What Kind Of Procrastinator Are You? [Infographic]

Mark Bunce https://www.parcelhero.com 4m 1,096 #procrastinator

The views of this article are the perspective of the author and may not be reflective of Confessions of the Professions.

It becomes quickly evident that the harder we work, the better we are at wasting time. It’s why we are so obsessed with getting better, faster and quicker at working – but procrastination actually highlights those inner insecurities that we didn’t really know we had, or least didn’t know were holding us back. So, what kind of procrastinator are you? Let’s find out.

Daredevil, Self-Saboteur, Ostrich, Chicken and Perfectionist – the four categories of the procrastinating individual. Understanding what each of these means can lead us to understand a little more about ourselves and how we can move forward.

The Daredevil: To live dangerously, only starting the work when the deadline is looming. You think you show grace, but the end result is rushed and the work full of errors. Solution: Get organised and set yourself tighter deadlines.

Self-Saboteur: You’re your own worst enemy, putting obstacles in your path to stop yourself working. That way, you can say it’s not your fault – rewarding yourself for a job left undone. Solution: plan for obstacles. List potential problems and how you can overcome them, ahead of time. Plan countermeasures, ‘Whenever I check Facebook, I take a short break.’

Ostrich: You like to stick your head in the sand and ignore the tasks at hand – avoiding having to make decisions. If you make a decision, then you don’t risk failing or being judged. Solution: Self-talk confidently. Notice how you are talking to yourself when procrastinating. Think positively – instead of ‘I can’t’, say ‘I will’.

Chicken: With so many choices, how are you supposed to decide? By the time you’ve made up your mind, it’s too late. You feel like you may as well put it off and let someone else choose. Solution: Swiss-cheese the big tasks. Handle the biggest tasks first by breaking them down into smaller manageable ones. Devote small amounts of time and achieve as much as you can in each to boost your momentum.

Perfectionist: You’ll settle for nothing less than perfection – which is essentially impossible. You’re ruled by what others think of you, delaying work until you can be sure other people won’t criticise it. Solution: Keep it real! Set yourself reasonable targets that you can know you can manage and do your best to meet them. Perfection is impossible, but you can learn from mistakes.

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What Kind Of PROCRASTINATOR Are You?

Does this sound all too familiar: deadlines are looming, nothing’s been done, and you’re on Netflix. But putting off work doesn’t mean that you’re lazy. Procrastination reveals our hidden anxieties and self-destructive habits.

Follow our chart to find out what’s stopping you from starting.

ARE YOU GOOD AT MEETING DEADLINES?

I’ll start working at the last minute

DO YOU WORK WELL UNDER PRESSURE?

Sure – pressure makes diamonds after all <-> I crumble like a web biscuit

ARE YOU HAPPY MAKING IMPORTANT DECISIONS

I’m a natural leader <-> Too much drama – let someone else decide

ARE YOU BOTHERED ABOUT THE QUALITY OF YOUR WORK?

It’s fine – so long as it gets done <-> It need to be something I’m proud of

DAREDEVIL

HOW DO YOU HANDLE STRESS?

I’m as cool as the Fresh Prince <-> SELF-SABOTEUR

Smoke starts coming out of my ears <-> Of course! I don’t want to feel useless

I bury my head in the sand until it’s too late

WHAT STOPS YOU FROM WORKING?

A to-do list as long as my arm

Deadlines? Panic stations!

DO YOU EVER CUT CORNERS?

Whatever gets the job done <-> I stick to the straight and narrow

Working? I can’t even get started

ARE YOU SERIOUS ABOUT YOUR WORK?

I’d rather binge on Netflix <-> As serious as a heart attack

DO YOU WORRY ABOUT WHAT OHTERS THINK OF YOU?

Who cares? Sticks and stones… <-> Oh no! What are they saying about me now?

ARE YOU EVER HAPPY WITH YOUR WORK?

I think I do a pretty good job <-> Nothing less than perfection will do

PERFECTIONIST

ARE YOU AFRAID OF FAILURE?

Of course! I don’t want to feel useless <-> I let other people take the heat

OSTRICH <-> CHICKEN

DAREDEVIL

You like to live dangerously, only starting work when the deadline is looming.

You think you show grace under pressure, but the end result is rushed work that’s full of errors.

TIPS

Get organized

Set yourself tighter deadlines and use the adrenaline rush productively while managing your team – self-regular with penalties for not meeting these targets.

SELF-SABOTEUR

You’re your own worst enemy, putting obstacles in your path to stop yourself working.

That way, you can say it’s not your fault – rewarding yourself for a job left undone.

TIPS

Plan for obstacles

List potential obstacles to getting things done ahead of time, and plan countermeasures, e.g., “Whenever I check Facebook, I take a short break.”

OSTRICH

You like to stick your head in the sand and ignore the tasks at hand – avoiding having to make decisions.

If you don’t make a decision, then you don’t risk failing or being judged.

TIPS

Self-talk confidently

Notice how you are talking to yourself when procrastinating. Think positively – instead of “I can’t”, say “I will”.

CHICKEN

With so many choices, how are you supposed to decide? By the time you’ve made up your mind, it’s too late.

You feel like you may as well put it off and let someone else choose.

TIPS

Swiss-cheese the big tasks

Handle the biggest tasks first by breaking them down into smaller manageable ones. Devote small amounts of time and achieve as much as you can in each to boost your momentum.

PERFECTIONIST

You’ll settle for nothing less than perfection – which is essentially impossible.

You’re rule by what others think of you, delaying work until you can be sure people won’t criticize it.

TIPS

Keep it real

Set yourself reasonable targets that you know you can manage and do your best to meet them. Perfection is impossible, but you can learn from mistakes.

Whatever type of procrastinator you are, all of these tips can help you conquer your fears and get back to work. So stop making excuses and go for it – you’ll surprise yourself with what you can achieve.

parcelhero

Source: https://www.parcelhero.com/blog/general/what-kind-of-procrastinator-are-you

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