In a recent blog post called Do Your Clients Have Bad Work Habits, we learned one of the top ten worst work habits is procrastination.  As a follow-up, it seems important to share what I have learned about how to avoid procrastination and get things done.  I have no doubt you have a client who is procrastinating in one way or another. 

A basic definition of procrastination is putting off the things that you should be doing now.  Sometimes we do this because the task is something we really don’t want to do or perhaps the projects is too large and we are overwhelmed by it.  Other times, it cab be as simple as we are waiting for the “right time” of the “right mood”.

According to Time-Management-Guide, from an organizing perspective here are some reasons for procrastination: 

• Lack of clear goals
• Underestimating the difficulty of the tasks
• Underestimating the time required to complete the tasks
• Unclear standards for the task outcomes
• Feeling as the tasks are imposed on you from outside
• Too ambiguous tasks

So what can you and your clients do? 

1. Just get started!  The most challenging part of any task is getting started.  Have your client commit to getting started; once they begin, the task is often easier than you expected.   
2. Break the project down.  Sit down with your client and help them see the complete project and chunk it down into smaller, more manageable parts. 
3. Schedule time on your calendar to complete each portion. 
4. Set the timer and don’t allow distractions.
5. Avoid perfectionism.

If you or your client still wants to procrastinate, consider whether you should be doing the task at all or if you can hire someone to do it for you.  Stop procrastating and start doing – you will feel accomplished, successful, less stressed and enjoy more.