These last few weeks have been busy, and as a result I have not been able to devote much time to blogging. This is a result of priorities, less procrastination. In this mode, the things that influence effective working patterns is in mind.
Procrastination can be curse and once instilled, overcoming it is a challenge. It is as if it is some externally induced condition instilled by some evil alien who designs to take over the world, while we try to decide what to do about it.
Fortunately, however, this seems not to be the case. I say this because there exists a formula to explain procrastination and in the explanation we might conclude that it is not driven by an external agency but more importantly what measures to take to overcome it.
In the article Why Do Today What You Can Put Off Until Tomorrow, Scientific American has reported the formula: U = E x V / I x D, where:
- U is the desire to complete the task;
- E, the expectation of success;
- V, the value of completion;
- I, the immediacy of task; and
- D, the personal sensitivity to delay, as a way of mathematically mapping a given individual’s procrastination response.
I suspect D is where you insert the magic number (many formulas have this capability to allow them to more closely align with reality).
In my own experience, procrastination usually manifests itself at the beginning of a task, but once that task is underway it subsides. But in this next phase–completing the task–other challenges emerge.
In the article Help I’ve Lost My Focus, Time Magazine reports interruptions now consume 2.1 hours per day for the average US knowledge worker. Researchers found that employees where able to devote 11 minutes to project work before being interrupted. Then it took on average 25 minutes to return to the original task, if they managed to do so. The form of interruptions includes: colleague dropping by, e-mail, being called away from desk, switch to another task, phone call. The study noted that interruptions at the beginning or end of a task were the most detrimental.
Juggling upwards of 12 concurrent tasks, people are expressing symptoms similar to ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder):
In a Harvard Business Review article last January, Hallowell gave the condition a name: attention-deficit trait, or ADT. He explains that ADT takes hold when we get so overloaded with incoming messages and competing tasks that we are unable to prioritize. The result is not only distractibility, impulsiveness and haste but also feelings of guilt and inadequacy. “People think it’s their fault that they’re falling behind,” he says. “They think they have to sleep less and work harder and stay later at the office, which only makes it worse because they’re not taking care of their brain by getting enough sleep.”
Steve Pavlina in his blog entry, 7 rule for maximizing your creativity, suggests the following measures:
- Define a clear purpose
- Identify a compelling motive (V)
- Architect a worthy challenge (E)
- Provide a conducive environment
- Allocate and commit a block of time
- Prevent interruptions and distractions
- Master your tools
The second and third points seem closely related to the challenge of getting started and the remainder deal with keeping the ball rolling.
For me, in the end it’s all about enforcing order, sequence and the right pace, so that things get done.
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