Creative procrastination is one of the most effective of all personal performance techniques. It can change your life. The fact is that you can’t do everything that you have to do. You have to procrastinate on something. Therefore, procrastinate on small tasks. Everyone procrastinates. The difference between high performers and low performers is largely determined by what they choose to procrastinate on.
To set proper priorities, you must set posteriorities as well. (Law of Posteriority- You can only gain control of your life to the degree to which you stop doing things that are no longer as valuable or as important to you as other things you could be doing). A priority is something that you do more of and sooner, while a postieriority is something that you do less of and later, if at all. One of the most powerful of all words in time management in the word no! Say it politely. Say it clearly so that there are no misunderstandings. Say it regularly as a normal part of your time management vocabulary. For you to do something new, you must complete or stop doing something old.
Most people engage in unconscious procrastination. They procrastinate without thinking about it. As a result, they procrastinate on the big, valuable, important tasks that can have significant long-term consequences in their lives and careers. You must avoid this common tendency at all costs. Your job is to deliberately procrastinate on tasks that are of low value so that you have more time for tasks that can make a big difference in your life and work.
Continually review your life and work to find time- consuming tasks and activities that you can abandon. Cut down on television watching and instead spend the time with your family, read, exercise, or do something else that enhances the quality of your life. Look at your work activities and identify the tasks that you could delegate or eliminate to free up more time for the work that really counts.
Begin today to practice creative procrastination practices that will free up more time for the more important things in life. Set posteriorities wherever and whenever you can. This decision alone can enable you to get your time and your business under control.
Examine each of your personal and work activities and evaluate it based on your current situation. Select at least one activity to abandon immediately or at least deliberately put off until your more important goals have been achieved.
