Procrastination – Putting off your Future Self
We all do it.
We set out on a course with the best laid plans and best intentions and then… well I’ll tell you about it later.
Even in the middle of checking things off a check list you get to some things and they seem so minor that they can wait for later.
They aren’t important, and the need to get them done immediately isn’t as great so why bother?
But what if instead, you put your future self first for a change. You owe yourself a break. So why not take those little ‘unimportant’ tasks and get them done now, so your future self can thank you. That way the five minutes you just gained by not checking off all the boxes tonight, turn into a nice longer break for you tomorrow, because everything is already done.
Even the small things that you think won’t impact anyone but yourself. Getting things done and out of the way may seem like a burden, but then your mind is more at ease after their done which will make you more relaxed and happy (and thus more delightful to be around!)
When it comes to your home and personal life, getting as much done the day or night before will set you up for a more successful day.
Meal planning, programming your coffee machine, getting lunches ready, clothes picked out and giving everything a good wipe down may seem like a lot. And to be honest it can add up. But waking up in the morning, grabbing your clothes and coming into a clean kitchen where there is hot fresh coffee waiting for you is not something to be taken lightly either!
Having everything prepped the night before takes time off of what can typically be a rushed and stressful morning. Jumping from task to task as soon as your alarm goes off is never an enjoyable process. Having half of the work done for you will hopefully set you up for a brighter day.
For work, we can all easily get caught up in leaving the menial mundane tasks aside to do later. Its easy to say ‘oh I can do this later, it will only take a minute’ and prioritize that as a task to be completed later. Half the time however, the thought process in even just thinking about pushing a small task aside takes longer than the task itself.
While prioritizing is always important and ensuring things that need immediate attention are completed in a timely fashion, the more things you push aside for ‘later’, the more that pile will add up and the likelihood of things getting missed starts to rise.
As you push aside the small things for later, when later comes you tend to be overwhelmed with this overflowing pile of tiny tasks that could have easily been completed in the amount of time it took you to complain about how unimportant they are.
The worst part is coming to the end of your work day and realizing you have all these tiny tasks to complete and having to rush through things because no one wants to stay longer than they have too.
When it comes to Security, often you have a report to submit that details any events (or lack there of) that occurred during your shift.
If you’re keeping notes during your shift, you can accurately time stamp details and have a document that is ready to submit before you even step foot off the site. In some cases if you need to submit reports through online portals or special reporting systems, simply copying and pasting your report into a template is another option that is quick and effortless and won’t have you stuck in that awkward place between work and your social life.
Setting yourself up for success means more thoughtful and mindful planning. Understanding that there are important things, and there are small details, but at the end of the day they both add up and they all need to get done regardless.
If you see a task and stop to think how trivial it is and it will only take a minute so you’ll do it later – try doing it right away instead.
Your future self will thank you.
Guest Blogger Rayna Davies
Rayna Davies is a graduate and practitioner of Business Management. She has developed an expertise in blogging, covering subjects like travel, world events and security. Having grown up with a father who has developed an expertise in Physical Security and Executive Protection in the RCMP and two major corporations, she has personally observed and 
experienced many security details. These experiences have included personally meeting HM Queen Elizabeth, Prime Minister Jean Chretien and many celebrities. She presently assists Sentinel Security in Executive Protection workshops and guest blogging and also assists Gloprosec Preventative Services in Intelligence gathering and Business Administration. Her passions include World travel, having visited every continent.
