We focus a lot of our productivity tips around how to overcome procrastination, but how many of you have heard the term “precrastination”?
Defined as “the tendency to rush too quickly into tasks”, precrastination can be equally counterproductive. While the procrastinator delays important tasks too long, the precrastinator doesn’t delay unimportant tasks long enough.
When you precrastinate, you are using your energy and attention on less important tasks, in an attempt to procrastinate on another. Often it means completing a task too quickly or too early, when taking more time would result in a better outcome. It’s a perfect example of the dog chasing the tail it is never going to catch. You become preoccupied with the minute details of something that appears to be easier to achieve.
Does busy = productive?
The danger of pre-crastination is that you are staying busy so you feel like you are being productive. In reality, though, you are getting very little done toward your actual goals. By choosing to focus on unimportant tasks, you might be completing the low-hanging fruit on your task list at the expense of energy for what you might need to focus on later. Sometimes in the rush to hurry to check one more thing off of our lists, we are doing ourselves a dis-service. In the end, it is a better strategy to take the time to prioritize your work each day and not just rush into what seems to be the easiest to complete.
If precrastination is a struggle for you, there are some ways you can overcome it. If you feel the urge to just get something done quickly but you know it’s not the most productive use of your time, it is best to just pause and refocus. Don’t fall for the temporary satisfaction of completing the lower priority work at the expense of your ultimate goals. Rather than precrastinating, break larger tasks into smaller ones. Such smaller tasks, when completed, will promote a better sense of accomplishment.
If we can help support your journey to productivity, contact us and ask about our individual consulting, our “It’s About Time” virtual productivity program or any of our full or half-day workshops or targeted presentations.
Also, if you want to experience a day of focused priority work, we still have a few spots available for our FREE “Eat Your Frog” Day next Tuesday, February 25th. To register, please Email us and we will send you the link and info you will need to participate.
