is another. Perhaps you are comfortable with a low profile. Success could focus more attention on you. Closer scrutiny could reveal some of your insecurities and weaknesses.
Success could make you a target of jealousy. Keep in mind that jealousy is alive and well in the real world and not just in Shakespeare’s plays.
It’s difficult to deal with because you never know how another person is going to react. Sometimes jealousy can come from one’s superiors at work – a dangerous situation. This is one advantage of being self-employed.
Procrastination can take the form of perfectionism, which is a form of fear of failure. Perfectionists are uncomfortable with mistakes. But rather than competency, working without mistakes is a sign of someone who is afraid to take a risk.
Ideally, we should not be fearful of making mistakes because this is how we learn. Unfortunately, we don’t live in an ideal world. Many people in positions of authority strive to project an image of perfection.
They scold subordinates at every opportunity for making mistakes. Some companies have a policy which allows their employees only one major mistake.
Apparently they’ve never heard of Murphy’s Law – “if something can go wrong, it will,” or The Peter Principle – “people in organizations rise to their level of incompetence”, or The Dilbert Principle – “we’re all stupid.”
Let’s assume that you’re self-employed or that you work for an exceptional boss who’s very supportive. There are several ways to deal with procrastination.
• Give yourself permission to do less than a perfect job. The difference that doing a job perfectly makes may be minimal.
If it doesn’t make much difference to the result, perfectionism is a waste of time. Do the job to a lower, but acceptable, standard.
• Tackle difficult projects early in the morning when you’re fresh and at your best.
• Adopt the “Swiss cheese” approach – meaning break the job down into smaller pieces.
• Utilize small bits of time to get started on some aspect of a project. This can break the ice and help in overcoming the fear of being overwhelmed by a difficult project.
• Set smaller goals with deadlines. For example, instead of saying “I’m going to paint my house,” say, “I’m going to pick out a color and buy the paint by Wednesday.”
• Reward yourself for working on your priority projects.
Years ago I read a book on how to think like a genius. I cannot recall the exact title. The author suggested that, for example, if you’re making a list – it’s better to let your subconscious mind do most of the work by allowing thoughts to come at their own pace rather than trying to think of everything at once.
This means you need to get an early start. Avoiding procrastination is therefore one way to think like a genius.
Paul Alpert is a CPA in Morgan Hill and a Certified QuickBooks Advisor. He can be reached at 778-9477 or [email protected].
