Do you procrastinate at work? And do you wish you could change your ways? Well according to psychologist Joseph Ferrari, the first thing you need to do is to determine what type of procrastinator you are: a thrill seeker, avoider, or indecisive.
The website OfficeTime used Ferrari’s research to create the flowchart below. Use it to identify what category of procrastination you fall into!
Thrill seekers – If you’re a thrill seeker, you get an adrenaline rush from getting things done at the last minute, and you like that feeling. To overcome this tendency, Ferrari suggests that you try to get your thrills elsewhere, and discover the joy of getting things done early. He also suggests that you reward yourself when you do get something done early. If it’s a big job, break it into smaller tasks and reward yourself after each task is completed. This should help to make the process more engaging and gratifying.
Avoiders – If you’re an avoider, you put off making decisions or getting things done because you’re afraid of making mistakes and you don’t want others to judge you. Combat these fears by keeping a journal of your thoughts and challenging them. Ask yourself, “What’s the worst thing that could happen?” (Usually the “worst thing” is not that dire or likely to happen.) And practice making decisions. The more you do it, the more comfortable you’ll be with the process.
Indecisives – If you’re an indecisive, your need to do things perfectly paralyzes you. You can’t get things done for fear of making mistakes or not getting everything absolutely right. To overcome this problem, try to keep the big picture in mind. Avoid getting bogged down in the small details. And once you’ve achieved your overall goal, move on to the next project. Everyone makes mistakes. Don’t beat yourself up if you make one – try to learn from it instead.
Patkar, M. (2014, August 4). Use this flowchart to identify what type of procrastinator you are. Lifehacker. Retrieved from https://lifehacker.com/use-this-flowchart-to-identify-what-type-of-procrastina-1615614759
