Today I want to talk about procrastination.
But not the Netflix-watching, maybe I need to organize my closet, I’ll just open Instagram for a minute-type of procrastination.
Today I want to talk about ACTIVE procrastination.
Let me give you an example . . .
Last week I was putting together some graphics for Instagram Stories. I planned the design, came up with a list of tips, and then got stuck on one little detail. I couldn’t decide whether to use the same background image on all three graphics or a different background on each. And instead of just picking a lane, I decided to browse Instagram for inspiration, find stats on graphics I’d posted in the past, and generally waste time on something that didn’t make a difference.
As I was doing this I realized . . . procrastinating over little tasks that don’t make a difference wastes more time than Netflix ever will.
Why?
Because we do it daily, in the midst of regular tasks, and it will feel like work even though it isn’t. It’s so sneaky you might not notice until 5pm shows up and can’t figure out what you did all day.
Identifying active procrastination will be the first step (generally it’s any time I face indecision or find myself researching excessively).
Once you see it happening, here are 3 questions to ask to determine whether it’s REALLY worth it to spend time on that issue:
1 → Will one option or the other change the outcome for your audience?
2 → Will anyone but you notice?
3 → Will it significantly make it easier to understand/use?
The answer to all three questions on my dilemma were nope, nope, and NOPE. And so I made a damn choice, finished my graphics, and added them to my schedule. Which means I finally checked off that task and YOU will see those graphics popping up in my stories soon! (Pssst! Follow me @xosarahmorgan)
Leave a comment and tell me – are you a Netflix/random chores procrastinator or a work tasks procrastinator??
